Echeveria Troubles

by Wesley

I have an Echeveria plant. I have no idea what kind it is. I could send a picture. One of the leaves is yellowing and I don't know why. Its odd but I love the thing and don't want it to die. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I have half sand and half potting soil. I don't really know how often to water it nor how much sun it should get.



Drought Smart Plants reply:

Hi Wesley, if your plant is starting to yellow there could be an number of reasons.

Best case scenario, it's simply going through some natural changes due to brighter light, or dryer conditions than what it's used to.

If it's getting too much water, Echeveria and other succulent plants have a hard time with this. Ideally, they should have a good soaking drink, then the soil should be allowed to dry out almost completely. If your soil doesn't contain enough larger sized pieces of drainage material, in some cases, the sand will clog up the pores of the soil and you end up with less drainage, which can cause root rot. Good drainage is essential.

Echeveria originate from warm climates such as Mexico, where the light is extremely bright, and the temperatures during the day are warm. The air generally has low humidity, so if you're in a humid climate, you may not have as good success with these drought tolerant plants. Water less often if this is an issue.

See the page on how to grow Echeveria for more information.

Jacki