You think you are giving me a drink, but you are actually suffocating me. My roots need both water and air. When you water me too often, the soil becomes saturated, pushing out all the oxygen. My delicate roots begin to rot in this waterlogged environment. Once they rot, they can no longer absorb water or nutrients, no matter how much you pour into the pot. This is the most common reason I become limp and wilted. I am a succulent; I store water in my flattened stems (called cladodes). I am built for periods of drought, not a constant swamp. Please, check the soil before you water. It should feel dry to the touch an inch or two below the surface.
The opposite problem is just as dangerous. While I am drought-tolerant, I am not a cactus from the Sonoran Desert. I am a tropical epiphyte, originally from the shaded, humid forests of Brazil, where I absorb moisture from the air and rain. If you neglect to water me for too long, I will use up all the moisture stored in my segments. They will begin to shrivel, wrinkle, and become limp and rubbery. This is my desperate plea for a drink. My entire structure relies on this stored water to stay rigid and photosynthesize. Without it, I simply cannot support myself.
My pot and the soil I live in are my entire world. If they are not suitable, I will suffer. If my pot does not have drainage holes, water has no escape. It pools at the bottom, creating a miniature bog that my roots cannot escape, leading directly to the root rot I described. Even with a good pot, the wrong soil will cause problems. Heavy, moisture-retentive garden soil or standard potting mix compacts around my roots, holding onto water for far too long. I need a very loose, sharply draining mix, like one formulated for orchids or succulents, with plenty of bark, perlite, or pumice to allow air to circulate around my roots.
My leaves can also wilt from environmental stress. If I am placed in direct, hot sunlight, especially through a window, I can get scorched. The intense sun causes me to lose water too rapidly from my tissues, faster than my roots can replace it, leading to a wilted, sometimes bleached appearance. Conversely, a sudden cold draft from a nearby door or window can shock my system. I prefer stable, comfortable room temperatures. Extreme cold can damage my cells, causing them to collapse and leading to a mushy, wilted droop that is often irreversible.
To rescue me, you must first diagnose the issue. Gently remove me from my pot and examine my roots. Healthy roots are firm and white or tan. If they are brown, black, mushy, and smell bad, that is root rot. Carefully cut away all the rotted parts with a sterile tool. Repot me into a clean pot with drainage holes, using fresh, well-draining potting mix. If I was underwatered, place my pot in a basin of water for 15-20 minutes so I can absorb moisture from the bottom up. Then, let me drain thoroughly. Please move me to a location with bright, indirect light and stable temperatures, away from any drafts or heating vents. Be patient; it will take me some time to recover and produce new, healthy roots.
