So I took it. I don't know if any of y'all would be able to tell anything from the roots but it smells funky. Also there are grubs in the soil and drainage pot so I'll definitely have to change everything anyways.
that’s an Adenium (desert rose), not a baobab (Adansonia) as others have pointed out. Some of the fine roots are dead and likely rotted from the soil being too moist because its largely organic material which holds a lot of moisture and is slow to drain. That paired with your low lighting and watering is going to slowly kill the plant, if its not already too late. Some of the main roots look like they still might be healthy. Remove any dead roots which will fall off easily or feel hollow/spongey. If you are in the northern hemisphere your plant is going dormant (hence the leaves dying back) and it won’t wake up until spring. Your plant is more prone to rot during this period if you overwater as it is not actively growing. If I was you I would switch it a chunkier/gritty media (mostly rocks). After you remove the dead roots put it in the new media and dont water* it until you see it start to reshoot new leaves in late winter/spring. Terra cotta will help you avoid overwatering in the future. The grubs are Lepidopteran caterpillars and probably aren’t doing much harm but also shouldn’t be there – using a grittier mix will ward them off. *if you have it indoors heated, then you may want to water once a month, but less is better in winter. Wait at least a week after repotting
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that’s an Adenium (desert rose), not a baobab (Adansonia) as others have pointed out. Some of the fine roots are dead and likely rotted from the soil being too moist because its largely organic material which holds a lot of moisture and is slow to drain. That paired with your low lighting and watering is going to slowly kill the plant, if its not already too late. Some of the main roots look like they still might be healthy. Remove any dead roots which will fall off easily or feel hollow/spongey. If you are in the northern hemisphere your plant is going dormant (hence the leaves dying back) and it won’t wake up until spring. Your plant is more prone to rot during this period if you overwater as it is not actively growing. If I was you I would switch it a chunkier/gritty media (mostly rocks). After you remove the dead roots put it in the new media and dont water* it until you see it start to reshoot new leaves in late winter/spring. Terra cotta will help you avoid overwatering in the future. The grubs are Lepidopteran caterpillars and probably aren’t doing much harm but also shouldn’t be there – using a grittier mix will ward them off. *if you have it indoors heated, then you may want to water once a month, but less is better in winter. Wait at least a week after repotting