What's wrong with my succulent? (With photo)

[sadsucculent]

Posting in chat for traffic, hope that's ok.

I've had this succulent for a few years now, and recently noticed a) the leaves have started wrinkling, and b) the soil had shrunk a lot and water would go right through the pot.

I think they are under-watered, because no part of the plant seems rotten? Or are they over-watered? Should I repot in fresh soil? Or leave them out like this for a few days? Help!

They will come to no harm if you leave then out for a day or two - it happens like that in nature with succulents. Pieces break off and they root themselves.

What you do need to do is buy some fresh compost - most garden centres sell cactus compost, and that would be fine. Then replant them in the new compost.

That pot looks too small for them

I think you should re-pot it.

Repot in a much bigger pot and use proper cactus medium. Do not overwater!

I'll get cactus medium, thank you. How deeply should I pot them? Only the roots and a bit of the stalk? They seem to wobble a lot unless I put a lot more of the stalk deep in soil.

I should clarify these two bits are only two stalks out of maybe five. This isn't their pot, just what a random pot for the photo. But is it too small?

It looks as though the roots have rotted (it looks like Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’). This usually happens from over watering - the potting mix should have plenty of drainage material such as fine grit mixed in.
You could repot into a gritty mixture, and give it occasional watering, not too much, it doesn’t need a large pot with such a small root system.
These plants like as much sun as you can give them, but while it’s recovering, a little less light would be better.

Thank you! That's exactly what it is, crassula ovata Gollum. I just don't get how it could've been over-watered, as the soil had shrunk so water was dripping right through the pot? Anyway, I'll get special soil. How deeply should I pot the stalk please?

Maybe the soil it was in was peat-based, (especially if the same soil it was bought in) which does shrink when dry, and not really suitable for succulents. Don’t plant it too deep, just enough to cover the roots comfortably.
Cuttings should root easily too, when it’s large enough, just allow the stem to dry for about a week, and insert into dry gritty soil, and they should root in a few weeks, when they can be watered.

Thanks so much. Should I leave all five stalks out until I manage to buy succulent soil (could be a few days)? Or repot in normal houseplant soil in the meantime?

I asked about how deeply to pot them because I found them wobbly if I only covered the roots with soil. Is that a problem?

A follow-up if that's ok! I've been gifted an aloe vera in very dense and wet soil, so I'll repot that in succulent soil too. The root seems rather short and not extensive. How deeply should I repot this? Again the wobble worries me.

If it’s just a few days, it shouldn’t be a problem to leave it out ( I often post plants bare-root to buyers which may be a week before delivery - they’re always fine!) just leave it in a shady place until you are ready to pot it up.

Yes, a good idea to pot the Aloe in a grittier mix too, these are succulents, so they need good drainage. If you are worried about wobbling, maybe place a few stones (if you’ve got a garden to collect them from) at the base to give a little support.

Thanks so much Nan. I had a plant that was like a wobbly tooth a while ago, and eventually it just died. I think the roots didn't have enough soil to grip on to? So I'm forever worried about this happening again but I'm probably overly paranoid.

Succulents are remarkably resilient! The only problem is over-watering! Especially if not planted in a well drained potting mix, alongside low light levels. I hope yours recovers, and does well for you.

@NanTheWiser please may I ask another question about a different succulent? I was given these (see photo) as cuttings and they've rooted well. They're in a very bright spot in the livingroom. Why are they so leggy though? I've never seen succulents this spindly before...

Of course you can ask! Only too happy to help!
I think that might be Sedum stahlii, looking at the more compact leaves at the base of the stems.
The “leggyness” is lack of enough light, even if you have it in a very bright spot. Indoor light is just a fraction of outdoor light even in a bright window, and succulents grow best in full sun, so they often get “drawn” indoors (it’s called etiolation).
Those leggy stems can’t be corrected, but if the plant can be put in an even brighter position (south facing window) they might start to grow more normally.
If you’re feeling brave you could just cut the leggy stems off, and (having placed the plant in stronger light) the base should branch out with more compact stems.
If you have a garden, you could try it outside in a sheltered position, gradually exposing it to more sun so it doesn’t get scorched by sudden exposure. Lots of succulents do nicely with a summer holiday in the garden.

Thank you! It's currently NW-facing. It's such a bright spot, lots of crassula ovata, begonias, sedums have all done so well, I thought this would too. I'll pop it next to the SE-facing window, then outside in a week or so? I'll cut the legginess off 😊

@NanTheWiser one more if I may- is my tradescantia burnt? I've just noticed these brown marks in the past day, and it's been outside in an SE facing area for a few days. Thank you!

Hello again! I answered on your other thread, so yes, I think it hasn’t enjoyed being in full sun. Think of it as if you had been indoors all year, and then went outside in strong sun, you’d probably burn! Also, indoor foliage can be thin and tender, and not ‘toughened’ up by being outside, so more susceptible to sunburn.

Yes that was me, sorry about that and thank you!