Echeveria dropping leaves
Hi, I was thinking, is it normal for my echeveria to drop leaves from the bottom? It always did that, but lately is dropping more leaves than usual. It otherwise looks healthy overall, and I keep track on the soil humidity, so is not dry or overwatered. It shares the pot with other 2 succulents if that can help. It also is in a position where it takes plenty of indirect sunlight, even though sometimes I move it to a place where it can takes direct filtered sunlight for a couple of hours. I usually water it with distilled water. Thanksss
#echeveria #succulents
#echeveria #succulents
5
Two things are happening here: light and watering frequency.
Light: your plant needs more of it. You can tell because of how tall it's grown; Echeveria remain compact when they're getting enough sunlight. These guys love tons of light and you can acclimate it to direct sunlight. Now is the perfect time of year to get it used to the sun; summer sun is incredibly intense and will scorch your plant.
Water: considering the dropped leaves are shriveled and not mushy, your plant is most likely under watered, especially if it's in with a cactus. This is good! A thirsty succulent will bounce back way faster than an over watered one. I would separate the plants and put them in their own pots- an Echeveria has very different watering needs than a cactus. I also recommend amending your soil with some perlite to help aerate. If you have the funds, BonsaiJack's gritty mix is A+ for succulents.
Light: your plant needs more of it. You can tell because of how tall it's grown; Echeveria remain compact when they're getting enough sunlight. These guys love tons of light and you can acclimate it to direct sunlight. Now is the perfect time of year to get it used to the sun; summer sun is incredibly intense and will scorch your plant.
Water: considering the dropped leaves are shriveled and not mushy, your plant is most likely under watered, especially if it's in with a cactus. This is good! A thirsty succulent will bounce back way faster than an over watered one. I would separate the plants and put them in their own pots- an Echeveria has very different watering needs than a cactus. I also recommend amending your soil with some perlite to help aerate. If you have the funds, BonsaiJack's gritty mix is A+ for succulents.
For reference, this is what I mean when I say Echeveria stay compact. The first two are still in a tight rosette as they grow up. The one with the flower stalk had some early signs of etiolation when I got it, so ignore the visible stem. The little one (square pot) started stretching due to insufficient light (this winter was hard lol). This is what's going on with your plant; increasing the amount of light will help, but you can't "unstretch" the plant. A quick beheading will help restore the compact look.
@Charli3Plant it was already that tall when I bought it, but I'll try move it close the windows more often. The sun is kinda strong here during midday hours, and I'm usually not home for that time, can this little guy tolerate it? Also, I will try to move it in another pot as soon as I have the occasion. Thanks for helping ^^
@WholeLacealoe The best way to transition a plant outside is to put it in an East facing spot and give it afternoon shade. Morning sun isn't as intense as the afternoon and most plants are able to handle it. Or, if you can't do that, a fully shaded spot is also a good option during the week. It seems counterintuitive but even shade still gets a decent amount of useable UV light.