John & Jack

Observed: a soft, non-slimy but unresolving darker patch near the top of the body, found after the 2026-08-17 watering. Sprang back on gentle press, no clear rot smell detected.

Done: uprooted for inspection. Body broke apart wet and mushy on handling – active rot confirmed.

Cause: leftover peaty nursery mix not fully cleaned from the roots during the 2026-07-15 bare-root repot, compounded by the 2026-07-30 heat stress episode.

Done: removed from the pot to protect the other three bodies. Roots separated from the cluster by hand, no cutting. The remaining three bodies' roots examined and found firm and healthy, no rot spread.

Status: no change to the cluster's active status. Three bodies remain active, now bare-root pending repot into a redesigned mineral mix.

John - the small green body on his own root system, separate from the other four - pulled and examined. Body fully collapsed, papery, no green or firm tissue anywhere. No rot smell.

Roots examined: thin, uniformly brown and dry along their full length, no pale or firm living tips. No viable root tissue found.

Cause: desiccation. Johns independent root system likely failed to reestablish after the 2026-07-15 bare-root repot, compounded by the 2026-07-30 heat stress episode. The targeted ~3-5 ml watering on 2026-08-06 showed no recovery response before he was pulled.

Water therapy attempted as a near-zero-odds last resort - roots suspended in Lignohumat (chosen over willow water for its stronger effect), body propped clear of the waterline. No expectation of recovery given the condition of the roots on pulling, but low cost to try in isolation.

Separated from the pot - no rot risk to the other four bodies, which remain on their own shared root system and are recovering normally. No change to the clusters careStage or status.

Small green body more collapsed than on 08-05 and felt softer than the other four. Checked the base at the grit line - firm and dry, no translucent or amber patches, no give - so desiccation rather than rot.

Gave ~3-5 ml distilled water at the grit surface beside that body rather than a soak, to avoid handing a full drink to the four that did not need one. No willow water, no fertilizer. Terracotta darkened on the outside of the pot on that side, confirming the water traveled down through the grit.

Watch next: turgor response in that body over 3-5 days; any new translucent or amber patches, pull it if they appear; new leaf tips in any of the five fissures. Watering stays on the side-body deflation cue, not the 30 day interval.