The shriveled arms from underwatering right?? They are not mushy. I water this one about every 25 days. I'm a chronic over-waterer so I def hold on watering as long as possible and might be overdoing it. It's right in front of a southern window and under(ish) a grow light. Soil is my standard mix, 1:1:1 of cactus mix + perlite + pumice. Despite the shriveling, there looks to be a lot of new growth. Appreciate any tips!
by chicken_nugget38
2 Comments
Hmmm… that could be the case, but the soil looks waaaaaay too organic. It could be the soil is holding moisture for too long and rotted the roots and thus there was no way for it to take up water. The rotting could spread further to the rest of the plant as well. I would also add that sometimes the lower arms tend to fall off to divert energy else where in the plant. My advice is to take it out and inspect the roots.
ETA: I also wanted to add, if indoors, definitely lean way more into inorganic soil. More like 85% inorganic to 10-15% organic ratio. Takes a lot longer for the soil to dry indoors. Learned the hard way with my Haworthias lol 😅. Also when it comes to watering, generally 3 weeks but really learn your soil’s weight when dry and wet. If it feels like it’s been a while since you’ve watered it wait 4-5 more days to water lol.
Yes it needs water. It’s aborting older growth for new arms it looks like. It’s still really healthy looking for sure but this is a lesson for you. Going from one extreme (over watering) to the other side (under watering) gives you the wonderful opportunity to see what happens and how to find a happy balance. Plants don’t work on a schedule but we do and we can get as close to it as possible for them as long as you are attentive and flexible as the seasons change. For right now, instead of every 25 days, check the soil’s moisture levels on the 15th day after watering and go from there. Mine like to be more moist at least right now in the hot sun. If you need help gauging, you can buy an unglazed clay worm or snake to stick in your soil or even just leave a skewer in the dirt as a sort of dipstick. Or you can dig your finger in the soil and if it’s almost dry or just cold but you feel no actual wetness, wait a few more days, then water.