I really need help with my dying little zebra cactus. I have tried many things, and I don't know what else to do, but it continues to get worse. I don't want it to die!
It all started back in December or January when I noticed some of its lower "leaves" were turning yellow, drying up, and dying/falling off. I learned that the container I bought it in didn't drain and was not the right type of soil. When I pulled it out, the roots all fell off, so I trimmed in back and stuck it in a new pot with more suitable "soil." Through the advice of others, I did not water it because it did not have roots. They told me it would grow roots, THEN I could start watering it. Well, 2 or 3 months later, it still has no roots (see pictures).
I was then told to try giving it tiny amounts of water to encourage root growth. I've tried that for about a month with still no roots growing. It seems to be slowly growing new "leaves" from the center, but the outer ones are turning brownish-yellow, and the rest of it is a dark, redish green. I have it on a south-facing window sill for light (and that's the best I can do as I live in an apartment with only one wall of windows). I have no idea what else to try or to do to save it. Any advice would be appreciated.
Help! Zebra Cactus won't grow roots and is withering...
I have always propagated them by taking a sharp knife or snippers and cutting the offsets as close to the mother plant as possible. Include as many roots as possible. Allow the offset to dry briefly before repotting it.
Water normally and roots will sprout. In soil with good drainage that might mean every week or two, depending on the light. Not watering (or watering only a trickle) more or less assures that your plant will die rootless.
The key is to get the soil totally soaked (so that water comes out the bottom) and then wait until it's dry or mostly dry before watering again. That wet-dry cycle seems to be a natural fit for most succulents. You kind of have to figure out how long to wait by checking the soil to assess moisture.
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