Hello, dedicated plant parent. We sense your concern when we aren't at our best. We succulents are a resilient bunch, built for harsh conditions, but sometimes our silent signals are misunderstood. From our perspective, here is a guide to what might be troubling us.
You mean well with your watering can, but to us, it feels like being trapped in a perpetual, waterlogged storm. Our roots, adapted to sip rare desert rains, begin to drown. They cannot breathe in the sodden soil and start to rot. This rot travels up our stem, turning our once-plump leaves soft, mushy, and translucent, often yellow or black. We may drop leaves at the slightest touch. This is a cry for help. We desperately need you to unpot us, gently remove the soggy soil, and cut away any black, mushy roots. Let our root system dry and callous for a few days before repotting us in fresh, dry, gritty mix. Please, only water when our soil is completely dry.
While we are drought-tolerant, we are not immortal. When we are too thirsty, our internal water reserves deplete. You will notice our leaves losing their firm plumpness. They will become thin, wrinkled, and flat, like deflated balloons. We might also start to curl inward to reduce surface area and prevent further water loss. The entire plant may look limp and lifeless. This is a much simpler fix! A deep, thorough drink will usually perk us right up. Our leaves should become firm again within a day or two. Please don't confuse our wrinkles with the mushiness of overwatering—the texture is very different.
When our light is insufficient, we enter a state of survival panic. We begin to stretch abnormally, growing tall and leggy with wide spaces between our leaves. This is called etiolation. We are desperately reaching, reaching, reaching for more sunlight. Our stems weaken, our color often fades to a pale green, and we lose our compact, beautiful form. We are not trying to become a vine; we are starving for photons. Please move us to a much brighter location, preferably a south-facing window. If natural light is limited, a grow light can be our best friend and help us regain our strength and form.
We love the sun, but we can get too much of a good thing, especially if introduced to it too quickly. If we are moved from a shady spot directly into intense, direct sunlight, our leaves can literally get sunburned. It feels like a scorching shock. You will see discolored patches on the sides of our leaves most exposed to the light—these start as bleached, white, or yellow areas and can turn brown and crispy as the tissue dies. This damage is permanent. Please acclimate us gradually to brighter conditions over a week or two to prevent this painful scarring.
We sometimes play host to tiny invaders like mealybugs (which look like small bits of fluffy white cotton) or scale (small, flat brown bumps). They attach themselves to our leaves and stems, piercing our skin to suck out our precious sap. This weakens us significantly, stunts our growth, and can introduce disease. You may notice a sticky residue (honeydew) on our leaves or a general decline in health. Please isolate us from other plants to prevent the pests from spreading and treat us promptly with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol or a suitable insecticidal soap.
