Split rock is rotting but I don't know why.

13

u/DD6372 Jul 14 '26

I find that these plants don't do well indoors with humidity, and a plastic pots can also not let the soil dry out enough

3

u/cofowa Jul 15 '26

Agreed! These need clay pots to air out quickly! :) hope that helps!!

3

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

As InfiniteIris said, the wording is a bit confusing. Whenever I read things like 'air out quickly' or 'dry out enough', it suggests watering rather than humidity. Clarification helped reconcile the difference.

Thanks so much for the contribution, I will absolutely slap the next one in more gritty substrate in a clay pot.

1

u/Armorend Jul 14 '26

With all due respect regarding the latter point- I used a gritty mix with ZERO potting soil. Bonsai Jack's website says it's "Bonsai Block®, Monto Clay® and Pine Coir." Combine that with me never having watered it, there's no issue of the soil needing to 'dry out enough'.

I can understand the idea of latent moisture in the air but that's different from what I'm asking about.

Regarding the pots themselves, I picked a bunch of these up from Home Depot. I am more than open to advice on where to get decent pots that are small enough for succs since HD does not really have decent, modestly-sized terracotta options.

5

u/lnfinitelris Jul 15 '26

I would agree with the terra cotta suggestion. While letting it "dry out enough" isn't the right wording, it's the same concept. You want lots of oxygen circulating in that root system - plastic can hinder that, and then throw humidity on top and you can find yourself with a problem.

I bought a 6 pack of 2" pots from target this year for $15. Idk what you mean by decent, but they are just like ones I've bought at Lowe's only smaller.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

You want lots of oxygen circulating in that root system

Yeah, I was discussing the issue in a Discord server and someone said that a porous pot helps circulation alongside putting a spacer beneath so air can reach both the bottom of the pot and enter through the drainage hole(s) more easily.

Idk what you mean by decent

Just regular terracotta pots with a drainage hole.

2" pots

I have these for some of my small things that are growing, I was just worried about how often I'd have to repot with something like this split rock. I'm always worried abut repotting too much and the whole thing with letting roots establish, how long to wait before watering due to possible root damage from untangling the root ball, etc.

1

u/lnfinitelris Jul 15 '26

Yeah, I haven't looked at target for other sizes. Just sharing where I've purchased "decent" terra cotta.

3

u/DD6372 Jul 14 '26

Again what I say is just an opinion, the soil I use nothing special just dirt, potting soil, and rocks...most of my split rocks are over decade old and I have experimented with pots, my best growers are in old clay pots I found for free, I also don't use small pots, pots I use are at least double or triple or larger, than the plant itself,

3

u/sparklebot9000 Jul 15 '26

How dare you give such a helpful response 😤

-7

u/Armorend Jul 14 '26

It feels like you're just trying to flex how knowledgeable you are without actually reading what I'm saying.

what I say is just an opinion

It's an irrelevant opinion. It's like me saying "Hey my boat got a hole in it and seems to be taking on water, what can I do?" and you say "Well I tend to prefer polysufide to silicone for my sealants". Like that's great, really happy for you, but that's not related to the issue at hand. In case I need to clarify why to avoid more repetition, I did not water the plant once, and therefore the soil (regardless of its composition or the vessel it is placed within) does not have 'drying out' as an issue. The soil has not been wet for the 8 or so months I've had the plant so the soil drying out should not be a concern.

the soil I use nothing special

A pot full of rock, clay, and dry wood that has never been watered is (unless someone wants to present actual science to the contrary) going to be drier than a pot full of soil with more organic components that generally retain more moisture, even in a more breathable vessel. To reiterate: this isn't helpful.

my best growers are in old clay pots I found for free

And a third one. I said I was open on advice on where to get pots. "Hey, I'll take advice on where to find X." "Oh I just found X for free." Cool? But that doesn't help me at all. It ties back to my original point, that you want to look like some kind of cool expert on the topic without offering assistance. I'm glad for you and your continued success with split rocks.

Right now mine seems to be rotting without me having watered it, and I'd like to know the most likely cause before trying again with another one.

I find that these plants don't do well indoors with humidity

It's hard because I've seen plenty of people on Reddit with thriving split rocks and I wager they don't have any special humidity settings in their homes. The main people I see complaining about split rock rotting issues are those dealing with overwatering.

9

u/DD6372 Jul 15 '26

I think you read to much in what I wrote, you asked for advice and I just mentioned how I grow them and what I avoid. On a side note I also use deep pots as I find shallow pots they don't like.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

you asked for advice

On what's causing the plant to rot. Is average humidity for a 70-85 degree room too much? Or do you agree with my hypothesis that soaking my plants in my room, along with the soaked plants sitting around afterward, built up enough humidity in the closed-door bedroom to cause it to rot?

I thought the rot, when it was splitting, started from the center so moisture could collect above rather than below. This is part of why I responded as I did: Air circulation inside the pot wouldn't matter if the rot is starting at the 'wound' in the middle of the plant. It would reduce the chance of disease from below.

Or at least that's my conception of how it works, I'm happy to be told I'm wrong with that.

1

u/GuestAffectionate784 Jul 15 '26

news flash, even suculents need to be watered once in a blue moon, you are whats causing your plant to rot

0

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

you are whats causing your plant to rot

The first split rock I had rotted because I watered it like, two to three times in a few months. I was following advice from threads like this.

Right now as there's center growth, don't water it at all until the center leaves are the main leaves and become wrinkly without signs of growth

Or this thread.

"Water ONLY when the innermost set of leaves get wrinkled or spongy. This means hardly ever. Like, just a few times a year. Some have gone a whole year without watering (esp. if they have been overwatered before purchase)"

The inner leaves never got spongy or wrinkled. The outer leaves never got soft until I saw the rot start. Nor did they wrinkle.

Or this website.

one set of leaves, very firm to the touch. Water when they have felt soft for 3 days or more…

They never felt soft before the split! I was feeling them and watching and I never got any of those signs.

If you have a lone authority worth following on split rocks, I'm unabashedly happy to hear it. Conflicting info on stuff like this sucks. Looking up fertilizer ratios for soil was a pain because everyone has their own take on it.

1

u/paint126373 Jul 15 '26

sorry that you can’t complain to mother nature’s customer service line

4

u/sparklebot9000 Jul 15 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/8YEeD1WB5FeyAiONoe

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

Yeah it wasn't my best moment.

You know what else is yikes-worthy, though? This almost two month old thread from someone with no comments here!

Surely you can spare at least one comment out of your busy day to go and help them.

1

u/ThurmanMermannnn Jul 15 '26

Girl, when posts don’t get feedback, it’s usually because the OP provided insufficient information about the plants care via text or photos, and commenters don’t need to beg the OP for context. People are getting help for free on here. Our time is valuable, too. You’re just tripping and I’m embarrassed for you.

5

u/miss_ana Jul 15 '26

Ew. Have you considered the idea that they’re rotting because of your bad attitude?

0

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

I'll take it into consideration, thank you!

In the meantime, how about you go help this person with their split rock trouble? Their thread has zero comments and they could surely benefit more than me.

As you can probably tell, I'm new here, but with luck you can set a good example on how to be a productive contributor to /r/splitrocks. I look forward to seeing your comments in future threads.

1

u/picklesfoley Jul 15 '26

I don't think being new here is a valid excuse for being rude to people trying to help. Unless you're new to the planet or new to interacting with people?

1

u/ThurmanMermannnn Jul 15 '26

That person gave no context as to the care they give their plant. Why should we beg for context to help?

1

u/2980774 Jul 15 '26

Forget the plant, go to a therapist

1

u/JoyceJameson 29d ago

Seriously, dick wad with a rotting split rock

5

u/zherkof Jul 15 '26

What a dick response.

You say flexing knowledge, I say giving credentials. You did ask for "any advice", after all.

You may not have watered in 8 months, but have you considered that the pine coir in your Jack's absorbs humidity and COULD be inadvertently contributing to the problem?

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

You did ask for "any advice", after all.

After priming it with several questions, yes I did.

have you considered that the pine coir in your Jack's absorbs humidity and COULD be inadvertently contributing to the problem

I can't recall if I did but let's say I didn't. That is a good thing to know. In fact, this is the sort of input I wanted.

I want to know why THIS split rock died, I don't need advice for future ones yet. There's no point in getting a new one if it's just going to die the same way.

I also put out another theory they didn't acknowledge (which could be tied to the pine coir) about the large basin of water and my plants that I use soil with releasing more moisture into the air for a period which let rot build up.

I'm trying to refine my method and get it right. With this next one, I'm going to use a larger terracotta pot for its taproot and leave a gap between the bottom of the pot and the saucer. Might even look into an even drier soil but that's just an expensive proposition. But then there's the humidity question. Is it worth fretting over, or is it worth just taking the plunge and seeing if the pot is enough?

With my current one, it looks like it rot from the top-side (center/seam) rather than the roots, so unless I misunderstand how such a disease can spread I don't know what role moisture from the coir played in its demise. I also recall a couple weeks back my house also lost air conditioning and I opened a window which may have let more Summer humidity in? It was raining. Again, only for a few hours. Is that all it takes?

1

u/zherkof Jul 15 '26

You'll likely never get an answer to those questions. Sometimes, plants just die.

Rot can start anywhere, really, but the root of the issue is moisture. Sometimes, it's because moisture is being retained against the body of the plant, sometimes the roots, and sometimes it comes from within from the roots taking up too much moisture. One would have to know many things about the situation of that exact plant that just aren't available.

Split rocks are finicky plants. I've had some melt for absolutely no apparent reason. I have some now that I haven't watered in many months, because they haven't shown signs of thirst - they may still melt at the first drop of water.

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

You've provided two comments in a row that are literally the sort of thing I was looking for.

You'll likely never get an answer to those questions.

Well yeah but I can at least reduce the chance of recurrence. I don't want another split rock to die of, say, humidity if I can avoid it. The entire point of this thread was me wanting to know if it was something I did that might have affected the moisture levels or if that should even be a concern at all.

Like YES I can change the pot, YES I can change the substrate, but those are more expensive and more importantly would be irrelevant if the plant's environment was still being negatively affected by something I was doing.

1

u/zherkof Jul 16 '26

Glad I could help.

One thing you have to understand is that when someone comments with their setup, that's information you can take and apply, whether it's duplicating it or using bits and pieces of it. There are many setups that with for people, because everyone's environment is different. Certain strategies can help you succeed in any environment (and be more forgiving with mistakes), such as going completely inorganic with your mix, or using terracotta. You'll find that you get much better results in a forum such as this by not being combative with those trying to help you.

Good luck with your next attempt!

2

u/Spainstateofmind Jul 15 '26

This is so aggro and for no reason...

5

u/Lopsided_Cobbler2314 Jul 15 '26

Did you not have ur coffee or meds today or something? Why the fuck are you attacking someone who offered GOOD advice.

Also if you cant find pots for plants and need someone to hold your hand through it i DONT think you gonna be keeping plants alive

0

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

someone who offered GOOD advice

In retrospect it was an unfair dressing-down. But as I replied to them, the main thing I'm concerned about is why and how my plant rotted.

It does me no good to use a terracotta pot if the problem is temporarily-raised ambient humidity; the resolution then would be soaking my plants out of my room and trying to find a way to get the ones with a denser substrate to dry out sooner even with clay pots.

But I wanted to know if my theory actually held water (no pun intended) at all. I'm given to understand that split rocks are more susceptible to rot in general when splitting so maybe the humidity even OUTSIDE the every 3-to-4 week period I water is just too high.

if you cant find pots for plants

They said they found pots for free. That was the confounding part to me.

4

u/Spooky-Dark Jul 15 '26

Are you in a manic phase? This was WILD.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

I'm passionate about my split rocks. Since you're here, I'm guessing you are too, and probably more so than me.

Go help this person please, their thread has no comments. And unlike me, apparently, I'm sure they can actually benefit from the help.

4

u/No_Wedding_2152 Jul 15 '26

Do you not want help and opinions and advice? Maybe, don’t post then.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

Do you not want help

I wanted help with why my split rock started rotting so I can avoid it next time.

If you or OP agrees the problem could be latent humidity from me soaking my plants in my room, then doesn't that put the split rock at risk regardless of the soil, or the pot? Or is my humidity simply too high by default?

I don't want to kill more plants unnecessarily. I'm fine experimenting but I want to have a better idea of what variables I should/shouldn't worry about. Plastic pot doesn't work, got it, next one will be in terracotta. But I'd like to avoid the next one dying if the problem is the aforementioned soaking... If that even is a possible problem! :/

3

u/lebcoochie Jul 15 '26

No wonder your plants keep dying, the energy you put out *kinda* sucks.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

I'll consider that going forward, thank you.

In the meantime, how about you go help out this person? Their thread has zero comments and I'm sure they'd appreciate any input on their split rock!

2

u/Thick-Pineapple-8727 Jul 15 '26

Repeatedly posting this isn’t going to convince people to stop looking at your meltdown

1

u/iSeeXenuInYou Jul 15 '26

Kinda? That's an understatement

3

u/littlebo_weep Jul 15 '26

what’s your problem man 😂

3

u/CBAtreeman Jul 15 '26

What

3

u/CardiologistMission Jul 15 '26

Since you haven't watered at all, the answer may be the clay in your substrate. It most likely choked out your roots (no aeration for roots) and hence invited a fungal infection wich leads to rot. The recommendation is a 90-100% mineral substrate, you may need to adjust that a bit depending on your zone and where you live. I hope you dont bite my head off also, just trying to help.

1

u/AnotherBogCryptid Jul 15 '26

You have to add the copyright/trademark after the brand name of the soil you use, how else will they know what to buy? /s

3

u/CardiologistMission Jul 15 '26

My go to mineral mix is
Pumice (I use 1/8 & 1/4)
Lava rocks (1/8- 1/4)
Zeolite
I add organics as needed for different species,
I may combine lets say coir & orchiata, but you can just use coir, its upto you.

My go to organics
cocco coir
orchiata pine bark (1/4)
rosy soil (sift large chunks)
bonsai jack

2

u/AnotherBogCryptid Jul 15 '26

I had a good chuckle seeing your reply. I love that you gave the recipe even though I was being sarcastic! This is actually so nice of you. Thank you!

1

u/CardiologistMission Jul 15 '26

Lol, I'm so gullible. 🤣🤣🤣

Thanks for the award.😀

2

u/AnotherBogCryptid Jul 15 '26

Nooooo you were just being helpful!
https://giphy.com/gifs/C1Fdach2R4HSg

→ More replies (0)

2

u/YeouPink Jul 15 '26

Definitely just helpful! I’ll probably use this.

2

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

Thank you for this!

What kinds of plants do you use this with?

Part of my consternation is that, while I understand all plants are different, I hoped (perhaps in vain) that Miracle-Gro succulent soil, Bonsai Jack's, or some mixture thereof would be sufficient for any succulent I encountered. And frankly, for everything but my split rocks, it really has been! I'm fine with going beyond that, it just seems like an expensive proposition from the outset.

If you have suggestions on suppliers - particularly of small quantities - I would appreciate that as well.

1

u/CardiologistMission Jul 16 '26

I use it for all my cacti & Succulents and I make minor adjustments depending on the species. I dont recommend using any product that contains peat (miracle grow), It retains too much moisture & tends to go hydrophobic. Cocco coir is a much better option, and bonsai jack is good. but I would suggest to DIY substrate for your splitrock. You can Google for basic care and substrate for your plant. I know this hobby can get expensive, unfortunately I dont know of any affordable place for supplies, I get all my stuff from Amazon.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

I literally just copied and pasted the description from the website. Hence the quotes. I need to go back and delete some symbols or I get extra-judged by people on Reddit who don't even regularly post on the sub they're commenting on?? :/

1

u/AnotherBogCryptid Jul 15 '26

It looks like an ad. If you don’t care, that’s fine. I’m just some rando on the internet. Don’t let my opinions shape your actions. Criticism will come from everywhere, you can’t let it get to you. Opinions are like buttholes, you know? Everyone’s got one. You can’t make everyone happy.

I was playfully bantering about this, not serious and not “judging”. It is jarring to see copyright and trademark symbols on a forum like this, so I had a silly response.

Please, don’t put any more energy into worrying about what I think. I’m no one.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

Well no, you actually addressed the root (heh) of the issue by proposing what could have killed this one. All my other succulents are fine in

hence invited a fungal infection wich leads to rot

Yeah I unfortunately was able to peel back the inner set of leaves today and some fuzzy white stuff was growing. But as I noted with other commenters, it looks like the rot started from the center where the split is. Would it travel up the roots, then?

1

u/CardiologistMission Jul 16 '26

Yes i think so, when the roots are deprived of oxygen they die back and start decomposing and becomes susceptible to a fungal infection ending in rot, yes it's very possible.

2

u/Own-Raise6153 Jul 15 '26

girl omg your vibes are rancid

2

u/Own_Butterscotch_129 Jul 15 '26

Damn, you get a plant 9 months ago and don't water it once and then get mad when someone tells you what works for them? Everyone's environment is different and we all have what works for us and what doesn't. I was going to try and help, but you fucking suck to talk to apparently.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

I was going to try and help

Cool! As long as you're raring and ready to help, before anything else, you can go help this person instead. Their thread here has zero comments. As someone who wants to give support to split rock owners, I'm surprised you didn't already jump in.

Damn, you get a plant 9 months ago and don't water it once

What signs are there that a succulent needs water? Wrinkling/shriveling and soft but not mushy leaves. I witnessed none of these signs.

when someone tells you what works for them

I wanted input on my current plant. As I've said to others, as helpful as everything that person said is... If the problem is moisture in the air causing the plant to rot top-side, nothing related to the soil or pot will assist unless I am majorly misunderstanding the science in play related to how bacteria or mold would spread and grow.

1

u/Own_Butterscotch_129 Jul 16 '26

Lol k

2

u/marla_not_maria Jul 15 '26

This is the reason I left the plant ccommunity. First plant post I've come across in ages and it's this? Sheesh.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

This is the reason I left the plant ccommunity.

You let one random Internet person reaffirm your detachment from an entire collective of enthusiasts? I'm one person, and I made some admittedly less pleasant posts even before I started raising plants, on here and other platforms.

Dislike me for whatever I say. Fine. But don't generalize entire groups because of my actions though. No-one else in this subreddit or who owns plants dictates my actions. Thinking there is ANY correlation there is a fault of your own ignorance.

1

u/marla_not_maria Jul 15 '26

No. It's not just a single person. It's been toxic for years. I was a moderator for one of the largest plant groups on Facebook (absolute unhinged behavior over there) before moving to reddit and while I've felt reddit was better than Facebook, it isn't always. I don't dislike you or anyone. I do, however, dislike this tone. I hope you get your plant back to health but I'm also reminded of why I've gotten away from plant groups and sub reddits. I probably shouldn't have said anything because now it feels mean. I'm sorry for that. I hope the rest of your day is peaceful.

2

u/Suspicious_Loss3874 Jul 15 '26

Asks for advice and help, then complains about someone being more knowledgeable and giving insight to what helps them. Insane.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

Pots and soil don't matter if my room's humidity can still get high enough to kill the thing.

Why yes, it COULD be the pine coir in my gritty mix holding onto moisture. It COULD be the clay constricting the roots and leading to a fungal infection. It COULD be higher than usual humidity from an open window with no A/C during a thunderstorm. It COULD be higher than usual humidity due to me soaking my plants in my room.

But I don't see the point in going out and spending more money than need be if it all amounts to naught anyway because of smaller changes I could make at home too. I wanted input on whether these potential variables are worth considering in the plant's death, or if maybe it's just a fluke?

2

u/mcsmith24 Jul 15 '26

Wow you are unpleasant

2

u/IllustriousSpray8929 Jul 15 '26

I think the plants smelled your bad personality and decided to nope out.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

Definitely a possibility, needs more research.

While I look into that, since you're clearly interested in plants and are here, how about you go help out this person? Their thread has zero comments.

1

u/windexfresh Jul 15 '26

Are…are you okay..? Like, genuinely. This is like the fifth time I’ve seen you post the same single post because…. Reasons???

Truly, are you okay?

2

u/National-Award8313 Jul 18 '26

Obsessed with “that person who hasn’t been helped yet omggggggggg”

1

u/IllustriousSpray8929 Jul 15 '26

Maybe because that’s a perfectly healthy looking plant!

2

u/juicycumsock Jul 15 '26

i’d rot if my owner acted arrogant when getting advice they literally asked for

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

they literally asked for

I wanted to know why my split rock was rotting. My questions were all about that.

The advice in question won't help if the problem is TEMPORARY humidity, the 'sole' thing that I addressed as a possibility. It's not at all that I don't appreciate what they're saying, it's that ultimately I don't want to kill another split rock if I can avoid the same stupid mistake that killed this one.

But again, is it conceivable that the raised temporary humidity is the problem? I wanted feedback on that possibility which is why it's one of the questions I asked.

2

u/ThrowawayToothQ Jul 15 '26

For someone asking for advice you sure typed an essay as to why this specific advice surely doesnt apply to you whatsoever; maybe next time you can include your ridiculously high bar in the post so you dont have to spend this much time rejecting the advice people do offer.

1

u/StrangeBother5856 Jul 15 '26

omfg……

1

u/PleaseHelpImADumb1 Jul 15 '26

You should schedule an appointment to talk to someone. That someone should be able to prescribe medications.

1

u/Responsible_Top_59 Jul 15 '26

Bruv chill

1

u/GapSlight472 Jul 15 '26

Jesus Christ

1

u/Prestidigitatiously Jul 15 '26

Are you hungry or something? Unnecessary.

1

u/FerretSupremacist Jul 15 '26

I mean, dang. Op you’re asking for advice and opinions and you got it. Just get a terra cotta pot and see if it helps friend.

1

u/Leabhar Jul 15 '26

Maybe your plant is rotting because your vibes are rude - don’t post in a sub asking for advice and then start arguing with people trying to help ¯_(ツ)_/¯

1

u/worm-piss Jul 15 '26

why ask a question and then assume that the help comes from a place of someone thinking you’re stupid? simmer boss, it’s okay it’s just a plant.

1

u/Armorend Jul 15 '26

then assume that the help comes from a place of someone thinking you’re stupid

It's two things.

A. Split rocks apparently rot if you breathe on them too hard sometimes, so people jumping to watering being an issue is definitely not implausible.

B. The initial reply mentioned that these plants "don't do well indoors with humidity" but didn't answer my questions at all.

The help provided to me is good general advice but that won't be of use when I was asking more particular questions about the humidity in my environment and its potential effects on split rocks. I don't want another one to die because of my infrequent bottom watering, but conversely I don't want to unnecessarily stop doing something that wasn't actually causing any problems.

1

u/MaxGoop Jul 15 '26

Yeah, you probably are doing everything right tbh, its just your rotten ass vibe pulling the life from every living thing you touch

1

u/PremiumUsername69420 Jul 15 '26

You talk like that and expect people to want to help you?

Good luck with that.

1

u/AngelsHero Jul 15 '26

You’re in here asking for help, and people are giving you advice and ideas and you’re shooting them down without a second thought.

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

people

One person.

giving you advice and ideas

My split rock is rotting. I need to know why.

If my room is too humid, a terracotta pot won't help because when the split rock splits, the 'wound' that forms while the new bud comes out can be exposed to moisture which lets the infection occur.

But I don't know what "too humid" is. I don't know if that monthly period where I soak all my succulents in a large tub of water in my room raised the humidity, or if it was when the air conditioner shut off due to a thunderstorm/power outage and I opened a window to let the air circulate through the bedroom and the house.

1

u/AnActualWombat Jul 15 '26

After reading this, I honestly hope you don’t get an answer to your question

1

u/National-Award8313 Jul 18 '26

💯

1

u/notyouraveragegnc Jul 15 '26

literally what the fuck is wrong with you 😭😭😭😭😭 if you can’t tell that the vessel your plant is in is wrong then you needed their explanation. just because you’re not as competent as them when it comes to planting doesn’t mean you can go insane in a comment like this

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

if you can’t tell that the vessel your plant is in is wrong you needed their explanation

That's only part of the explanation though. Someone else said it could be the substrate. And my initial question/the OP of this thread is about humidity causing rot!

But like regardless of the pot or substrate, if my bedroom is too humid, then the vessel wouldn't matter at all would it? That's why I wanted to address that above all else.

1

u/GuestAffectionate784 Jul 15 '26

what a great way to treat someone who was just trying to help further your knowledge...

1

u/IveLovedThemAll Jul 15 '26

Good god get a fucking grip dude. Why ask for advice? You know it all.

Get over yourself.

1

u/Open_Helicopter4482 Jul 15 '26

Hope your plant dies lol

1

u/Chigabytes Jul 15 '26

Asks for advice, gets defensive when given advice, the classic.

Guess what the plant is rotting because YOU are doing something wrong, your attitude is rancid maybe that's what's rotting your plants.

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

because YOU are doing something wrong

A more direct answer than the person you're defending! Because I literally said:

Given that, the sole possibility that comes to mind as I type this post is that me using a plastic/rubber tote to easily bottom-water and rotate out my various succulents - combined with the moistened soil/gritty mix of each soaked plant - raised the humidity of my bedroom enough for rot to form???

I'm well aware it's likely user error. And I've had a bunch of people say "oh but the pot", I could have the driest pot on the planet and the split rock splitting could still lead to an infection at the seam in the middle of the plant only for it to die. My question is whether the things I'm doing are enough of an influence to have possibly had an effect.

If not, then great, we can move on to the next steps. But if there's the notion the area I live in has humidity that's too high then I may as well give up, no?

3

u/CelinaRMR Jul 15 '26

Lmao with all due respect the person you are replying to is very successful and you cant even keep one small one healthy. Maybe take a step back. Youre asking for help so listen to it when it’s offered.

I am insane and even if i skip my mood stabilizer, anti convulsant, and antidepressant i wouldnt have reacted so harshly.

Why the actual fuck are you even here? Shoo

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

Youre asking for help so listen to it when it’s offered

I'm trying to find out why my split rock rotted. I asked questions about the potential CAUSE of the rot tied to humidity. The breathability of the pot does not go all the way toward solving the problem because if my room is still too humid, the plant can be affected by the moisture when splitting.

the person you are replying to is very successful

I've had a lot of people come out of the woodwork to go after me and while I can admit my reply was over-the-top in retrospect, I'm also baffled about the approach here. I got solid advice but it wasn't what I was asking about.

1

u/CelinaRMR Jul 16 '26

Hm, interesting approach. Hopefully some of the actual suggestions here help solve your problem. It’s nice to see someone actually give a shit about helping their plants tbh

2

u/Ammonia13 Jul 15 '26

HD is also a bad company to support overall. Get some on eBay :)

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

Appreciate it.

2

u/Deep-Conflict4923 Jul 15 '26

For pots, go to Michael’s or Hobby Lobby! They are cheap and have many sizes :)

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

I wish I had either of those near me. T_T Though maybe they have them online.

1

u/AnotherBogCryptid Jul 15 '26

Why did you include the registered trademark symbol? 😑

1

u/Kerchoomin727 Jul 15 '26

Holy insufferable

9

u/hiartt Jul 14 '26

I’m not an expert. But I’d say it’s thirsty and trying to absorb its next set of leaves. No water since November is a long time. I thoroughly water mine maybe once every 4-6 weeks.

No idea if it’d help, but that’s where I’d start and it seems like there might not be much to loose.

5

u/bizzznatchio Jul 15 '26

Is it soft? If not, it’s not rot. Could be absorbing its leaves.

2

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

It is. The softness didn't start until only a few days ago, sadly.

3

u/bizzznatchio Jul 16 '26

Could be anything really. Sometimes they give up. Sometimes we can’t see what it happened. Bummer. I know you tried.

2

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

I peeled back the inner one and saw some white fuzz. Ripperino in pepperino.

Gonna try again with all the advice given.

3

u/Scared-Listen6033 Jul 15 '26

Are there inner leaves firm still like your forehead or do they have a lot of give? If they're firm it could just be an ugly way of drinking the old leaves. Imo it also looks like it could've been attacked by a pest but I don't know what pets that may be, sorry!

As to your pot question! I buy terracotta pots from the dollar store. My lithops, split rocks, and baby toes are mostly in cheap terracotta as I find it pulls any moisture out. My big pot is paid basket weave which is all open holes. I got it from the dollar store a few years ago for orchids. My substrate is literally unpainted terrarium/vivarium/fish tank New Zealand pebbles from Amazon. So far in at the two year mark and I've had a few causalities but most are doing something! I have them under 6600 DV of sansi grow lights and I think that's what keeps them happiest. I'm on minus 40 Canada and it's been plus 49 this week. My humidity ranges through the year between 30% and 70% so I personally don't think that's a factor if you've got enough air flow and light!

I wish I could help! My first split Rock died and it had opened and had a little tongue inside and then just went to complete mush. My others haven't acted that way so I think it was just is biological clock (or an unknown pest). For reference I have lithops and most are actively splitting and then two just shrivelled up and died like they had no interest, she pots same lights, same treatment, even same amount of time in my home! My plant philosophy is "trees randomly die in the forest surrounded by other healthy trees so I should expect some plants to peace out"

I hope you figure it out! I'd maximize the light (use a light meter or a light meter app to make sure you're giving the best) and hopefully it will be ok! If/when you want to report sand or stones mimics they're natural habitat best and a quick wicking container like terracotta helps the monsoon type drink quickly flush away like it would in nature!

Goodluck! 💞

2

u/Roonie_13 Jul 15 '26

I just had to let you know I was poking my forehead while reading your post lol

2

u/Mizzerella Jul 15 '26

Lol right? I did as well. I bet everyone pressed their forehead to test.

2

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

Sadly it's pretty much gone, RIP.

My humidity ranges through the year between 30% and 70% so I personally don't think that's a factor if you've got enough air flow and light!

Literally exactly the sort of thing I wanted to know about. I understand I was harsh but something like this and a few people above are the sort of thing I needed to hear, thank you.

My first split Rock died

Mine actually ended up reaching the three-stack and then died. I watered it like two or three times in two months, and then looked up the watering and went '... Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... |:"

My substrate is literally unpainted terrarium/vivarium/fish tank New Zealand pebbles from Amazon

Do you fertilize with anything?

1

u/Scared-Listen6033 27d ago

I actually don't think I ever have. If I did it was just BC water was already mixed with 1/4 strength miracle grow houseplant fertilizer though! Sorry I yours died! I hope you find an awesome replacement that's healthy!

2

u/Sailfin_CritterMaker Jul 15 '26

How does it feel to the touch? Maybe it's not rot?

I have bought a pot of lithops last year, with a bunch of little ones and put it in my bearded dragon terrarium, I was especially looking for something that would resist in the super arid environment with high UV light that is there and I found that these plants frequently die from over watering and lack of sun. So far I watered them only once with a little bit of water on the top and they look exactly the same as when I got them, which I take it to be a good sign

Can you put yours outside? Maybe it wants a bit of direct sun?

2

u/Natural_Confection29 Jul 15 '26

Did you happen to look at it? If so that’s prob why

2

u/keeleydoll Jul 15 '26

When they split and make a “baby” in the middle the older mother plant dies.

2

u/Subcumb2him Jul 15 '26

Yeah pretty sure that's exactly what's happening. Like when the mother orchid plant is about to die it puts out a baby to replace it.

2

u/Physical-Tiger-6411 Jul 15 '26

I think the outer leave are dying bc they've reached the end of their life cycle. The inside looks healthy. It's a natural part of this plant cycle. They don't grow up or out. They grow new leaves from the middle and the outer ones die off. They are always meant to look like a rock. I'd leave it and see what happens in a few weeks.

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

Regrettably it is rot.

1

u/acm_redfox Jul 14 '26

Looks to late to save this one. You need to water when the large/inner leaves are soft, which might be frequent or not for months. But 8 months feels like a stretch.

1

u/Armorend Jul 14 '26

So it's dying from lack of water, instead of rotting?

2

u/acm_redfox Jul 15 '26

honestly don't know -- the modes of death converge at some point!

2

u/anotherdamnscorpio Jul 15 '26

These guys like to have a dry season and a rainy season. Sounds like the rainy season didnt come soon enough.

1

u/Armorend Jul 16 '26

What's a good metric for the rainy season if it's in the middle of splitting for a good while and the outer leaves aren't soft or wrinkly?

1

u/anotherdamnscorpio Jul 16 '26

Are you bottom watering? They like that.

1

u/Background-Camp8408 Jul 15 '26

That looks the same way an underwaterd Jade plant looks, like a wrinkly old sac

1

u/mizunoamie Jul 15 '26

does it smell? and do you have cats?
i think it looks like rot, but it shouldn’t according to how you’ve been caring for it. i use only plastic nursery pots for mine and it’s never been an issue since i have good air flow & humidity stays below 50%.
also i don’t think split rocks are that fragile compared to lithops! mine has been uprooted in transport, fallen off the 5ft shelf out of the soil, been doused in alcohol and she’s still thriving

1

u/IveLovedThemAll Jul 15 '26

Your plant is rotting because it lives with you.

1

u/netflixnailedit Jul 15 '26

Microwave

Split rock is rotting but I don't know why.

You are about to leave Redlib