Beginner Gardening: DONKEY TAIL HELP!!!, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Shucks! Wrote you a long reply--and lost it! Went to Google a picture for you and then "X"-ed out the page.
And--there also went my post on DG. It had a lot of good info in it....

Well--will trey to cover it again--maybe in a shorter version.

I suggested a clay pot because any extra water you may have applied will just dissipate through the pot's walls.
To root any cuttings--please use a Pro Mix which has no soil in it. it is a mix of Peat Moss and Perlite.
If you cannot find "Pro Mix"--go to Home Depot and get a small bag of Seed Starter Mix.
I do think HD now also carries a "Pro Mix" type of soil.

After you take cuttings--let them sit on a paper plate for one day. You want the freshly cut ends to callous over.
You may also want to remove any extra small sections at the bottom end of your cuttings, so there is a small "stem'.
If you pot freshly cut succulents--the cut ends could start to rot as they are raw.

Prepare your new pot and Mix--moisten in the Mix well (NOT too wet) and then plant/scatter your cuttings.
Take any cuttings (I would take them all) and pot them up--and, remember, i also said that each little piece will root,
even if you just lay them on top of the soil.
Do not water again for a couple weeks. Use your judgement--if you see the top of the Mix drying out too much-
mist the top a bit with lukewarm water. Put the pot in a soft light--No direct sun needed now.

You asked about your plant "not getting enough water"--Heck no!!! I think your big pot was definitely water-logged
and, it is likely, that the soil went "sour". This would have killed your plant. Take your cuttings and toss the rest!
Roots NEED Oxygen! Soil has to be airy and not heavy. That is what the Perlite is for.
You said you watered it once a week! Totally--too much! Big pots of succulents can get by with just monthly watering.

Hope this helps you some! Here is the picture I Googled for you of what a healthy Burros tail looks like.

Gita