Questions about pleiospilos nelii

[mfedukovich]

My husband got me a pleiospilos nelii and a couple other succulent plants from lowes or southern states. I think they overwatered it there. When I got it there was two plants in one pot but one was pretty much mush so I removed it. The healthier one had a small slit on one of the outer leaves that has gotten bigger, and now there is a tan colored soft spot where the outer leaves meet.

I repotted all the plants into 4 in clay pots when I got them because they were in small flimsy plastic containers. We had some potting soil that I mixed half & half w/ sand that I used for these plants. We realized after getting the soil home that it had nothing to retain moisture mixed in w/ it (those white pieces usually in bagged soil) and it has small bark pieces or something like that in it. I thought this w/ the sand would be good drainage for the succulents.

I've looked up information on these but I find a lot of contradicting info: water thoroughly when very dry vs. Water lightly frequently, direct sun vs. No direct sun, and how many heads a healthy plant should have.

So what should I do about these spots and what is the best way to care for pleiospilos nelii?

I've attached pictures. And as this is my first time posting pictures to this site and that I'm on my pocket pc I'm hoping they turn out ok.
https://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pleiospilosnelii.jpg][img]https://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5230/pleiospilosnelii.th.jpg[/img][/URL]

https://img54.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pleiospilosnelii2.jpg][img]https://img54.imageshack.us/img54/9357/pleiospilosnelii2.th.jpg[/img][/URL]

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Barkleythadog]

When it comes to succulents this one exhibits true succulence, as it can go 1 full year without water! And yes lowes etc. overwater the Hell out of them! Poor things . And they need indirect sunlight. They are neat plants

[rainbowgardener]

The white pieces in potting soil are either perlite or vermiculite. They are not there to hold moisture, they are there to promote drainage. The peat moss in the potting soil holds moisture. Bark pieces are good for what you want, because they are not very moisture holding. Adding the sand was a good thing.

I've never grown these, but lots of people have written in here about them, talking about how easily they die if watered. Yours look pretty healthy so far. I would just leave it alone and not water. In the blooming season which is late summer through fall, you can water when it is very dry, no more than once a week. The rest of the year NONE.

Re the sun exposure. I was looking and like you found different suggestions. What it seemed like was people in England (where I take it, it is not very sunny) said full sun and people in places like Phoenix, AZ said no direct sun. So, it seems like it probably doesn't tolerate hot direct sun. Maybe it should be in a bright indirect sun area, or for you maybe a morning sun only location. They have no frost tolerance and must be brought in for the winter.

[baileysup]

Very easy to overwater! Those that grow this plant successfully, agree that if the plant has more than one set of leaves (as yours does), do not water it. It will get all the moisture it needs from the bottom leaves. When the bottom leaves dry out and die, then water (At least, this is how it is for Lithops). Also the growing cycle is opposite to most plants, as it goes dormant in the summer. I find that slightly confusing. Once you learn how to water, they are pretty easy, but it may take some practice. Research as much as you can, and good luck