This is the whole plant

No idea what we're looking at. Is that inside a candle?

No, that's the pot that the plant came with when I bought it.. here

I'm not sure what is going on, but I would say remove the rotten leaves. If you don't, it might attract fungus and bugs.

I am not exactly sure what is happening, either, but it is related to both this pot (yes, candle?) and whatever is going on in that small space inside. I can't imagine what could be in there for soil, if there is any at all, but the whole planting situation is the issue. I have to say, I have never seen a potting situation as problematic as this.

I know you're asking primarily about the bottom leaves, which I would remove, but the pot is just crazymaking, sorry to say.

How do I remove the bottom leaves? cut with scissors? because it's still intact/sticking to the stem.... this is my first time caring for a crassula.. I might have overwatered it?.. Thank you for answering. Is my plant going to be okay? =[

The pot is made of plastic, and the top soil is covered with plastic, the same color with a candle. That's how it is when I bought it. It has light brown colored soil inside,... Maybe I should just replant it on another pot, I'm looking for what kind of soil to use..

This post was edited by LaraSai on Thu, Jul 10, 14 at 10:43

Hello larasai, I think I may have answered your same question in your other post. With age many of these columnar/trailing type crassulas will get untidy and have shriveled leaves at the base. I tend to leave them. You can behead them and propagate using your standard succulent prop methods if you want them to stay neat and tidy... A period of callusing followed by rooting in porous medium yadda yadda. Google should provide many a guide. Sometimes beheading also promotes branching.
If you're still concerned about the leaves, check habitat shots and you'll see this occurs naturally. A new pot would help...

-Ming

Here is a link that might be useful: habitat crassulas

Hello ming! yes, I also replied on my last post since I did not quite understand,sorry., Okay so I should just leave them....I was worried that the plant might rot until the end then die............So my plant is doing okay, yeah?

Should I behead and propagate now? It's still a tiny plant hehe

I was very worried, now my heart can rest. Thank you so much for answering, ming! =]

You should definitely repot it still though, that pot and the soil can't be good for this tiny plant. Do some quick research on this forum you'll know what kind of soil/pot to use. Good luck, your plant should be save-able

Please do not mistake our saying that the plant isn't yet at death's door for saying it's doing okay -- if you don't repot, it's soon going to be on its way out, with more dying leaves or with rot. Please, please do repot.

Gimmic pot or novilty. Shoould be a law but pots need an exposed open top and drainage at the bottom

I got the plant already on that pot, with drainage and light brown soil in it.

Yes, I'll repot, after I find some soil since cactus soil is very rare here. It'll still be okay after a few days, right? or is any soil okay?

Thank you all for the help, I really appreciate it =]

This post was edited by LaraSai on Fri, Jul 11, 14 at 3:54

I repotted it with the light brown soil it came with and iadded ordinary soil for now. Is it okay?

The roots are tangled can i leave it like that?

Hi again,

I don't believe those are roots, rather I think it's mostly dried up sphagnum moss stuck around whatever little bit of roots there may be under there.

I can see that by the color & texture in your clear pix. If it were mine, I'd be tempted to crumble that off if possible & determine what any roots under there look like.

BUT, let's pls. wait a bit & see what folks have to say who've had more experience growing these type of Crassula than I have.

It IS a pretty little thing & it'd be great if it can be saved.

Yes, the tangled roots with the soil.. is sphagnum moss okay for my plant? .

Yes, I hope so too, thanks!

But the 2nd layer of leaves are still shriveling, it it normal? . Until when will the rotting stop? =[

Yes, the tangled roots with the soil.. is sphagnum moss okay for my plant? .

Yes, I hope so too, thanks!

But the 2nd layer of leaves are still shriveling, it it normal? . Until when will the rotting stop? =[

Slowly though out the day lightly mist the spag off working on a news paper you might be able to pick some of it off but be a little methodical kind of like surgery.

Once this is done leave it set on a damp corner of the newspaper as well too attempt to re-establish more or some new root(s)

No dryer shrivling foliage it's not normal at all. One reason in your case is the little guy has very little if any viable root.

A little off your topic but other reasons for shrivling are the lack of moving air leaving the plant exposed in a high heat stress situation, if yours was in this situation it would look more dehydrated than what you have and possibly still have viable root if soil where correct.

If you mixed the soil it's in with topsoil ("I added ordinary soil for now") you definitely didn't do the plant any favors. Here's what I would do if I were you:

Take a deep breath - this isn't an emergency. The plant doesn't appear to be suffering from a systemic infection (but it could be - hard to tell from a picture and with the stem covered up - is the stem shriveled in appearance? Remove all the crumbly stuff from the bottom of the root mass, along with the pair of dead leaves, and set bare-rooted plant somewhere in the shade and out of wind for now.

Search GW for my name (or others might chime in) so you can see this is a legit offer with no strings, or any motive other than to help you out, then send me your address. If it's in the US. I'll send you some soil and a little fertilizer that will make caring for your plant a snap. I'll even send a little extra soil because I'm sure you'll want to branch out into other plants.

In the GW search field, use the search words al question to ease your mind about the offer, or read this link, which should help you understand how critical water/soil relationships are to your plants' vitality.

Al

Being such a diminutive plant, it does not need a lot of potting medium. But it needs one that will not retain too much water, this being a succulent plant. You need to remove the sphagnum moss if indeed that is what it is covering the roots, and replant the Crassula in a soil which will drain freely. You can purchase potting soil and add 50% perlite, or you can be adventurous and make your own mix, as some do here. Though for such a small plant, I don't see the point in going through the effort of making your own mix.

Christopher

Basics is the point Soil habits just continue, start right then soils and other growing do's and dont's becomes a good habit.

Purchasing a soil and adding 50% perlite is a half-measure that doesn't change the fact that perched water in the soil will still be present and the ht of the perched water table will be the same as it would be sans the perlite. To visualize, picture in your mind's eye mixing perlite into pudding at a half & half ratio and see how well-aerated and fast draining the pudding becomes. You'd still be growing in pudding because the perlite didn't change anything.

At a 50/50 mix, fine soil particles COMPLETELY fill the air spaces between the perlite particles. This means the PWT will still be present at the same ht in a 50/50 mix of peat and a bagged soil. All the perlite accomplishes is an o/a reduction in water retention at container capacity. It doesn't increase aeration or drainage or the ht of the PWT. It can't until the perlite fraction reaches a threshold point where there in no longer enough small particles in the soil mix to fill the air spaces between the perlite particles. This might not even be achievable with 100% perlite if it the perlite is small and contains a lot of very fine particles.

If you want better aeration and fast drainage, you need to base your soils on larger particulates - a lot of larger particulates. Half big stuff and half small stuff leaves you growing in a mix with all the negatives associated with all small stuff.

Al

Hello . I don't think it's sphagnum moss on the roots.. it's the soil they used when i bought the plant.

I don't understand much, but i have changed the soil to sandy kind of soil. The soil needs to be loose, and should not be compact, right? ..

Thank u for all the help everyone. It's my first time caring for a cactus type plant and i have come to like them as well as other kinds of succulent they're really pretty!

My plant seems to be doing fine now? .. the rotting stopped at the stem between the two stems. I'll still observe them carefully.. and i should water about only once a month right

I think your plant will be fine. But I do have to say most people here are quite against the idea of using sand, because it clumps up the soil too quick and your plant won't be able to get much water at all. You can find lots of info. here regarding potting soil.

And also it seems like you're using a plastic container that does not come with draining holes at the bottom. If that's the case, it's STRONGLY recommended that you drill some holes at the bottom yourself. Succulents and cacti don't like water-retaining soil so you really need to do yourself a favor here. It's super easy to find a proper pot for it too, plastic 4" pot or even clay pots that have draining holes ready for you can be found at any local garden centers, Walmart, Home Depot, RONA, Lowe's, etc.

These plants are fun and easy to take care of, as long as you have the basics down (water, sun, soil, etc.)

If you managed to get this guy a proper pot with drainage hole, you should be okay watering it every other week.

It's not pure sand, I don't know what to call it though. But It's mixed regular soil and kind of a loose sand, is that alright? huhu.....I'm really new at this and simple terms would be much appreciated. =]

Yes, I made a draining hole in the middle. Oh, 4" pot is the best? okay. that's only a temporary one since most said that I should repot it from the covered pot that it came with. I think it's better now that the top part isn't covered.

Yes thank you very much. I hope it'll do well.

I get that you're new & came here for help.

Given that, pls. don't second guess me that it's not sphagnum moss (which I can see & recognize from here). Am guessing you don't know what that is, I do & recognize. it.

Sand is a problem, that's true BUT

David I like your enthusiasm, but the explanation's not quite right. It's not that it clumps up the soil, it's more that it clogs up the air spaces around the plants & on its roots, preventing the roots from getting oxygen.

By the way, I don't think those lower leaves were rotting, I think they were just aging out which is what these lower leaves do. If they were rotting, I might expect more rot on the plant which otherwise looks fine & even good. You can just crack those right off w/ your fingers, it won't hurt the plant as those leaves are dead.

Sorry, who said 4" pot? No that's rather large for that tiny thing & may encourage rot. I would look for the smallest clay pot you can find, size matters in this.

Oh, okay. But I'm finding it really hard to find the best soil here since I don't know anyone who takes care of cactus type plants, but I'll do my best. I'll try to contact friends.

Yes, ms. ming was right when the lower parts were just aging.

Right now it's in a 2" size pot

The people in gardenweb are very helpful I'm glad I found this forum =]