From my perspective, your constant watering is a well-intentioned but fatal mistake. My plump, succulent leaves are designed to store water for long periods. When you water me on a strict schedule, especially when the soil is still moist or the weather is cool and cloudy, you are suffocating me. My roots need to breathe. Soggy, waterlogged soil creates an anaerobic environment that rots my roots away, turning them from firm and white to mushy and brown. Once root rot sets in, it is a rapid and often irreversible decline. I would much prefer you forget about me for a few weeks than drown me with kindness. Please, only offer water when my soil is completely dry, and ensure I can drain every single excess drop away.
You brought me into your home because you loved my beautiful, tight rosette shape and perhaps even my vibrant colors. But then you placed me on a dim shelf or a north-facing windowsill, far from the intense sunlight I crave. I am a child of the sun. Without several hours of direct, bright light each day, I must stretch and contort to find it. This is why I become leggy, with a long, weak stem and widely spaced leaves—a condition you call etiolation. I lose my compact form and my colors fade to a dull green. I am literally starving for photons. To keep me healthy and colorful, I need your sunniest spot, preferably a south or west-facing window.
That heavy, moisture-retentive potting soil you originally planted me in is a death sentence. It acts like a wet sponge around my crown and roots, promoting the very rot I fear most. I am built for arid, sharp-draining environments. My ideal home is a gritty, airy mix that allows water to flow through instantly. I need a specialized succulent or cactus mix, heavily amended with inorganic materials like perlite, pumice, or coarse sand. This type of soil provides the perfect balance: it holds just enough moisture for my roots to absorb a drink but then dries out rapidly to protect me. Repotting me into a fast-draining mix is one of the greatest kindnesses you can offer.
You assume that because I am a houseplant, I grow at the same steady pace all year round. I do not. I have a natural growth cycle. During the warm, bright days of spring and summer, I am actively growing and thrilled with your care. However, when the days grow shorter and cooler in the fall and winter, I enter a period of dormancy. This is my time to rest. Watering me as frequently during this dormant period is a critical error. I am not using the water, so it sits in the soil and chills my roots, causing rot. In winter, I need you to significantly reduce watering, providing just enough to prevent my leaves from shriveling, and ideally, keep me in a cooler spot to mimic my natural rest period.
