What does this mean?
So I had watered Foxxy a week ago on Sunday for the first time since I got it, and now it has these dark spots and yellowish leaves at the base. Is this normal? If not is there a way I could save it? Please let me know, this is my first plant.
6” pot with drainage
Last watered 18 hours ago
14
Best Answer
@LikelyChaya33 ok perfect 👌 When you're ready to repot, here are the steps:
1. Put down something to catch the soil and to use as a work surface (a towel, an old baking pan, etc).
2. Lay the pot on its side and let any loose soil fall out. Gently squeeze the sides of the pot and roll it back and forth in your hands to loosen remaining soil, letting it fall freely as you go.
3. Stop every so often and check to see if the plant is loose enough to pull out of the pot. If it's not, don't force it. Just keep rolling/squeezing the pot and letting the soil fall until the plant starts to slide out. Once the plant is free, set the pot aside.
4. Hold the plant in one hand and use your other to gently remove any large clumps of soil stuck to the roots, then set the plant off to the side.
5. Wash the pot really well with hot water and dish soap. Rinse thoroughly with cool water and dry with a clean towel.
6. Add new soil to the pot (fill halfway to start, checking to make sure the plant won't sit too high or too low) and set your plant inside.
7. While holding the plant in place with one hand, use your other hand to fill soil in around the roots. Keep adding soil, gently patting down on top as you go, until plant is stable and standing up on its own. Soil should come up to about 1/2" below the pot's rim (don't fill all the way to the very top or it will overflow each time you water).
8. Double check that all the roots are completely covered in soil. And you're done! Place it in a south or west-facing window where it will get at least 3-4 hours of direct sun daily and only water when the soil is completely dry.
Sorry, I know that was long! But I wanted to walk you through each step in detail since I assume it will be your first time repotting a plant 😅
Please let me know if you have any questions!
1. Put down something to catch the soil and to use as a work surface (a towel, an old baking pan, etc).
2. Lay the pot on its side and let any loose soil fall out. Gently squeeze the sides of the pot and roll it back and forth in your hands to loosen remaining soil, letting it fall freely as you go.
3. Stop every so often and check to see if the plant is loose enough to pull out of the pot. If it's not, don't force it. Just keep rolling/squeezing the pot and letting the soil fall until the plant starts to slide out. Once the plant is free, set the pot aside.
4. Hold the plant in one hand and use your other to gently remove any large clumps of soil stuck to the roots, then set the plant off to the side.
5. Wash the pot really well with hot water and dish soap. Rinse thoroughly with cool water and dry with a clean towel.
6. Add new soil to the pot (fill halfway to start, checking to make sure the plant won't sit too high or too low) and set your plant inside.
7. While holding the plant in place with one hand, use your other hand to fill soil in around the roots. Keep adding soil, gently patting down on top as you go, until plant is stable and standing up on its own. Soil should come up to about 1/2" below the pot's rim (don't fill all the way to the very top or it will overflow each time you water).
8. Double check that all the roots are completely covered in soil. And you're done! Place it in a south or west-facing window where it will get at least 3-4 hours of direct sun daily and only water when the soil is completely dry.
Sorry, I know that was long! But I wanted to walk you through each step in detail since I assume it will be your first time repotting a plant 😅
Please let me know if you have any questions!
I think it sounds like it isn’t your fault. It seems to me that there’s always a rough period when a plant goes from one location to another where it’s fighting for its life. I’d say just leave it alone for a bit, make sure not to water till the soil is truly dry at the bottom, no matter what the app says, and see how it fares. Remember that over-watering is far more often more fatal than under-watering. Also, if you lose some leaves that’s ok. New ones that are used to the current area will grow back.
@PlantLord I know this is probably a really dumb question but with the way my plant pot is I can’t fully tell if it’s dry at the bottom, is there any way I’d be able to tell in a different way? I mean I can tell as of today that it’s dry not because the top is still wet looking, but still just wondering. Do I cut off the dark stem and leave the green part there? Thank you! Oh also I got this plant on April 19th 2026, I don’t know if that’s helpful.
@LikelyChaya33 either stick your finger in the soil or stick a wooden chopstick as far down as it will go. If the chopstick pull up with soil sticking to it, the soil is still damp. If it pulls up mostly clean, the soil is dry.
@stephonicle Okay thank you! Should I do that up until the next time I have to water it or check every few days?
@LikelyChaya33 it's not a dumb question at all. As for your original question in your post—is the plant still in its original pot and soil? Commercial growers use very moisture retaining soil, which isn't a good fit for succulents. That's why often times they're already showing signs of rot as soon as you bring them home. Typically you want to give plants a chance to adjust to their new environment before repotting, but with succulents it's a whole different thing. The quicker you can get it out of that crappy moisture retaining soil, the better. Succulents are also much more resilient than other plants, so they don't really experience stress when brought into a new environment. I'd suggest getting a terracotta pot and a bag of cactus soil. Also a bag of perlite. Mix them half cactus soil, half perlite (perlite is the little white styrofoam things you see in soil). Terracotta is better than plastic because it's porous and helps the soil dry out faster, which is very important with succulents. Your photos look like early signs of rot from the plant sitting in damp soil too long, so the sooner you can repot it, the better.
@LikelyChaya33 are you using the app for watering reminders? If so, don't follow them blindly. Always check the soil first with either your finger or a chopstick. If it's still damp, click the "snooze" button and the app will remind you again in a few days. The number one most important thing with succulents is making sure not to overwater them. They're desert plants that store water in their leaves, so they can go a crazy long time without water. If you're not sure, wait. You won't kill this plant by not watering it enough. The most common way new plant parents kill their succulents is by overwatering them 😊
@stephonicle no I’m not using the app for any reminders, i don’t have it because my mom would have to be the one to pay. But I do have an alarm/reminder thing on my phone set for every two weeks to water
@stephonicle if I’m not able to get a terracotta pot or any other pot is there any way I could just replace the soil in my current pot so it’s dryer? Would that save it? I’m not able to buy a new pot because my mom is super busy with work this week and I don’t live with my dad
@LikelyChaya33 as for how often you'll need to water it, that depends on several things. Everyone's home is different. Different humidity, different light, different temp. All those things will affect how quickly the soil dries out, but on average you'll probably only need to water it every 2-3 weeks. If it's in a terracotta pot with cactus soil, maybe closer to every 10 days-2 weeks. You'll get a better feel for its watering needs as time goes on. It's fine if you want to check the soil with the chopstick method every few days. Think of it as good practice for learning how to properly water your plant 😉
@LikelyChaya33 yes, you can definitely reuse the same pot. Just be sure to clean it really well with hot water and dish soap first. Do you have new soil you can use?
@stephonicle I forgot to ask yesterday but I use the I think normal store bought soil, not succulent soil or anything like that, is that ok? My mom doesn’t want to buy a different bag of soil just for my one plant. I’ll try to find the kind of soil it is once I find it because I’m not sure exactly what kind it is. But, my mom is taking me today to buy a terracotta pot after work so I was just wondering if it’s ok to still use the same soil. Again thank you all!