I bought this lovely girl for my mom last May at Vons, and kept it alive since then. It's been in continual bloom. It gets plenty of shade and sun, and I bring it inside at night and back out in the morning so it doesn't run risk of frost. I believe the huge leaves decaying in the middle are just the old ones and so those don't concern me as much because they've been there since day 1 so they're probably on their way out as it is, but now even these new leaves on the sides are starting to crisp and wither. I don't want it to die :( I use the yellow and green bag of soil and have never fertilized, as this is the only plant I've ever taken care of in my entire life.
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Taylor
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I will try to give you the best advice I can with the information given. Check or try the following things do them in order. Stop once you find the problem.
- Inspect it for insects and mites. All like to feed on new growth. Mites are hard to see. Put a piece paper under the plant and gently shake it. Check the paper for small insect like pest. -- Use appropriate insect or mite treatment. Avoid home brews. Many damage plants.
- Experiment with various light conditions. Maybe just changing the type or amount of light might alleviate the problem.
9 times of out 10 the problem with a succulent lies in the roots.
- Change the way you water. Make sure the soil is dry before you water. There are various techniques to use like - Stick you finger in the soil. -Do the bamboo chopstick test (insert for 10-20 mins. Pull out and check if the stick is dry or wet). -Do the weight test. (Give the plant a good soak. lift pot & note the weight in your mind, before you water make sure the pot feels light before you water again.)
- Inspect the roots. Do this when the soil is fairly dry. Most succulents will tolerate this abuse with none or very little stress. If the roots are wet, dark and mushy/soft, then the soil is not draining adequately. If the roots are firm and white or beige, there is no problem with your soil.
Before you repot the plant,
- take the rocks out of the bottom of the pot.
- If the soil was mushy - Use a cactus & succulent potting mix and add equal parts perlite. Such as mix 1 cup of C&S mix with 1 cup of perlite. If you do not have C&S mix use regular potting mix instead. Make sure you use Potting Mix not Potting Soil or any product with the words soil.
- If the roots were white and firm - mix equal parts perlite to your current potting mix.
- Wait 1 week before you water your plant after repotting.
There is a great chance that one of these steps will fix your problem.