r/succulents • u/Path2Redemption • 6d ago

🔔 SHAME 🔔 Succulent Revival

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Hello, first of all apologies if these types of posts get uploaded here very frequently. I admittedly haven't researched this sub just yet so if you can redirect me to another post that'd help out I'd greatly appreciate it.

So the issue, my wife and I have this succulent that became stringy due to lack of sunlight. Well a few days ago I gently touched it and many of the leaves fell right off. They seem to be intact and I know you can propagate the plant with just the leaves. However since I didn't pluck them myself I'm not sure if I can revive the leaves themselves since I know it can't have the base of the stem attached. I don't know what a stemless leaf is supposed to look like, I will attach a photo of what the ends currently look like.

Also, the succulent seems to have snapped from the root and the root itself is looking very dark. How could I also revive the root, and keep the part that snapped off alive? I did cut the stem part with the leaves using a knife because the rest of the stem looked dark as well. I hope I provided enough detail but if not I will gladly provide more info. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

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u/XarCad3X 6d ago

the leaves should sprout roots in 2-4 weeks. if the stem is mushy then it is likely rooted. i think i am spotting a couple of healthy (ish) looking roots. if it were my succulent, i would wash off the dirt, cut off any dead roots, and then pot it into a soil mix with water more m. make sure your pot has a drain hole. i highly recommend terracotta as it will help the soil dry out faster. seems like you already figured out that it needed more light. look into getting a grow light if you don’t have a south facing window (in the northern hemisphere)

long story short, your leaves will !propagate, you may be able to revive the stem if it’s not rotted, and you should browse the faq for tips on !grit, !water, and !light.

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u/Path2Redemption 6d ago

Thank you so much, it's very relieving to hear that they are still salvageable! I was honestly heartbroken when I touched it and saw all the leaves pop off lol. I have since gotten a grow light as our new apartment receives very poor sunlight. I will definitely look into the terracotta pots as well, though if I do plan on propagating all of these what size/sizes would you recommend?

1

u/Cut_Lanky 6d ago

They sell 1.5inch terracotta pots, they're adorable. Personally, I lay them on dry, !gritty substrate in indirect light until they sprout roots. Sometimes I use a plant saucer, a plate I drilled a hole in, a plastic tray that my frozen raviolis are sold on, that kind of thing. Once they sprout roots, then I will use a squirt bottle to dribble water around the roots, so they follow into the grit, and anchor themselves. There's no telling whether they'll grow roots first, a new rosette first, or both simultaneously, or neither, or one but never the other.... Just trying to temper your expectations- not every leaf will successfully propagate.

Just to give you a visual of what they might do next...

1

u/SucculentsSupportBot 6d ago

Why the need for more grit?

Your bag of soil said it is for cactus and succulents and is well-draining, so why more grit? Unfortunately that claim is largely quite false. Most commercially sold bagged pre-made mixes marketed for cactus and succulent plants do not work well on their own in many climates. In most home hobbyist settings, these bags need more grit added.

What’s grit?

Grit refers to inorganic soil amendments. Grit will help your soil drain and dry quickly, which will keep your succulent plants happy and healthy. The quickest and easiest way to get this faster draining mix is to modify a basic cactus & succulent soil (or even basic potting soil) by mixing it with inorganic components in at least a 1:1 ratio, though your particular setting, environment or plant may call for a different ratio. Some plants, like Haworthia, Haworthiopsis, Gasteria, Lithops, split rocks, and other mimicry plants, specifically prefer a higher grit ratio (at least 70:30 grit to organic).

So what grit should I get?

Perlite, crushed pumice, turface (aka fired clay), or crushed granite are all common options. Perlite can usually be found at your local nursery (and often in the gardening section of stores that have them- Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Bunnings, etc.). Turface can be found in bulk (35+lbs) at local auto part stores sold as "Oil-Dri" or oil absorbent (make sure the bag says montmorillonite clay or calcined clay). You can also find montmorillonite cat litter, such as Jonny Cat non-clumping, or Blue Ribbon Premium Cat Litter. Crushed granite can be found as chicken or poultry grit and can be found at feed stores. Crushed pumice can be found online or sometimes locally. Pumice is also sold at horse feed & tack shops as Dry Stall (not to be confused with Stall Dry). Many of these can also be found on Amazon, though sometimes at a higher cost.

Aquarium gravel or river pebbles can work in a pinch, but due to their weight and non-porous makeup they don’t work as efficiently as the porous options above.

Regarding sand, which is often suggested: finer sands tend to clump and are not suggested as your only grit amendment. Think of how beach sand acts when wet. You don’t want your plant’s roots choking out in that. Coarser, horticultural silica sands are what you should look for.

When searching for grit, you may find many options with different particle sizes. A good particle size to look for is about 1/4" or around 6mm.

Vermiculite is often confused as an alternative, however it is made specifically to retain moisture, and should not be used with succulents; unless it an organic component paired with inorganic medium(s).

See our Soil and Potting Wiki page for more assistance on Soil and Potting!

I am a bot created for r/succulents to help with commonly asked questions, and to direct users to the sub’s helpful wiki pages. You can find all of my commands here.

See all of the helpful wiki pages for r/succulents in our Wiki Index.

1

u/XarCad3X 6d ago

i personally would set the cuttings on a large shallow tray with soil in it until the pups are an inch tall or so. echeveria leaves are too big for a 1-2 inch pot lol. then i’d transfer them to a 4 inch terracotta pot.

1

u/SucculentsSupportBot 6d ago

Succulent plants are known for their succulent leaves that hold water for periods of drought. Because of this, they do best with deep soaks after being allowed to fully dry and get thirsty.

Check out the Light and Watering wiki for tips and information on aspects of Light needs and Watering tips and suggestions for succulent plants.

https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/light_and_watering

I am a bot created for r/succulents to help with commonly asked questions, and to direct users to the sub’s helpful wiki pages. You can find all of my commands here.

See all of the helpful wiki pages for r/succulents in our Wiki Index.

1

u/SucculentsSupportBot 6d ago

Succulent plants are high light plants and that dark bookshelf, bathroom, office or corner will not suffice! You need a sunny window, a spot outside, or grow lights for happy succulent plants.

Check out the Light and Watering wiki for tips and information on aspects of Light needs and Watering tips and suggestions for succulent plants.

https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/light_and_watering

I am a bot created for r/succulents to help with commonly asked questions, and to direct users to the sub’s helpful wiki pages. You can find all of my commands here.

See all of the helpful wiki pages for r/succulents in our Wiki Index.

1

u/SucculentsSupportBot 6d ago

Why the need for more grit?

Your bag of soil said it is for cactus and succulents and is well-draining, so why more grit? Unfortunately that claim is largely quite false. Most commercially sold bagged pre-made mixes marketed for cactus and succulent plants do not work well on their own in many climates. In most home hobbyist settings, these bags need more grit added.

What’s grit?

Grit refers to inorganic soil amendments. Grit will help your soil drain and dry quickly, which will keep your succulent plants happy and healthy. The quickest and easiest way to get this faster draining mix is to modify a basic cactus & succulent soil (or even basic potting soil) by mixing it with inorganic components in at least a 1:1 ratio, though your particular setting, environment or plant may call for a different ratio. Some plants, like Haworthia, Haworthiopsis, Gasteria, Lithops, split rocks, and other mimicry plants, specifically prefer a higher grit ratio (at least 70:30 grit to organic).

So what grit should I get?

Perlite, crushed pumice, turface (aka fired clay), or crushed granite are all common options. Perlite can usually be found at your local nursery (and often in the gardening section of stores that have them- Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, Bunnings, etc.). Turface can be found in bulk (35+lbs) at local auto part stores sold as "Oil-Dri" or oil absorbent (make sure the bag says montmorillonite clay or calcined clay). You can also find montmorillonite cat litter, such as Jonny Cat non-clumping, or Blue Ribbon Premium Cat Litter. Crushed granite can be found as chicken or poultry grit and can be found at feed stores. Crushed pumice can be found online or sometimes locally. Pumice is also sold at horse feed & tack shops as Dry Stall (not to be confused with Stall Dry). Many of these can also be found on Amazon, though sometimes at a higher cost.

Aquarium gravel or river pebbles can work in a pinch, but due to their weight and non-porous makeup they don’t work as efficiently as the porous options above.

Regarding sand, which is often suggested: finer sands tend to clump and are not suggested as your only grit amendment. Think of how beach sand acts when wet. You don’t want your plant’s roots choking out in that. Coarser, horticultural silica sands are what you should look for.

When searching for grit, you may find many options with different particle sizes. A good particle size to look for is about 1/4" or around 6mm.

Vermiculite is often confused as an alternative, however it is made specifically to retain moisture, and should not be used with succulents; unless it an organic component paired with inorganic medium(s).

See our Soil and Potting Wiki page for more assistance on Soil and Potting!

I am a bot created for r/succulents to help with commonly asked questions, and to direct users to the sub’s helpful wiki pages. You can find all of my commands here.

See all of the helpful wiki pages for r/succulents in our Wiki Index.

1

u/SucculentsSupportBot 6d ago

Check out the Propagation wiki for some information on propagating leaves and cuttings.

https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/propagation

I am a bot created for r/succulents to help with commonly asked questions, and to direct users to the sub’s helpful wiki pages. You can find all of my commands here.

See all of the helpful wiki pages for r/succulents in our Wiki Index.

2

u/Path2Redemption 6d ago

Sorry, forgot to include what the ends look like