I think I overwatered the Schwarzkopf, the earth in the pot just hasn't dried out. It's been losing its leaves for a few weeks now but today they're falling off without even drying up first. The other day it suddenly decided to lie down. So I changed the soil, it's a lot more sandy now, and propped up the stem with a chopstick. The stem looks very worrying indeed. Is there anything I can do for the poor thing? Will it die???
This is exactly how mine died last year! I wasn't over watering it either. After most of the leaves fell off, the stem went rotten and hollow. Yours looks to have some new green stem on top, I wonder if you could cut off the rotten part and root it? I'm not sure if you can root Aeoniums or not..Cereusly Steve will probably chime in and tell you :P
i'd definitely cut off the rotted part and try rooting it. it's not quite the best time to be rooting aeoniums - most go dormant about this time. give it a shot though, can't hurt and you may just manage to save it! unpot it and cut the roots off and then continue cutting (in small sections) until you have removed all of the rotted area. let it sit overnight so it dries/callouses over and then dip the cut end in rooting hormone and pot it up. do not water it for at least a couple of weeks. and then, only enough to just moisten the soil. also, this variety doesn't like to be in full sun...it does better in bright indirect light. soil should be a mix of cactus soil, bit of sand and something like perlite or small stones for drainage. the container should have drainage holes in the bottom.
This happened to mine a couple of years ago right after it had flowered. At the time it had two healthy branches on it. I removed them and started two new plants. I have seen this on other plants as well. They seem to be prone to rotting.
Why does everyone insist on misspelling the name of thos this cultivar? The correct name is Aeonium arboreu 'Zwartkop'. The cultivar is of Dutch origin not German. The plant is primarily a winter grower and goes dormant midsummer. If you overwatered it and it has gone soft from rot and collapsed, it is a goner. Aeonium cannot be propagated from leaf cuttings.
I still believe that it can be propigated from stem cuttings. I mean, cut off the rotten part, apply rooting hormone, stick in soil, wait for new growth. Steve- I have seen this plant with both spellings of the cultivar on plants for sale. I just read the stick, so don't blame the owner, the problem is bigger than that.
Hello and thanks everyone for these speedy and helpful replies. I suppose I'll have to rush out and buy some rooting hormone asap. The plant has been living under a neon lamp cos I don't get enough light to grow plants indoors - maybe that's too strong? And yesterday I put it outside in the shade to dry out a bit, but obviously that's a lost cause. OK tomorrow I'll cut the stem and cross my fingers! Thank you again.
both spellings can be found in abundance. it's really of no importance when someone is just looking for help in saving their plant. and we're talking about re-rooting the stem, not the leaves. pumpkin, yes, give it a try!! just remember, it's in dormant stage now, so hold off watering for a couple weeks and then only water sparingly!! once the cooler weather hits, you can start to increase the watering...and should, hopefully, see some new growth happening! make sure you get rid of all of the rotted area on the bottom of the stem! you can cut it and let it sit for a couple of days until you can get to the store and get the rooting hormone...it'll be just fine if you set it somewhere safe so that the cut end can get air to dry out. it doesn't like full sunlight, so bright indirect light from being close to a window will be just fine for it.
Send in more troops!!! They're pinned down on the beach!!! Despite how many spellings there are or how many aliases any plant may have for names in the trade, there can be only one correct and valid name for any plant according to both the ICBN and ICNCP codes. The plant was originally validly described as Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' and that is the only correct name for the plant. That's the law!!!! The plant goes dormant midsummer and stem cuttings will not root when the plant is dormant. Even though the plant is dormant, it still needs plenty of light as it does all year long. Indirect light is not enough. It might always be sunny in Philadelphia but that's not the case everywhere. I wouldn't mind spending some time in Provence!! :-) If the plant is already in the advanced stages of rot, it will die no matter what you do.
