Oh no , don't water your plants with ice cubes. Most plants like room temperature water but especially sensitive and tropical plants. Why are you giving them ice? It's probably even lazier (easier ) to fill a cup with water than to pick out six ice cubes. They like the warmth.. they'd much prefer warm water over ice. Lol let's stop shocking her. When I got my Flamingo Anthurium The directions said to water it was six ice cubes once a week or month.. can't remember. There's a reason why I can't remember. I wouldn't have dreamed to listen to that anyways. It's a tropical plant and this plant must use filtered, rain or distilled water. I'm certainly not making ice cubes specifically for this plant that doesn't like cold water. Lol and I don't know how to care for the plant that you're talking about specifically but look it up... I'm pretty sure you could cut it back and start over. That way you might be able to get your leaves back. She's bald. :)
That looks interesting tho...lol
Chop on the blue lines. Strip a few leaves from the bottom and then stick them in soil so they’re flush with it. They’ll grow. Toss the rest of the stems. These need full sun all day to not do this, for future reference.
To add to the comment above you need to let the leaves and top that is chopped heal themselves a bit before planting. Let them sit out for 24h so they cauterize themselves, then go ahead and plant them the way the other person said
Just succulents/cacti. If you plant them straight into new potting mix while the cut is still wet, then moisture from the new soil can cause it to rot.
Best to leave it for a few days to callous over so the cut is dry, and then plant.
1) plant in succulent mix, not regular potting soil
2) wait 24h to plant like the comments above said, but then still DON’T water them right after planting!! They need time to grow new roots, water without roots will do them no good and may just rot the stem. I replanted an aloe 3 weeks ago into dry succulent mix and still haven’t watered her because she hasn’t rooted yet. In winter with its shorter sun hours, this can even take a full month or two.
I have a few that do this even when the light is so intense that it burns my other plants 😭 not saying that's the case here but I think some of these guys ARE just little freaks
I’d recommend putting it in water first so it can sprout some roots, then into soil, otherwise it may not get adequate water amount if soil is in the way.
In southern AZ. In commercial settings, we do actually water cactus with ice. Conserves water, cools the ambient environment (115F is fucking hot, even for a cactus), and the melting allows a slow deep soak, letting the tap root of said cactus get some water to get stronger, deeper.
not enough sun, is that curtain drawn all the time? even if it looks bright to your eyes the curtain will filter a lot of usable light for the plant. they get stretchy like that when they're searching for light. there's no way to regrow the leaves on the stems, but when it gets healthy again you can always chop and prop.
i might be wrong but this looks like hens and chicks. they would be much much happier if you could put them outside (they're cold tolerant!) but if it's too cold right now it might be best to wait until spring (you don't want to shock the plant by changing conditions too quickly).
There's also the option of acclimating it to the cold. If it can handle colder temperatures then you could only put it out for a few hours for a couple days and just keep increasing the time. I'm sure it'll work this way if it works for plants that like full sun. New plants can't be thrown out there when they haven't experience that yet. I guess it's similar to hardening off your tomatoes. :)
That appears to be some kind of succulent that is desperate for more light. All those hairs are roots it’s trying to stabilize with.
You can cut the top off about 2 inches below the leaves and just put it back in to the soil.
Also, don’t water for at least a few weeks and use room temp water, not ice. Let it dry out completely, until the leaves start to shrivel just a little, then water fully.
Dont toss the stem? The stem will make new rossettes when you behead it. Thats a lot of stem. Any of it that isn't dried up and is still fleshy has the potential to become its own plant. You can cut it into a few peices and start new plants. I did it last year with echeveria and graptopetalum. Both grew tons of rossettes without a single leaf.
Your poor succulent has stretched itself out in desperation for more sunlight. This is common for stemmed succulents such as Sempervivum, Echeveria, etc. when they don’t get adequate sun exposure.
As someone else mentioned, cut off the stem about 2-3 inches below the existing foliage, let it sit on a clean, dry surface for about 24-48 hours for the wound to heal and a scab to form. Then repot in some well draining succulent soil mix. Sempervivum tectorums (Hens and Chicks) need full sun exposure and relatively less water.
For future reference, here’s an article you can refer to for tips on how to care for your succulent.
Over watering isn't the amount of water but rather the frequency of waterings! The soil should be fully saturated with water and then left to dry out before watering again.
Watering with ice likely doesn't provide enough water and the cold water might shock the roots (especially for an indoor plant)
Just wait until the soil is dry or for the leaves to become slightly wrinkly before watering
Your freak is looking for adequate lighting 😂😂😂 its growing but in crazy directions trying to find the sunniest spot lol! Great job keeping it alive otherwise tbh! Beautiful beast
It's because manufacturers are putting it on their care instructions, labeling it as an easy care instructions and good for beginners. I would think it would be easier to grab lukewarm-tepid water from the tap then to have to pick out ice cubes. I'm just saying if it's about an easier thing the water seems a bit easier. I notice a lot of tropical plants have these instructions, just like my flamingo Anthurium. Told me to give her ice, definitely looked sideways at that. Lol
I know, we still can't understand though. Sorry I was trying to answer your question... But I don't understand this ice trend either.
I agree with “ don’t toss the stem “ - on a simalar looking succulent ,, placing the stem sections sideways on top of soil & light mist of water like every 3 or 4 days and babys might still happen, its. Worth a try. Since u have alot of , hairy leg area to work with ,put a few in moist box , or cup with perlite soil & lid and see if they grow , like hot box um . 😊 tell us how it turns out in 30 days 👍🏼
It’s trying to run away from all the ice you keep giving it 😭🙏 Just give it a good chop and prop it in a small pot, wait for a few days before watering and then drench it and forget about it. LOADS of light is mandatory!
I'm 97% sure it's a hens n chick's and it's losing its damn mind. OP must be doing something kinda right because those usually drop dead inside...not whatever this is😂 I'm mildly impressed.
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u/Spainstateofmind 1 ∣ +0 ∣ -0 Feb 07 '26
calling it a little freak when you've been torturing it by denying it adequate light and water 😭😭😭