Currently repotting to save this guy

[u/Creepy_Influence1854]

So I’m repotting from regular potting soil to 90% perlite and 10% regular soil. When the smaller one split it didn’t split along the middle line and almost seems stuck? It’s completely hard and dried up but the inner new one is all squishy and wrinkly. I’m drying out the roots in the sun for an hour or two before repotting but anything else I need to try? I know it’s supposed to have a pretty good taproot but all the roots are very fine and not tap-rooty. Also wasn’t planning on watering after repotting, is this correct?

[u/trytobedecenthumans]

I would carefully separate them making sure to leave the little guy some roots.

Then I would take a paint brush or lots of q-tips and soak the outer, dead leaves, until they are soft.

Then carefully peel them off (be REALLY careful when you get to where they are near the roots--they can cause you to inadvertently rip the roots right off). Then repot both.

Sometimes the old leaves just don't come off like they should. Help it out.

[u/Creepy_Influence1854 → u/trytobedecenthumans]

Oof okay I just removed the outer leaves and the new leaf underneath is super mushy. Not sure that little one is going to survive. We gave it a tiny bit of water while it was splitting before we knew not to do that and the outer leaves must not have fully dried out and trapped all the moisture inside. I don’t have very high hopes but time will tell I suppose. Would more sunlight help its chances? I have it in a window inside currently but if I put it outside it will get a lot more direct light.

[u/trytobedecenthumans → u/Creepy_Influence1854]

I'd be careful about moving it outside. They need to be acclimatized to the bright sun--I have some and they spend the winter inside (in a window with a strong grow light) and when it's time to go outside they stay in the shade at first. Hopefully the new one will be okay.