From my perspective, the single greatest threat to my existence is an excess of your kindness in the form of water. My roots are not like those of thirsty tropical plants; they are fine and susceptible to rot. When you water me too frequently, the soil around my roots becomes perpetually saturated. This drowns me, quite literally. The water fills the air pockets in the soil, suffocating my roots by cutting off their oxygen supply. Simultaneously, this damp, stagnant environment invites pathogenic fungi and bacteria to attack, causing root rot. This rot spreads unseen beneath the soil, and by the time you notice my segments turning yellow, becoming mushy, and dropping off, the damage is often severe and irreversible.
While I am a drought-tolerant succulent, I am not a cactus of the arid desert. My native habitat is the shaded, humid canopies of Brazilian rainforests, where I absorb moisture from the air and organic matter. If you neglect to water me for extended periods, you subject me to a different kind of stress. My segmented leaves, where I store my water reserves, will begin to shrivel, wrinkle, and become limp to the touch. I am literally consuming myself to survive. This severe dehydration halts my growth, prevents me from flowering, and, if prolonged, will cause irreversible damage to my cellular structure, leading to my demise from thirst.
You must understand that the vessel you plant me in and the medium you surround me with are as critical as the water itself. If you place me in a pot without a drainage hole, you are effectively placing my root system in a miniature swamp. Any excess water from your watering has no escape, pooling at the bottom and ensuring my roots remain wet. Similarly, if you use a heavy, moisture-retentive soil mix, like standard garden soil, it acts like a wet sponge, holding onto water for far too long. I require a loose, chunky, and very well-aerated potting mix, often one formulated for epiphytes or succulents, which contains ingredients like perlite and orchid bark to allow water to flow through quickly while still holding onto a minimal amount of moisture.
My roots are sensitive to their environment, and that includes what is in the water you provide. In many municipal water systems, the water is treated with chemicals like chlorine and chloramines, and can contain high levels of fluoride and soluble salts. These minerals can slowly accumulate in my soil, creating a toxic environment that burns my root tips and prevents them from effectively absorbing nutrients and water. Using soft water can be equally harmful due to high sodium content. Furthermore, dousing my roots with ice-cold water is a tremendous shock to my system, potentially sending me into dormancy or stunting my growth. I much prefer water that is at room temperature.
