Aeonium arboreum dying?

Discussion in 'Cacti and Succulents' started by torbie, Dec 3, 2006.

  1. torbie

    torbie Active Member

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    Not having great success like BBunker is in the other aeonium thread! I have this one I bought at Van Dusen Gardens late this summer. It did well for one month and the leaves started to drop... and drop... it has 4 other branches coming out of it. I water it, they drop. I leave it alone.. they drop. It's a mere shadow of it's former self. The trunk and branches look ok, no soft spots like rot.

    Just hardly any leaves left. Looks rather odd! It gets plenty of light in warm south facing room.

    Any ideas what I may be doing wrong or what I can do to make it happy?
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2006
  2. Rima

    Rima Active Member

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    However bright room light seems to us, it's dull to a plant, compared to what seems to be dull to us outside, but is still better for a plant (and Vancouver's not exactly Arizona!). But if you've been watering too often, it may have become rotted inside and unable to recover, or else your impatience won't let you wait long enough before you water again trying to 'fix' it. It could go for weeks (1-2 months even) between waterings now, so just go way and forget about it now for a long time, and either it will show signs of new growth or it won't and you'll have learned something.
     
  3. torbie

    torbie Active Member

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    Thanks for the reply Rima. I started going a month between waterings after perhaps watering too much in the beginning. When I picked up the pot yesterday to water it, the soil was very dried out.

    It will be hard... but I'll take your advice and ignore it as best I can.

    I seem to have the same problem with jade plants, I can't keep them happy either! My aloe plants are doing fantastic, go figure...
     
  4. Rima

    Rima Active Member

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    When you do water a plant like that, you must do it slowly, so it sinks in and doesn't run off the sides, plus do it twice in succession til it comes out the drain holes and you can be sure all the soil has had some as it can also just run off between dry particles inside.
     
  5. torbie

    torbie Active Member

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    Thanks Rima! Will do.
     
  6. Chester

    Chester Active Member 10 Years

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    Aeoniums go through a dormant period that you have to pay attention to. It's kind of complicated, but our summer is their dormant period, and our winter is their growth period. For some reason they do not adjust to our seasons as readily as other plants and my adhere to this dormancy.

    Some aeoniums, just to complicate things will switch their dormancy to winter. The only way to tell is to watch the rosette for signs of growth. If the rosette shrinks, the plant is not growing, and you must watch the water (don't water). Sometimes they will come in and out of dormancy several times just to confuse you. So you will need to water when they are out, and stop when they are in.

    My aeoniums are growing right now, so I am watering (not a whole lot though) and fertilizing very lightly. When they are growing, they drop quite a lot of leaves...

    Hope this helps.
     
  7. torbie

    torbie Active Member

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    Chester, I'm now a bit confused lol, bear with me. Ok... so, it appears to me that the center of what is remaining of the rosette is growing, while having dropped the majority of almost all the larger leaves around it. It has one main stalk, with one (formerly) large rosette and 4 smaller ones branching out from the stalk.

    I'd guess in the beginning, the biggest rosette must have had 20-25 large leaves(?) but now has about 5 large ones with a tiny center of small newer ones and the same but on a smaller scale for the others.

    It is dropping leaves, but growing at the center. I'm not sure what you mean by the "rosette shrinking" ? I'll guess mine is growing due to the loss of bigger leaves but also small leaves growing in the center?

    Bizzare plant! Will it ever look full again ~ is that when it's dormant, after major growth? Sorry if these sound like dumb questions, been a long day!
     
  8. Chester

    Chester Active Member 10 Years

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    I am a firm believer that no question is a dumb one!

    By the rosette shrinking, it means that the plant is not growing, and so the small leaves in the centre stay small. It makes it appear that the rosette is shrinking in comparison to growth, when there will be many leaves at different stages of growth, and the rosette will look fuller.

    I was just reading over some of your earlier comments about culture. You say that it is in a warm, south-facing room? Is the plant directly in the window? These plants do need a lot of light, direct light and sun. Ideally, being a succulent they would appreciate a cooler location during dormancy. It doesn't sound dormant however. But the fact that the plant is dropping plenty of leaves and now growing fast enough to replace some makes me think it would like to go into dormancy. But I can't be sure.

    I do know from experience not to water aeoniums too much. Here's how I water (when actively growing). Mine is in a smallish clay pot (5" dia.) directly in a south-facing window. My house is kept quite cool, and I do not have it by a radiator or heat vent. I water thoroughly until water runs out the drain holes, and then water again until water runs out the drain holes. If I suspect that the soil is very dry, I may submerge the whole pot in water for a few minutes and then let her drain well in the sink. Then I don't water again for a couple of weeks or until the plant is quite dry. When I stick my finger in the soil, I may find a bit of moisture way down. But I will find moisture. I think if you let them dry out too much while growing, that may be a seasonal signal to start going dormant.

    Well I hope this helps.
     
  9. torbie

    torbie Active Member

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    Hi Chester, yes, the room is warm due to the south facing view (older building and retains heat like a furnace).. it's a few feet from the window. I probably never gave it a real throrough watering because I was scared I had already overwatered it, causing the leaf drop.

    Complicated little plant isn't it! Thanks again for your advice! I'm not sure if I'm going to leave it where it is or move it into a room (still very warm) but not as bright.

    At least I know I didn't kill it :)
     
  10. Stewatt

    Stewatt New Member

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    Hello, and just to say about leafs falling off plants...I'm no pro on the topic but have been told by others that if this happens to plants (in my case, poinsettias, aeoniums, jade plants, just to name a few) the remedy for me seems to be this:

    NEVER allow the plant to sit in water! the plant pot should allow free drainage at the bottom; if you want to use a liner pot inside of a planter without drainage, that is fine, but thoroughly drain the water before replacing the potted plant into the planter

    - in an appropriate sink or similar basin, place the plant, out of its indoor planter, and water with room temp. water, preferably with a watering can or jug

    - allow to percolate down the centre of the soil to refresh the roots; then around the perimeter of the whole plant to thoroughly soak the soil

    - allow the plant to completely drain the water for a few hours

    - replace the plant into the indoor pot
    - follow watering instructions appropriate for the plant
     

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