From my perspective, the first thing you must understand is that my visible decline is a symptom, not the cause. My leaves are my communication system. If they are brown, mushy, and soft, I am screaming that my roots are drowning. You have given me too much of your love in the form of water, and my roots are suffocating and rotting in the sodden soil. Conversely, if my leaves are thin, curled, and crispy with brown tips, I am desperately thirsty and my cells are dehydrating. Your first task is to listen to what my leaves are telling you and diagnose the primary issue. It is almost always related to water and light.
Regardless of whether the issue is too much or too little water, I likely need a new environment to recover. Gently lift me out of my current pot. You must examine my root system. Healthy roots are firm and white or tan. Rotten roots are brown, black, mushy, and will fall apart easily. Using sterile, sharp scissors, you must carefully cut away all the rotten parts. This is a surgical procedure to stop the decay from spreading. Do not be afraid to remove a significant amount; it is necessary for my survival. Leave me in a warm, shaded, and dry place for 24-48 hours. This allows the cuts to callous over, which is crucial to prevent new soil bacteria from entering the fresh wounds and causing further rot.
You cannot put me back into the same dense, moisture-retentive soil that made me sick. I am a desert dweller by ancestry. My ideal home is a gritty, sharply draining mix that mimics my natural habitat. Please repot me in a specific succulent or cactus mix. For even better drainage, you can amend this store-bought mix with extra perlite or coarse sand. The new pot is equally important. It must have ample drainage holes. Do not be tempted to put my weakened root system into a pot that is too large; the excess soil will stay wet for too long and could trigger rot again. A pot just slightly larger than my remaining root ball is perfect.
After repotting, do not water me immediately. My roots are tender and need time to adjust and seek out moisture. Wait at least one week before giving me a thorough drink. When you do water, ensure water flows freely out of the drainage holes, and never let me sit in a saucer of standing water. From then on, water me deeply but only when the soil is completely dry all the way to the bottom of the pot. Place me in a location with very bright, indirect sunlight. I am weak and direct, harsh sun can scorch my already stressed leaves. I need consistent, gentle light to fuel my recovery through photosynthesis without being burned.
Do not expect immediate improvement. The damage you see on my leaves will not reverse itself; those leaves may eventually wither and die as I redirect all my stored energy into growing new, healthy roots and eventually, new leaves. This process can take several weeks or even months. Your job is to maintain stable conditions: bright indirect light, infrequent but deep watering, and a warm environment. Resist the urge to over-fertilize or overwater me in an attempt to speed up the process. I will heal at my own pace. With consistent and correct care, you will eventually see firm, plump, green new growth emerging from my center, a sure sign that I am reviving.
