Hello all I got these two plants as Christmas gifts. I water them once throughly, and now their are both dying! Can anyone please offer some advice on how to save them? any part of it? The rocks in the square pot are glued together. It came with a store tag that said the glue will wash away as time goes by. I rip out the rocks to feel soil in the cacti plant and it feels dry. The soil on the tree like plant is still moist. Can I really have watered them too much even though I only watered them once? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
The succulent combination planting may be too dry, the other plant looks like it was kept too wet and has died.
HI If this cactus with red top ( Gymnocalycium mihanovichii) is soft in the bottom( where it is grey) it mean's that he is rotting! It can be over watered that's why it start to rot. Or your pot without any drianage holl's ( next time before watering check for holl's ) usually you have no any of them in this kind of pots. That's why I newer buying them. And if I cant resist and I bot it I usually repoting them in normal pots whith normal soil mix. One more tip for you : You have different type's of plants in the one pot and they need different amount of water! If this grafted cactus is rotting. There is only one aid: You have to take a sharp knife and cut of all tissues which rotting. You have to sterilize your nife after every cutting. then you plant have to be dryed for about 4 bays and then you can plant it in nice light dry soil and left it for a time. Usually all this things helps when a plant starts to rot. But when we have a business whith this grafted one. All listed points can be just waisting of time. Sorry for my English =) Roman
Stop watering. These are succulants and cacti. You need to let the soil dry out completely before watering again. When they sell plants like this in retail sometimes you will find that the rocks or top area of soil, etc. is glued together. The best thing to do is remove it. Roman did indicate that it your cacti may be rotting. Might I suggest repotting in a clay or teracotta pot, it provides a better atmosphere for the cacti and succulants. The other plant looks like a Dracaena fragrans : Corn plant if you can tell me what it is exactly that would be more help. It looks like it may be past help though. Perhaps too much watering was the problem. If it is a Corn plant it should be kept in evenly moist soil, warm temp., bright indirect light. Overwatering is the #1 killer of plants. Give me more info on some of the symptons the plants are showing. In the future go ahead and remove those rocks with the glue that "washes away" it takes too long to wash away and keeps water from getting to the roots or keeps it at the surface causing the plant to rot. Shelby
Thank you cactuslover and Shelbys for the long reply. the cactus with red top ( Gymnocalycium mihanovichii) is rotting at the base. It also rotted the smaller plant next to it. Like I said I watered them when I got them on Christmas and I only did it once. I will take cactuslover's advice and cut the rot away and plant them in a new pot. So am I getting it right? cut the rot away with a clean blade, let dry for 4 days and put it on top of dry dirt? Any more tips on this? When will I need to water it? Am I supposed to suspend the cut cactus so the cut part don't touch anything can i lay it on it's side? The other plant I have no idea what it is. It has a long stem/trunk with 5 leaves on top. The leaves looks like that of Dracaena fragrans from a the picture. The soil is still moist from the time I watered it but the plant is acting like it hasn't been watered in ages. I see no rot anywhere on the plant. Any tips on how to savage the remaining plants if I can't save the bad ones? Thank you for all the help
About grafted Gymnocalycium mihanovichii: For better result you can use "Stim-Root 0.4% IBA Rooting powder " It is kind of hormonic staff in order to help with roots growing. *dryed for about 4 days*- it depends on thickness of the stem. Sometimes you have to allow longer time for drying. Watering : if you'll watered it to much again the stem will rot again. Espesially if you have low temperature on a window where your plant is located. /So you have you watering it carefully and in small amounts of water. First week or so don't tuch it at all. When you have a cactus plant or other succulents You have to remember one simple rule: Better give LESS water , then give excess of water! After your cactus get a nice dry. You can just stick it in to the soil. I have to notify you: All oF tips posted higher Can give no any results! ( I'm talking about attempt to make it grow roots again) For this occasion. But you should follow this tips when you have deal with rotted CACTUS. About other plants. Just take them out of this pot,then take all of the soil off (but be cerfull with roots) . Take a look on the roots, if you can see some dead roots, so you have to cut them off! And then plant this plants in a different pots with nice drainage! Dont tuch them for about 3 days. Than you can wather them. Roman
