I'll post several different views.

Another view

Pic 4

Pic 5

Last one of mine...

Any thoughts on how I can get what I have (above) to look more like this? (This is just a picture I found on google images.)

At the risk of being super-annoying, I'm bumping this back up. (Don't judge me. :) )

Looks like t's reaching for the sun and not being very successful at it.Mine is outside,and gets sun,so it doesn't get tall and lanky like that.

I like this plant also ,I think because it reninds me of a weed that looked similar that grew around us when we were kids and we'd strip it and decorate our mud cakes with it.LOL.
Kathi

Thanks, Kathi. I'm okay with the lanky upward growth, actually. My concern is the browning/yellowing from the bottom up. Are you saying the two are both caused by inadequate sunlight? All last summer, this plant was happy inside in a south-facing window. It is still there, but it has only relatively recently (the last month or so) been browning/yellowing.

I'm sure yours look fantastic outside. Living in Maryland, that's not really an option for me.

It looks like its stuck in that clump of soil and sitting on top of the rest of the soil in the pot.
I would soak that clump and remove it by any means necessary...use your fingers or even a toothpick. Get as much of it off as possible, then pot it up into a fast draining mix and refrain from watering for a few days. After that, saturate the soil allowing excess water to drain, and then don't water again for maybe a week.
I think the clump hardened to the point of not allowing any water to get to the roots.

Nancy

Thanks, Nancy. I feared the clump when I got the plant. I don't know why, but I didn't clean up the roots of this one before I potted it. I think I was afraid to drown it. Maybe if I let it sit on some paper towels after I wash the roots off, that will help it not turn to mush? I'll give it a shot. Thank you. :)

I de-clumped. I was surprised to find many fine roots growing out of the clump into the surrounding (mostly perlite) soil.

The good news is I've gotten over my fear that these guys are fragile!

I'm going to snip some cuttings and hopefully propagate some, with a view toward creating a bushier specimen.

Ariel,

We have all feared "the clump" at some point in our plant lives! :)

Good to know you got over the fear and went for it! Yes, go ahead and let the roots dry out a bit after the rinse, then pot up. Try to get it into as much light as possible, as Kathi said, and you should be good to go. Good luck!

Nancy

I was going to agree w/Nancy about the clump, but you got to it already, good for you!!! Now it's gonna have a much better chance.

When one sees problems like this clumping or something troubling w/ mix &/or roots, it's always worth investigating 'cause it's the foundation of the plant's whole life. One can do it DRY w/out risking rot, the more important thing is to correct the mix & replant. Then one can wait a few days at least, before watering. Yes, these are tough plants, I've had the pleasure of growing them, given me by a Crassula grower from here. :>) Enjoy.

Mine are doing the same thing. I think I'm over watering and maybe lack of sunlight. I just put them outside. So we will see what happens.?

Good luck! You'll want to gradually introduce them to brighter light over a couple of weeks, or they may burn. (You can either slowly increase the number of hours of sunlight, or use lighter and lighter shade cloth.)

My Muscusa has exhibited similar features lately, despite being in a very fast draining mix. Perhaps it is inevitable, or from not enough sun... But one thing I do know is that they can handle a repot session just fineee! No need to be afraid!

I'll get a more recent photo tonight to share..

azangie

Maybe it's the photo, but soil looks little too wet? Is there a drainage hole in that container?

In sunlight, they will grow compact, really like a chain.

This plant also blooms, very tiny flowers that are often missed. Any tiny piece that breaks will root easily, so don't worry if it happens :).

EHH, probably just a typo, the correct name is Crassula muscosa (Crassula lycopodioides)

Not in the glass one but it has a plastic divider thing at the bottom. I also see you guys have rocks on top.? I live in Arizona I cut back to just spraying a light mist on top.

I will update at the end of the month thanks guys

azangie

What do you want to spray ..." I cut back to just spraying a light mist on top"... - do you mean top of the plant or top of the soil? Succulents need proper watering when watered. Pot in well draining mix, water thoroughly, discard any excess water that collected in the saucer (if pot is sitting in one) after approx. 30 min. Watering in sips isn't recommended. The plant pictured in my previous pot gets watered thoroughly either by rain, or by a garden hose (if not raining), just as my other succulents.

yes

I was giving them a 1/3 cup every week sometimes two if they looked dry my old place had a lot of sun coming threw the window and they have shade at my new place with maybe 4 hrs of sun

Also do you guys feed them? My mom gave me moon juice to give them a cap full every three months. I don't have a green thumb so any suggestions are very appreciated lol

azangie

Sorry, did you answer me? If so, I don't understand what does 'yes' answers to...I asked: do you mean top of the plant or top of the soil? So which one is yes?

I believe I mentioned that succulents should be watered thoroughly. That means whatever amount of water it takes - no need to measure by cups or anything.

I never heard of moon juice? What is that?

I never fertilized my plant, so would say no - but others may disagree.

I spray the top soil

I've never fertilized mine either.I need to take a new picture of one of mine.

OK - so it looks like I also have a clumping problem? Can someone explain to me the repotting steps in detail and what the goal of the re-potting process is? The soil mix and drainage should be fine (I just thoroughly watered an hour ago on a bi-weekly schedule, so that's why the soil looks wet.) Do I understand correctly that I should repot so that the top of the clump is level with the rest of the soil? Should I just take a few cuttings and try to grow a new plant?

Thanks for any help you pros can provide.

Shirlee

What do you mean by 'clumping' problem?

This plant grows in clumps - several stems together, plus any broken branches may root.

The problem I see with your plant is not enough light - you can see that the 'leaves' on your plant are far apart, they should be tight, like a scale r really tight chain. Compare your plant to photo I posted 9 posts above your post.

If you growing it indoors, it needs the best spot for light, nothing obstructing the window (no sheers or drapes or blinds). Indoor light may not be sufficient, and you may need some supplemental lights. If you can grow it outdoors, it would be better, just acclimatize it to full sunlight.

Not sure what soil you used, it may or may not be well draining. I grow this plant in full sun outdoors, and gets watered thoroughly every 4-5 days and is getting rained on whenever.

Not enough light and improper watering both contribute to your plant being 'leggy' - long stems with leaves spaced apart and also excessive drying of lowest leaves and stems.

This plant is extremely resilient, but to look best, consider points I mentioned.

rina - Thanks for your comment. The 'clumping' problem I mentioned was relating to brodyjames_gw's 1st comment in that the OP's plant "looks like its stuck in that clump of soil and sitting on top of the rest of the soil in the pot." brodyjames_gw then recommended to "soak that clump and remove it by any means necessary" along with some other instructions about drying out the roots and re-potting. (?)

Perhaps you're right in that it's not getting enough light. I think I'll give it a few hours of direct sunlight outside today and gradually increase until the temps start dropping (I'm Zone 6). Eventually, though, I'll have to bring it back inside off-season.

Another issue might be drainage, I guess. The plant was potted by an upscale local garden center / indoor home furnishings boutique, so I assumed they knew what they were doing with the mix and using a pot without a drainage hole.

Shirlee

If they potted it in a container without drainage hole, they do not know what they are doing, sorry to say. It is definitely not suitable to plants (just a short term solution), and succulents even more. I would bet my $ on a fact that they used peat based potting soil which is not that great for succulents either. That is the 'clumping around the root ball' problem. (Sorry, I didn't go back to brody's post back almost 2yrs ago, so didn't realize what you are referring to). Succulents need good drainage - container and potting mix. Are you planning on replacing the soil?

I am pretty sure insufficient light is a problem. I just took another photo of my plant, look how tight it is:

It is also quite dense & some branches in the middle (and few bottoms shaded by the rest of plant) are not getting as much light - they are visibly 'looser'.

I have to take all of the plants indoors being in even colder zone than you. I use supplemental lights to help.

I forgot to mention propagation: very easy, just take a piece of the stem (short or long - doesn't matter) and stick into well draining mix. I have given away at least 10 of similar pots in last 2 years, and they all came from 1 original plant. I have 4 right now.

rina - Thanks again! Mine is starting to branch (you can see little off-shoots starting towards the tops, but I will try what you suggest: re-potting with a draining container and checking the potting mix and maybe using a mis better for succulents. I'll also acclimatize to sun and leave it outdoors until the temps come down.

http://worldofsucculents.com/crassula-muscosa-watch-chain-princess-pine-rattail-crassula-clubmoss-crassula/ This was helpful!

Hi, gang. Two things right off the bat: 1) My NN is NOT clavoris (that's what the site gave me when I signed up and don't know how to change it) and 2) Back to solving the problems with the Watch Chain!! About three years ago I found some long pieces of WC on the garden floor of Lowes. I took them, and stuck them into a smallish (4") pot filled with cactus soil, then dressed them with a topping of pretty gravel, and larger stones to hold the pieces up. That plant is now 1 1/2 feet high, LOVES being crammed together, and any and all pieces that fall (and that happens frequently; they just love to plop off and give me more propagation material!) I just stick into either a pot of their own or existing, common succulents. By "common" I mean succs that have similar watering needs. HOWEVER (which is just "BUT" in a longer fashion) even if I pot the pieces next to, say, Hobbit fingers, or other succs that need a longer time dry (one can usually tell by how fat the leaves are: the fatter the "leaves" the less watering it will need. You just have to experiment, and SAVE THE POTS: if they die? I take them back. ALL the time. I am known as "Crazy Plant Lady" at my local garden center) I can take a small, repurposed small watering bottle (think "eye dropper" or any other small bottle with a small hole in the dispensing end) and water ONLY the crassula and, if I'm careful, I only get the water needy stonecrop or crassula. One really does have to know who needs how much, and it might take a while. I also use my fingers to test the soil for water content: if it's cool to the back of my finger, that means there's water there. DON'T WATER THEN.

I have about 200 succulents of all kinds in the house, and they ALL have fluourescent lights trained on them (those aluminum hooded clamp lights work really well, knock wood). So they get lots of light, and, I hope, the proper watering. Sorry this was so long!

Hi again: Technical question here. How do I respond to a specific person's post? I don't see any "Comment" clickie dealie on anyone's posts. (Remember, I am a houseplant whiz and a computer idiot. No, really. :) )

Do you want to write to that person only?

I have my first watch chain and am going to repot it to in a 4 in. clay pot tomorrow. I may have to declump it. I will spread its roots, dress with gravel, and prop it up with rocks. Wish me luck. I am now over my clumping fears thanks to all of you.

David

Do not worry, it is one of the easiest succulents to propagate. Even if it lost it's roots, jus stick pieces in he mix and that's all you need to do. Even small, broken off piece will root. I have them in plastic pots, hardly pay any attention and hey just keep growing - and blooming. Only thing to make sure (beside drainage as for any succulents) is good light. If not, it will stretch and be very leggy. It should grow very tight.

In my experience, they will not last long without sufficient light. Some succulents will limp along and stretch out but these simply stretch, decline and die.