GrowPlsPlant questions
Real questions from home gardeners, the kind people post with a worried photo, answered by GrowPls: what's likely going on, what to do about it, and when to worry.
Showing questions tagged #succulents · show all
mealybugs
What are the white bugs on my indoor succulent and will soap kill them?
Those white, fuzzy ovals are mealybugs (a type of sap‑sucking insect). Isolate the plant, wipe them off with cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol, then follow up with a gentle soapy or insecticidal soap spray repeated weekly until they’re gone.
Christmas cactus
Why are the segment tips on my Christmas cactus cutting turning brown?
The brown, shriveling tips are most likely rot from staying too wet while the cutting is still weakly rooted, sometimes combined with strong sun. Check the roots, cut back to healthy tissue, and re-root the best pieces in a very well‑draining mix, watering only when the top dries.
cactus
Is the yellow base on my grafted cactus root rot?
From the photo it looks more like corking (a firm, woody, aged area) than classic soft root rot, but you need to feel it to be sure. Gently press the yellow band: if it’s hard and dry it’s normal corking; if it’s soft or mushy, unpot it and cut away rot.
desert rose
Will a cut stem on my desert rose grow new branches again?
Yes, that cut stem looks like it has simply dried and callused over, which is normal. New shoots are most likely to sprout from just below the cut or elsewhere on the stem once the plant is in active growth and is kept warm, bright, and not overwatered.
agave (likely foxtail agave)
What is the feathery spike growing from my century plant (agave)?
The “feathery” thing is your agave’s flower stalk starting to grow. Agaves flower once near the end of their life, sending up a big bloom spike, then the main rosette slowly dies while pups around it carry on.
century plant (agave)
Is this root rot on my century plant pups and can I still save them?
The dark, mushy tissue at the base does look like rot, likely from staying too wet, and the pups didn’t have time to grow strong roots. Cut back to firm, healthy tissue, let the pieces dry and callus, then replant in very well‑draining soil and keep almost dry until new roots form.
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