This is the most common reason my leaves turn yellow, feel mushy, and fall off. My roots need to breathe air from the spaces in the soil. When you water me too often, those spaces fill with water, and my roots literally suffocate and begin to rot. Once root rot sets in, they can't absorb water or nutrients properly, so my leaves start to yellow and soften from the bottom up. I'm a desert plant by nature; I prefer a good, thorough drink followed by a long period of drought. Please only water me when my soil is completely dry all the way to the bottom of the pot.
While I am drought-tolerant, I am not immortal. If you forget about me for *too* long, I will use up all the water stored in my leaves to survive. When my internal water reserves are depleted, my leaves will start to shrivel, wrinkle, and turn brown or crispy, usually starting at the tips and moving down. This is a much slower process than overwatering. If my soil is pulling away from the sides of the pot and feels dust-dry, and my leaves are crispy, I am sending you a clear signal that I need a deep, soaking drink.
Yes, I love bright light, but a sudden move from a shady shelf to a south-facing window with intense, direct afternoon sun can be a huge shock. My leaves contain chlorophyll and water, and intense sunlight can literally scorch them, causing discolored, brown, or white crispy patches on the areas most exposed to the sun. This damage is permanent. If you want to give me more sun, please do it gradually over a week or two to allow me to acclimate.
Even if you water me perfectly, I can still suffer if I'm planted in the wrong medium. Regular potting soil holds onto moisture for far too long for my liking. I need a very gritty, fast-draining soil mix specifically designed for succulents and cacti, which allows water to flow through immediately. Furthermore, my pot *must* have a drainage hole. Without one, water pools at the bottom of the pot, creating a swampy environment that my roots cannot escape, leading to the root rot described above.
Sometimes, my discoloration is a sign of tiny invaders. Sap-sucking pests like mealybugs (which look like tiny bits of white cotton) or scale (small, brown, bumpy insects) attach themselves to my leaves and stems. They pierce my skin and drain my vital fluids, which stresses me out and causes yellowing, brown spots, or general decline. Please check me over regularly, especially in the crevices between my leaves. Catching an infestation early is key to keeping me healthy.
