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Cacti & Succulents

Overwater or underwater?

alexa_succulenti

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Hello, I reppoted this pretty boy but I am not sure if it likes the new spot or watering. Where some soil was it turned yellowish and started to be a little wrinkly. I think it needs water but I m not sure if it's not rot. The roots seem healthy and dry.
How do I add photo please?

Featured Answer

socks

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Nice little plants, but You are right to be concerned. The bottoms of your plants do not look good.

I think you need to gently remove all that potting mix and re-pot with a faster draining mix. Many here use commercial cactus and succulent potting mix combined 50-50 with perlite or pumice. You can re-pot in the same size pot assuming it has a drainage hole. Do not water for several days to a week or more, especially if the mix is moist. Water only when the plant is dry, let the water run out the holes in the pot.

Cactuses have water stored inside, so they do not need a lot of water or water retaining potting mix. You probably know it needs a lot of direct light every day, but give it a rest from that for a few days after you repot.

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Comments (7)

alexa_succulenti
Original Author
3 years ago
alexa_succulenti
Original Author
3 years ago
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robinswfl
3 years ago
I agree with Socks on everything. If it were mine -- and believe me, I'd have some like that -- I would enrich the soil mix by using 60% pumice or perlite, 40% cactus soil mix. I believe the richness and peat in your soil was probably the main culprit. Socks is right. You want to improve drainage of the mix. Make sure your pot has a drainage hole -- or two or three.

If you are using perlite and are not experienced with it, you need to sift it for size (I like 1/8" to 3/16" myself) and then wash it to eliminate dust. Wear a mask when you do -- it's dusty.. If you are in a locale where you can buy pumice, I would do that instead (and again, wash it). I think it drains better myself.
alexa_succulenti thanked robinswfl
alexa_succulenti
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you guys. By any chance do you know the name of this cacti?

For now I'm letting the cacti to be. It turned hard/dry coat on where it used to touch the ground I mean where it was covered by soil - he yellowish parts. It got a bit more wrinkly. And the "spikes" drought completely.

The soil. It's completely dry.

I think the mix it's in is like the original it was bought it, it was striving so much it overgrown the container. When reppoting I just added soil around that- soil with some sand and lots of coconut hair.

Should I really look for rot? It's drying up. 😅
robinswfl
3 years ago
Oh dear. You wrote: "When reppoting I just added soil around that- soil with some sand and lots of coconut hair." Oh dear.

I don't know what "coconut hair" is -- but I fear you mean coco coir. And sand???? Not good. You are most likely to experience drainage problems similar to the ones you experienced with the soil that originally surrounded the plant.

You asked for advice about what kind of mix to repot in. Socks and I both gave you pretty much the same advice: 50% cactus/succulent soil, and 50% either sifted perlite or pumice for drainage. That is a basic combination for nearly ANY succulent plant. Yes, there are better ones for specific plants, but most any succulent will live pretty well in that combination -- soil plus lots of drainage material. But apparently you chose something else.
alexa_succulenti
Original Author
3 years ago
No no, that's what I did before. not now. I bought perlite now and gonna repot it in a few days with that. Thank you.

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