How to Save a Dying Succulent (What You Need to Know)

Hello everyone, this is Sheila and in this video you will learn how to save a dying succulent like these guys right here. So first let me ask you these questions. Have you had a dying succulent? Maybe one or two or three or four or more? If the answer is yes, then this video is for you. So let's jump in. If you would look at this succulent, there is no obvious sign of infestation and if you would look at the rest of the succulents in this pot, these guys are obviously healthy and were not over watered at all. So what do you think happened here? Stay until the end of this video to get the answer. So for now, tip number one on how to save a dying succulent is to learn to spot one. The very first thing that you need to know is that early detection is the key. Let me show you which succulents look like they are dying but they are not. Why is this important? Because when some people would see this, this and this, they would start freaking out and would start going crazy with watering which only makes things worse. Do you want to know why I know? This was me when I was starting. So what are the early signs of a dying succulent? A dying succulent would have a darkening base. If you would look at the leaves of the plant, the upper part looks healthy but this base here is showing signs of rotting. This is a telltale sign of a dying succulent. A base that's constricting with a brown rotting color. Once you have identified the sick succulent, we will now proceed to step number two on how to save a dying succulent which is to locate the healthy part of the plant. If you are quick enough, you will still have healthy parts to recover and these are the leaves and the stem that looks more green and healthy. Make sure to cut the stem about an inch away from the rotting section and since we are trying to save this dying succulent, let me share with you this message. Be a person on a mission. Whatever you do, make sure that each of them directs you towards your goal. Be relentless so from this day forward always tell yourself I'm a person on a mission. Step number three after cutting, check the tip and make sure that there is no sign of rot and that the tip has a citrusy smell instead of a pungent moldy odor. Also make sure that the tip is calloused over which is roughly two to three days after cutting and once all of these are checked, it's time to proceed to step number four which is to plant it in a temporary pot. I'm planting this guy in this temporary pot for now because I would rather wait for about a month and a half before adding this to a group. It is important to put this succulent in a controlled environment with no precipitation or source of moisture and no harsh sun exposure. That's why I'm putting this guy in this spot indoors. In July here in Brentwood, California it's way too hot for a recovering plant to deal with. I just want to make sure that he has grown enough roots and that he is stronger before I send him with the rest of the gang outside. Here's the second plant and this takes us to step number five and option number two on how to save a dying succulent which is to pluck off the healthy leaves off of the dying plant and propagate them. I highly suggest that you still try to propagate even the leaves that look less likely to sprout roots because most of the time they still do. So aside from replanting the part of the plant that still looks healthy, propagating the leaves gives you higher chance of still getting that same succulent going. As promised let me tell you what happened to these succulents and this is a very good learning experience for me too and you will definitely learn from it. So although these plants are not being watered very often, as you can tell from these healthy succulents on this side there is something very significant about how this pot is placed. See this planter used to be near the fence. I realized that the side of the pot that is closest to the fence is so protected from the sun that the soil near that side of the planter is not drying as fast. When I used my moisture meter to measure how wet the soil is, the front part would register as less moist at 2 or 3 but the rear registered as really wet at 6 or 7. So as a very important tip, before watering test all sides with your moisture meter as long as your pot still registers some moisture postpone watering. So even if it's just 2 for moisture, it is still over watering. Okay so remember the best tip to save a dying succulent is early detection and checking for moisture all over the pot and always remember to tell yourself this, I am a person on a mission and every step I take leads me there. And again this is Sheila, your person on a mission for succulent fame, sending you inspirations with every succulent. Remember to give this video a thumbs up and share this video too. Thank you so much for watching!