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SOS Please help! Senecio herreianus - String of Beads (succulent)

sunisupsunisup Posts: 5
in Problem solving
I bought a beautiful small pot of String of Beads and put it in my well-lit bathroom. It was fine for a few weeks, then it started browning and dying at the ends.

The soil feels moist but not sodden. However, I came in to look at it today and as well as the brown discolouration, it now has some white furry bloom growing near the root.

I can never manage to keep my house plants alive, but I have been so careful with this one and have no idea what happened?

Can it be saved?
What did I do wrong?
What should I be doing to maintain it?

~Thanks!




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Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I am in your shoes ( for a different reason) with this plant.
    Up till this week I was watering from the bottom, I think yours is having problems with watering from the top. Its causing mould on the plant, it needs a dish under it into which you put the water, and so you can see how much is being taken up by the plant.
    My problem is a new pot with in built tray to hang the plant up in. It was really a bad idea as I can't  see how much water it is taking. Plus hubby tried to water it for me, and ended up with more on the floor than with the plant! It was put down to dry, and then was scorched by the sun! Now I have only half the plant left!🙄
  • sunisupsunisup Posts: 5
    Thank you for your reply Purplerallim!

    Sorry that you are having problems with your one too. I will try the watering from the bottom, if it's not too late to save it that is!  :neutral:
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    you and me both @sunisup
  • JanedeeJanedee Posts: 7
    Hi there I think these are tricky to care for and I’ve had problems too but now have 3 plants having managed to take cuttings from the original plant I killed by overwatering. I salvaged a few strands and stuck them into some old compost, watered them and kept an eye on them in the greenhouse and they all took. I’ve now got them in the house in bright light but not direct sunlight.
    The trick is not to water too much and let the compost dry out fully in between. I water about every 7-10 days. The beads should be round like peas if they’re happy.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I am not familiar with this succulent, but with most of them it is safer to err on the side of under, rather than over watering.
    If too dry they go into survival mode, as they would in a drought. Recovery from this is easy, (just add water, not too much!) compared with recovery from rotted roots and stems.
  • sunisupsunisup Posts: 5
    @janedee Thanks! Glad you were able to resurrect your original plant! Will try the 7-10 days watering pattern!

    @Buttercupdays Thank you - I am determined to avoid root rot and bring this one back to life! I can see how it's not going to hurt to let the plant dry out before watering, which I was concerned about before!
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I'd say it's a case of too much moisture and not enough ventilation. The humidity in the bathroom is probably causing a lot of the problems but that's usually not an issue if the plant gets enough air-flow around it. You also need soil that dries out on the surface within a few hours of watering and limit the watering to when you know the soil is completely dry. The soil should never feel moist unless it's been watered that day. I take it the pot has good drainage and the plant isn't sat in water?
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • sunisupsunisup Posts: 5
    @wild edges

    Thanks for your reply! Unfortunately, I was doing the opposite of all of that...we open the window rather than have an extractor fan, the soil feels moist every day and it didn't have drainage facility so it was doomed really! At least it's a lesson learnt. 
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    You can always take cuttings to save it. Pick any healthy growth and snip it off. The longer the cutting with the more leaves the better. No need to pot it up right away but the sooner you cut it the better. I've taken succulent cuttings and not potted them up for 6 months or more and they've been fine. Just keep them somewhere bright and airy but out of the sun until you're ready to pot them on. Get some good succulent soil and a pot with good drainage and pop the cuttings into the dry soil. You'll need to water less quantity but more frequently until the roots have established again. I imagine there'll be a good guide on YouTube or somewhere that will explain it all better though.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • sunisupsunisup Posts: 5
    @wild edges

    Thank you for your help! I have taken some cuttings so fingers crossed they can be salvaged! I am going to buy the succulent soil too/drainage pot.
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