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You have done everything to make sure that your succulents are growing well. You water them properly and providing them with the best care. Unfortunately, the leaves of your succulents have started to fall off. They appear to be translucent and a bit spongy. You have done some research and discovered that these are indications that your succulents are overwatered. Furthermore, you also discovered that an overwatered succulent can get rotten.

If you have overwatered your succulents, then you might be wondering if they can still be saved or not. Fortunately, we can help you in overcoming this problem by providing you some valuable tips on what you can do when you have overwatered your plants.

Is It Possible to Save An Overwatered Succulent?

Absolutely! Most of the time, an overwatered succulent can be restored with proper care and treatment. The fact is, even if they are already rotten, there are still some parts that can be saved. You could use its leaf or a part of its stem in propagating a new plant.

The part of the plant that you can save will greatly depend on the degree of the damage. It is much easier to save a plant during its early stages rather than when they have already gotten rot from the root upwards.

How Can You Identify An Overwatered Succulent?

It is important to know whether your succulent is overwatered or not. Most often, there are obvious signs which tell us if the succulent is overwatered or underwatered. The leaves of an overwatered succulent are usually soft and squishy. They also have a lighter color compared to a healthy plant. In some cases, they will become translucent.

Most likely, its leaves tend to drop so easily even when they are lightly touched. Typically, it is the bottom leaves that are being affected first. Overall, you will notice from their appearance that they are unwell. This will occur when the plant is being overwatered or is placed on a soil that does not dry out effectively.

Perhaps, you have watered your succulent consistently or you have followed your watering schedule diligently. But regardless of this, you are still seeing some indications that your plant is overwatered. Consequently, you will know if you have an underwatered succulent if their leaves are wrinkled and deflated. The leaves appear to be flat and slim. Overall, the plant will have a dry appearance. On the contrary, healthy succulents have fat, firm leaves.

Knowing What A Rotting Succulent Looks Like

Know how to prevent your succulents from getting overwatered or underwatered. Visit Eden Succulents for more succulent-related information.
You can immediately recognize a rotting succulent by their appearance. They tend to have black leaves beginning from the bottom. You will also notice that its stems are either black or brown and a bit squishy. These are some of the indications that your succulent is rotting because of overwatering. If you decide to leave them on their current state, then eventually they will just get dissolved and become messy.

So How Can You Save An Overwatered Succulent?

It would be great if you can get involved earlier. In this way, there are greater chances that the plant can still be saved. The more over watered the plant, the more likely that it can get rotten. Unfortunately, there are cases, wherein the plant is too far gone, and you can’t do anything about it. If you observed that your succulent has shown some indications that it is overwatered, for instance, the leaves are pale and soft, then you have to dry it out immediately. Here is a guideline on how you can save your overwatered succulent:
  • The first thing that you need to do is to extract the plant and be sure to get rid of all the wet soil from its roots.
  • You should keep the plant dry for three to seven days.
  • Keep the plant in a dry and bright place but avoid placing them on direct sunlight so it won’t get burned.
  • Once the plant is completely dry, then you can replant it. Be sure to use a well-draining potting mix and avoid watering them right away. You can water them after a week and make sure that you won’t overwater them again.
  • If you think that there is no need for repotting them, then you can just dry them out entirely before watering them again. It’s fine to water them after a week, but before doing so, you have to touch the soil and make sure that it is completely dry. However, if it is still wet, then it requires repotting since it did not dry out fast enough.

Will The Leaves Appear Again?

Absolutely! If your plant has lost a lot of leaves due to overwatering, then don’t worry because eventually, they can recover. Just give it some time to dry out. After a while, new leaves will be growing along their stems.

The new growth can appear at the top, bottom, and sides. After noticing this new growth, you can be assured that your plant has completely recovered.

Steps on Saving A Rotting Succulent

Steps on Saving A Rotting Succulent
  • Examine the seriousness of the rot. After discovering that the rot is not so severe, then try to find the portions of the plant that you can save. If the leaves can be salvaged, then save them.
  • Try to save several leaves so they can be used for propagation. Most often, leaf propagation can be challenging, hence, you need lots of it to make sure that some of it can survive.
  • Be sure to extract the whole leaf including its base. Keep in mind that a damaged leaf won’t be able to survive.
  • Put the leaves in a dry place and away from direct sunlight. Let them dry for a few days.
  • Once they are completely dry, then lay them on a pot with soil.
  • Keep them away from direct sunlight at all times. Once the soil gets dry, then you can mist them. Wait until new roots will appear and eventually new plants will emerge.

Steps on Saving Parts of the Stem

  • Aside from the leaves, you could also save some parts of the stem. Examine the stem carefully and remove any rotten parts including the roots. Save any sustainable parts of the stem.
  • In order to know if it is sustainable or not, you have to cut the stem. If the inside part of the stem is still green, then there are greater chances that they can survive and be propagated into a new plant.
  • Keep them in a dry place, away from direct sunlight. Let them dry for a few days or until such time that the cuts have healed completely.
  • Once they are completely dry, then you can put them on the soil.
  • When the soil gets dry, then you can mist them. Be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight until their roots have grown.

How To Prevent Overwatering Your Succulents

Watering Needs

Watering your succulent outdoors is entirely different from watering plants that are placed indoors. Since outdoor plants can obtain more sunlight, they can dry out sooner. On the other hand, indoor plants do not dry out so soon, so you don’t have to water them more frequently.

Before you create your watering schedule, you must observe your plants. Instead of following a watering schedule, it is best if you can determine the watering needs of your plants.

You might not be aware of it, but there are some succulents which require more water. For instance, Aeoniums love too much water but Sedum burrito does not. The fact is, they tend to get rotten too quickly with lots of water.

Another important factor to consider is the climate in your area. If you are living in a place with a dry climate, then the tendency is your succulents can dry out faster. Hence, you have to water them more often. On the contrary, if you are living in a place with a humid climate, then there is no need for you to water them too often.

Watering will also depend on the time of the year. For instance, during the summer, your plants tend to require more water due to the heat. However, during the winter, there is no need to water them more frequently.

You also need to consider their growing seasons. During the early summer and spring, you need to water them more frequently since this is their growing period. But during the wintertime, they don’t need too much water since they are dormant during this period. Nevertheless, it will still depend on the type of succulent that you are growing.

Usually, you can water your plants every seven to ten days during the warmer months and every two weeks during the cooler months. If it rains more frequently in your area during the winter season, then you should avoid watering your plants more often.

If you are living in a humid area, then you don’t need to water them too frequently. If you place your succulents indoors, then you have to make some adjustments. Keep in mind that it is easier to save an underwatered succulent than an overwatered plant. Hence, if you are having some doubts, then you should apply less, rather than putting more until you figure it out.

In order to help you measure the watering needs of your succulents, you can use various tools such as hygrometers and moisture meters.

Soil Needs

Aside from using the proper watering techniques, it is also important that you are using the right kind of soil. Regardless, if you did not overwater your plant, but you are using inappropriate potting mix, there are still chances that they can experience overwatering. Be sure to use the well-draining potting mix on your succulents. Generally, you should not let your succulent remain in wet soil for a long period. You can provide them a sufficient amount of water, then give them some time to dry out.

Most succulent growers would love to use cactus mix blended with perlite. However, using a sandy soil mixture is also a good choice. You can do this on your own by mixing cactus mix and coarse sand. You could also combine the three ingredients that are mentioned above. Mix perlite, coarse sand, and cactus mix in equal parts.

You need to remember that even if your succulent is overwatered, it’s not the end of it. You should not lose hope. Succulents are considered resilient plants. This means that even if they are dying, there are still chances that you can save them.

At Eden Succulents, you can find a lot of information about growing and caring for succulents. Have you ever experienced saving an overwatered succulent? If so, then please share it with us in the comments below. We’d be happy to hear it.

Succulent Plants Fully Rooted in Succulent Planter Pots with Succulent Soil

Succulent Plants Fully Rooted in Succulent Planter Pots with Succulent Soil

HAND SELECTED: Every pack of succulents we send is hand-picked. You will receive a unique collection of species that are fully rooted and similar to the product photos. Note that we rotate our nursery stock often, so the exact species we send changes every week.
 Digital Hygrometer Indoor Thermometer Room Thermometer

Digital Hygrometer Indoor Thermometer Room Thermometer

【Air Comfort Indicator】Humidity meter with humidity level icon indicates air condition — DRY/COMFORT/WET, allowing this humidity sensor to ensure you’re always aware of changes to your home/household with just a quick glance