This is another study on how I treat my succulents when it gets damaged. (Here is another study on a rotted succulent). I hope this helps you be able to do the same.
The stem of my Echeveria ‘Esther’ Cristata (crested Echeveria ‘Esther’) got badly sunburned. How can you tell that this is sunburn? First, my yard receives really strong sun in the summer, so sunburn is common. Second, other succulents around it got sunburned as well. This one was the most severe. Lastly, if you look at the leaves near the sunburn on the stem, you can see they have crispy, discolored edges, which are signs of sunburn.
To see if the sunburn affected the stem’s viability, I watered the plant as usual. I checked on the plant after a few days, and the leaves remained thin. They never plumped up. This was a sign that the water never reached the top of the plant because the stem is so damaged.
What would happen if I left the plant as it is? I’m not sure, but these are some of my thoughts:
- The succulent might grow aerial roots and try to get water and nutrients that way.
- The stem might become weaker. It can give in to the weight of the head and bend over.
- Since the stem is no longer healthy, I don’t know how well it will hold up against infection. The plant could be more susceptible to pests, bacteria, and fungus.
Since the stem was no longer viable, I decided to chop the head off and propagate it. Chopping also gives me the ability to make my succulent look how I want. Even though chopping does shock the succulent like repotting and replanting, I think it is worth the risk.
Here’s a look at the echeveria out of its pot. The sunburn reaches all the way down to the bottom. The roots in the soil looked otherwise healthy.
I want to cut above the sunburned portion. To do this chopping, I got some clean gardening scissors.
I chopped the plant. This is the head.
I covered the open wound of the head in cinnamon. Cinnamon acts like a bandage. It helps keep bacteria and fungus out.
This is the bottom, sunburned stem. If this was healthy, I could keep it and hope for some offsets. However, I doubt that will happen, so I threw the bottom out.
I placed the chopped head in a pot of dry soil. It might look pitiful for a while because it’s thirsty, and it has no roots to get water. I do not plan on watering it until it grows roots, which can take a few weeks. (I want to say at least 3 weeks as succulents are typically slow growers).
Have you had a damaged stem before? Have you chopped and propped the head of your succulent before? Do you have any questions about the process? Let me know below!
