It's squishy and purple! Ack! I'm beginning to think I should stop trying to grow African plants because I always kill them. Sans a couple Euphorbia.... Check out the picture. This happened to my favourite Aloe last year, after I neglected it during the winter. It smelled awful. Definitely rot for that one I thought. It's just one of those cases where I'm not sure if it's rot/over-watering or coldness. I've barely watered the thing since I've had it in the past few months...my rule for this one and my Lithops is "water it when it looks wrinkled"...I admit the window sill it calls home is a little less than room temperature, but I think this is probably rot. I can't visibly see any bugs on it... Opinions? How do I save the ones around it?
Yeah it's rot I've given up trying with these guys. It's the humidity that gets them here every time. A lot of the smaller succulents tend to suffer if they're not in a shadier, very dry position. They always lasted better like that, too much sun seemed to fry them. You could try pruning any diseased section out but pathogens can also be in the soil. Your watering technique of letting the plants dry between waterings is a good approach and you should stick to it. Pleiospilos are winter dormant so you really have to hold back through cooler periods.
i've tried the living rocks a few times...they're just SO different and have such fabulous flowers...i've had absolutely NO luck with them. they're quite finicky and it's so, so, so easy to over-water as well as under-water them.
I would separate the heads and repot those that show no obvious sign of rot in individual pots. Don't know much about mesembs, but is that really a Pleisospilos? All Pleiospilos I have seen have been covered with small dark spots. Looks more like an Argyroderma.
