Glen

Watered on 2026-09-16.

Done: watered.

Observed: Dry throughout before watering. Bottom leaves limp again, a recurrence of the basal limpness pattern first noted 2026-08-17.

Done: Watered 2026-08-27.

Observed: Bone dry throughout to the bottom. Bottom beads and stem sections continuing to dry and shrivel, confined to the basal/interior area – consistent with the interior senescence pattern identified 2026-08-17, not yet crossing the decision line (tip beads and trailing strands unaffected).

Full soak, drained fully.

Change: wateringIntervalDays 14 to 9. careStage set to recovering.

Reasoning:

• 14 days sat at the slowest end of the published 7 to 14 day range for the species.
• 6cm terracotta in a south-facing window in August dries in days, not two weeks.
• Bone dry throughout at day 13 on 08-14 means the pot ran dry well before the watering landed.
• The interior beads and stem sections lost on 08-17 are the oldest growth, which is what gets sacrificed first when the pot runs dry early. Photos the same day confirmed the roots are taking up water, so this is interior senescence rather than a root establishment failure.

Revisit: After three logged gaps at the new interval, per the interval audit convention.

Observed: Bottom beads shriveling and dying, some stems dry as well. Onset within 3 days of the 08-14 full soak.

Confirmed 2026-08-17: Stems are dry, not mushy. Rot ruled out.

Photo assessment 2026-08-17: Loss is confined to the interior of the clump. Dead beads are papery, flattened, and dark on the gravel surface, with several brown dry stem sections beside them. Everything peripheral is plump and firm, including the full length of the long trailing strand and its tip beads. No stippling, no webbing, no soft or translucent tissue anywhere. A few interior beads are mid-decline – longitudinally creased but still green.

Revised assessment: Turgid distal growth three days after a soak means the roots are taking up water, so the earlier read that the root system had not reestablished is wrong. What is happening is interior senescence – the oldest beads and stem sections nearest the base being drawn down and shed, which is normal in a dense clump and expected after the 07-25 bare-root. On the decision line set earlier this is reallocation, not decline.

Contributing: wateringIntervalDays was set to 14, the slowest end of the published 7–14 day range for the species, on a 6cm terracotta in a south-facing window in August. Bone dry throughout at day 13 on 08-14 means the pot ran dry well before that, and the oldest interior growth is what gets sacrificed first when it does. Watering method is already bottom soak with full drain, so method is not a factor.

Decision line: Basal and interior beads only is reallocation and acceptable. Shriveling reaching the tip beads, or whole strands drying from the top down, is decline – escalate to cuttings at that point. Nothing on 08-17 is over that line.

Next:

• Clear the dead papery beads and dry stem sections off the gravel surface. They hold moisture against live stems and attract fungus gnats.
• Gloves when handling – rated toxic and the sap irritates skin.
• Root ball check downgraded to optional. Turgor in the distal growth already answers the question the check was meant to answer.
• Emergency cuttings not needed. Take them only if the decision line is crossed.
• Confirm exposure is bright indirect, not scorching direct sun.
• No fertilizer while recovering.

Applied 2026-08-17: wateringIntervalDays shortened 14 to 9, careStage set to recovering. See the separate observation entry.

Bone dry throughout. Watered 1 day ahead of the 14 day interval (last watered August 1) because of a weekend absence. Full soak, drained fully.

First watering post-repot. Looking good.

After 1 day of root drying, potted into cactus mix + perlite in 6cm terracotta. Not watered post-repot – letting settle dry.

Came in almost drenched peaty soil. Bare-rooted immediately – peat washed out. Roots left to dry for 1 day before potting.