Is my Maraca doing okay?
There’s a major difference between how it’s doing now and how it was when I got it. It’s constantly losing leaves, and never seems to be getting any better. Is it on its last legs? 😢
6” pot without drainage
Last watered 2 weeks ago
2
Best Answer
Hi Saydie! I see three issues that are most likely contributing to your plant's decline. The first is the soil, second is the pot without drainage, third is that it sits in an east-facing window.
1. What type of soil did you use? Succulents need to be in gritty, very well-draining soil. That soil looks like it might be regular garden topsoil, which isn't a good choice for container plants and especially not for succulents. You need a soil that drains and dries out quickly. Succulents are desert plants, so when they sit in wet soil for too long it will cause them to rot. A better pick would be soil specifically made for succulents/cacti with extra perlite or pumice stones mixed in. And always make sure the soil is completely dried out before you water!
2. Your plant card says it's in a pot without drainage. Drainage holes are essential for plant health. They help the soil dry out faster, and allow excess fertilizer and mineral buildup to be flushed out. A better pick would be a terracotta pot with drainage holes at the bottom. Terracotta is porous and allows soil to dry out more quickly, whereas thick glazed clay pots hold onto moisture far too long.
3. This type of succulent needs lots of direct sunlight to thrive. Even though it gets direct light in an east-facing window, it's probably not enough because AM sun is much more gentle than PM sun (again, these are desert plants, so in their natural habitat they get tons of very intense direct sunlight). A better spot for it would be a west or south-facing window. If you don't have either of these, you might consider supplementing with a full-spectrum LED grow light.
Once you address these three issues, your plant should start improving. Looking at your profile, I see you have a few other succulents that are most likely suffering from the same issues as this one. I hope I wasn't too long winded! 😛 Please feel free to ask if you have any questions! 😊
1. What type of soil did you use? Succulents need to be in gritty, very well-draining soil. That soil looks like it might be regular garden topsoil, which isn't a good choice for container plants and especially not for succulents. You need a soil that drains and dries out quickly. Succulents are desert plants, so when they sit in wet soil for too long it will cause them to rot. A better pick would be soil specifically made for succulents/cacti with extra perlite or pumice stones mixed in. And always make sure the soil is completely dried out before you water!
2. Your plant card says it's in a pot without drainage. Drainage holes are essential for plant health. They help the soil dry out faster, and allow excess fertilizer and mineral buildup to be flushed out. A better pick would be a terracotta pot with drainage holes at the bottom. Terracotta is porous and allows soil to dry out more quickly, whereas thick glazed clay pots hold onto moisture far too long.
3. This type of succulent needs lots of direct sunlight to thrive. Even though it gets direct light in an east-facing window, it's probably not enough because AM sun is much more gentle than PM sun (again, these are desert plants, so in their natural habitat they get tons of very intense direct sunlight). A better spot for it would be a west or south-facing window. If you don't have either of these, you might consider supplementing with a full-spectrum LED grow light.
Once you address these three issues, your plant should start improving. Looking at your profile, I see you have a few other succulents that are most likely suffering from the same issues as this one. I hope I wasn't too long winded! 😛 Please feel free to ask if you have any questions! 😊
@stephonicle thank you so much for all the advice. I really appreciate it. One thing I don’t understand with this plant in particular, is that only three of my succulents have drainage holes, as the place where I got my all my succulents doesn’t sell smaller terracotta pots, so I had to improvise on that a little. All my plants are doing great, except for Darwin. The bugger.
Anywho, I’ve been noticing decline for a long while now with Darwin, and I used to have him under a grow light but there was really no change. 🙁
Thank you for the advice and suggestions though! I’ll definitely be taking them into account when looking at succulents in the future.
Anywho, I’ve been noticing decline for a long while now with Darwin, and I used to have him under a grow light but there was really no change. 🙁
Thank you for the advice and suggestions though! I’ll definitely be taking them into account when looking at succulents in the future.
