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Stem rot echeveria

_sbgibbons_
9 years ago

This is the first time this has happened to me. I'm in the middle of transferring all of my plants into a gritty mix and I noticed the other day on one of my favorite echeverias that about ten leaves were soggy, so I hurried and got it cleaned up- pulled all the soggy leaves, did a root wash and repotted it into a gritty mix and did not water it. I went back to check on it today and I noticed that the stem was turning black! It looked very healthy before and so did the roots. I've never delt with rot before, but I have read other posts and people usually cut the tops off, right? But I'm not sure how to go about that. Do I need to put healthy leaves off to get to the top or what? Or do y'all think that maybe that isn't necessary right now? I'd really love to hear y'alls opinion on this. Thanks in advance. - Sam. :)
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Comments (13)

  • LilBit7765
    9 years ago

    Can you do a close up of that area on the stem? Sometimes the leaves get REALLY dark and leave a little behind of themselves on the stem so to speak. A clearer, closer pic would be great

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    The problem with you cutting the top off is that you do not have much above it to do the rooting and growing. I would take it out of soil to see how far down the rot goes. I would rewove carefully the leaves trying to get dome the WHOLE leaf for propagating if you that kind of thing. It might be good to get the plant taking a rest from keeping the old plant going.. I would take a CLEAN scapel and cut the rot away, each time cleaning the blade with isopropyl alcohol till I see clean flesh. Try to maintain the meristem growth point. Check the condition of the roots and cut them off. Sprinkle cinnamon or sulfur on the cut or cuts on the roots. If the roots are all rotted, cut the whole root mass off. Let the plant dry in dry shade till they callous and then plant in your gritty mix. Do not water for a few days and then start to spray the rosette till roots start to form.

    Wait for others tp chime in. They may contradict me or have a twist on this info.

    Good luck.

  • _sbgibbons_
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Okay I went ahead and pulled it out of the pot. There is a little bit of leaf peices that can be pealed away with my finger nail, nothing horrific. Also, the roots don't look rotted to me, but like I said, I've never dealt with rot before. I made the picture brighter because I took it with my phone and it came out kinda dark.
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  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    I would get that next row of leaves away from the dark spot and cut the spot out carefully out till the flesh is clean . When you cut , those next leaves will go anyway, so get them out of the way and in good condition. If you do it well, you won't need to decapitate.

  • _sbgibbons_
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Alrighty, sounds good. Thanks so much for your advice. I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to do it unfortunately and I really hope it doesn't get any worse. Fingers crossed! Also, what kinda knife are we talking here? Do you think an exacto craft knife will do? I don't have a scalpel..

    And you said after I cut it and replant it, I shouldn't water it for a few days then I should start to spray it until roots start to form. Am I cutting the roots off or just basically cutting the rot out of the black spot? I'm sorry but that kinda confused me when I reread it..

  • LilBit7765
    9 years ago

    I would just cut the dark spot away. The exactly knife should work fine. Remember to clean it after every cut (if you have to cut more than once)

  • spapa
    9 years ago

    Yes, use some rubbing alcohol to clean the knife between cuts so it's more or less sterile. You don't want the rot to spread or a fungus to set in.

    I'm interested to see what happens with your plant, I have never seen rot in just one section of the plant before (only ever seen it come up from the roots).

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    9 years ago

    You might have to pull off some of the lowest leaves to remove the rotted portion of the stem. The leaves might root, so they are not necessarily a waste. Get enough clean stem and you can re-root the rosette.

  • _sbgibbons_
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Soo if this poor Fleur Blanc survives, it's going to be the oddest looking echeveria ever! Haha. I will also be a firm believer that succulents can survive pretty much anything. I felt like a freaking surgeon. Haha. Well, the rot was worse than I thought and I not even sure if I did this little procedure right, I'm hoping I did and I hope it survives. The baby accidentally separated with all of the movement so I potted it in another pot because it's going to need water in order to root. Hopefully everything works out. Thanks for all of y'alls help! :) {{gwi:640232}}{{gwi:640235}}{{gwi:640238}}
    I potted it kinda high up so I could keep an eye on the spot.
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    And now I'm left with a super awkward looking echeveria. Haha
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    I posted a bunch of pictures in case anyone else has this same problem later. - Sam :)

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    Wow that was a lot of rot for one small black spot and it is very close to the meristem growth point on top.I don't have much hope for it, but one never knows.. I think that you might have put your plants back in the soil too soon. The roots have bruises from the handling and both need callusing. Take your baby out and get a fresh cut and put cinnamon on it and then let it callus in the air for three days . Take the other one out and callus it for 3 days in the open and let the roots heal . THEN put Baby in the gritty dirt and do not water it, MIST it till you have roots. Don't water The large patient for a few days. They can go with out soil and water for awhile. It is the rot you have to worry about. With that scar, you have to be sure you have a good callus before you start watering and I would water very carefully.

    Succulents root looking for water. They do not root because of water. They can not take in water if they have no roots. They are not like cuttings of other plants that love to root in water, drinking the water through their cut stem. I start watering gently when I have roots.

    I am sorry if my response is confusing. I sure wrote that last one very badly. It comes from doing 5 things at the same time and having people tell me to Come hear , go there in the middle of writing and the telephone ringing and working in my shop on four pieces of furniture with all different problems.

  • _sbgibbons_
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It really was a lot of rot. When I cut into it, the rot was very deep and very black. I'm not sure if it spread over night or what? I didn't water either of them after I potted them, but the baby does have a tiny bit of roots already. How much should it have before I pot it? I'll take the big one out and follow your directions as well, but should I wait till more roots grow on the little one or is this amount fine? (there's a little more than the picture shows, but I can't get them to show up with a cell phone quality picture) thanks in advance. - Sam

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    You can pot it in a day or so when your cut is calloused the soil is fine just keep it dry for a few days and then start the water a little a little but at first since Keike has roots. Mostly one is worried about rot starting in the fresh cut since it has some roots.

    I need to go and do a decapitation job to my afterglow today. It is looking sad.

  • _sbgibbons_
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Okay. Thanks so much for all of your help! Good luck with your Afterglow, I'm sure it will be back to normal in no time. :)