Echeveria -

[Low Altitude]

Hi All.

We have an echeveria that has been growing remarkably robustly. The last couple of weeks or so though, there's been browning and dying back of several leaves – please see photos.

Any idea what it's likely to be? Overwatering? Under watering? Sunburn? It lives on a sunny south-facing windowsill (indoors) and I've been watering it every 5-6 days, because that's how long it takes to dry out the soil, per my probe-style moisture meter.

Thanks!

 

[cpp gardener]

From what I can see it does look like sunburn — it’s on the tops of the leaves and on one side of the plant. However, watering an echeveria every 5-6 days as a houseplant seems excessive. Do you ever stick your finger in the soil or only rely on the moisture meter? They can be wildly inaccurate.

 

[Low Altitude]

CCP, thank you so much. Esp your educated, knowledgeable perspective on sunburn.

Answer to your questions: Finger, no. Moisture meter, yes. Observation, yes. I know when the thing is wet or dry. I’m not a complete newbie.

The question is, does Echeveria like to dry out between waterings, and if so, how much? Or does it like to be kept moist?

I am beginning to think the former. But also, that it doesn’t like intense sunlight and heat. Which would be counter-intuitive, given its endogenous propagation zones….

Let me know what you think. Thank you for getting involved…

 

[cpp gardener]

You’re welcome.
Yes, they do like to dry out, but not to the point of dust. Maybe “on the dry-ish side”. Mostly it’s not soggy. They can be moist most of the time as long as they get a periodic dry out.

I found out from another source that where some of them are native is mostly dry but not real hot. Some of them get fog that cuts the sun but not much rain.

 

[Low Altitude]

That's helpful – thanks so much.