Found a trick for saving overwatered succulents last week

I pulled three rotting echeveria out of their pots on Tuesday, cut off the mushy roots, and let them sit bare on a paper towel for 48 hours. Replanted them in dry soil and two are already firming back up. Has anyone else managed to save succulents this way?

3 comments

3 Comments

hunt.quinn19d ago

Yeah the "let them sit bare" part is key. I did the same thing with a jade plant that got way too much rain last summer. Cut off all the soft stems and left it on a shelf for three days. It looked dead but I just waited. When I stuck it back in dry dirt it took maybe two weeks before I saw new growth. The waiting is the hardest part because you want to fix it right away but the roots need to callus over. So yeah your trick works, just gotta be patient with it.

king.wyatt19d ago

Ha, yeah @hunt.quinn nailed it. I did the same thing with a pothos that got root rot last year. Left the cuttings on a paper towel for a full week before potting them up. Felt like forever but they bounced back way better than when I tried to plant them wet right away. That callus step is non-negotiable if you ask me.

caleb26219d ago

Man, you guys are making me rethink everything I thought I knew about plant propagation. Used to be the type that would stick a cutting in water or dirt the second I snipped it off, thinking it was gonna root faster that way. But I had a whole batch of coleus cuttings rot out on me last month, and after reading this I realize that's exactly what I did wrong. Letting them sit out to callus over goes against every instinct I have as a plant person, but the proof is right there in your stories. Gonna have to try that paper towel trick the next time I take cuttings for sure.