my ears keep falling off
not sure if i overly watered it or underly watered it (which i don't think is the case, given i've had it for about a month and have watered it 3 times). any insight?
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Best Answer
@theplantmilf yes, always have drainage holes! They're essential for plant health. They not only help the soil dry out faster but also allow excess fertilizer and mineral buildup to flush out. Any terracotta pot you'll find will have a drainage hole. In the future, when you have a plant that's very dense at the base like this one, try bottom watering instead. That's where you place the pot in a shallow dish or saucer and fill that with water. Dump out any excess water still in the dish after about half an hour. The dry soil and plant's roots will suck up the water from below, and the leaves sitting directly on top of the soil will stay dry.
If it's still in the pot and soil you brought it home in, I'd lean toward overwatering. Commercial growers use very dense, moisture-retaining soil that isn't a good fit for succulents. I always repot mine right away into cactus soil with extra perlite mixed in (50% soil. 50% perlite). Plastic pots are non-porous so they hold onto moisture, which is why I also move mine to terracotta pots, which are porous and help the soil dry out faster.
How did you water it those three times, from the top? There's not much room to top water, which means the base of the plant is sitting in damp soil. That can absolutely lead to breakage like this, because the leaves are getting mushy at the base. Also, how much light does it get? Light helps the soil dry out faster, so if it's not getting enough like that can also contribute to signs of overwatering.
How did you water it those three times, from the top? There's not much room to top water, which means the base of the plant is sitting in damp soil. That can absolutely lead to breakage like this, because the leaves are getting mushy at the base. Also, how much light does it get? Light helps the soil dry out faster, so if it's not getting enough like that can also contribute to signs of overwatering.
@stephongreg wow thank you so much! i'll be sure to repot as soon as i can, does my pot need drainage holes? and yes, i watered from the top.