Overwatering Looking Like Underwatering?

[Rich45s]

Hello There,

I’m a very novice grower of mainly Crassula species along with a few other succulent and cactus varieties.

Currently my favourite plant is the Crassula Tetragona, however my big specimen plant and it’s assiciated cuttings are now starting to look a bit sorry for themselves if not totally dead.

I suspect it’s me overwatering & possibly taking too many cuttings, however the ‘trunks’ of the tetragona, look dry and shrivelled up which to me, the novice looks like I’ve underwatered it but I reckon if anything I’ve overwatered it.

My question really is, does overwatering end up making plants shrivel up and look dead which when you think of shrivelled up other types of plant would suggest they’ve been underwatered.

Thanks

[Terry S.]

If you under-water a plant, there is little water for the roots to take up and the plant becomes dehydrated. If you over-water a plant, the roots are killed so that they can no longer take up water and the plant becomes dehydrated. So the symptoms of the two problems are similar. Most house plants of all sorts are killed by overwatering. You will need to knock the plant out of its pot and inspect the root system to see what state it is in.

[ralphrmartin]

Take some more cuttings, and make sure they have a green core (if not, cut nearer the ends of the branches). Crassulas can die off at the roots, but leaving the ends of the stems alive - indeed, if they start throwing aerial roots, it's a good indication this has happened. The good news is that this species (as many Crassulas) is easy to grow from cuttings, if they are not too shrivelled up.

[Rich45s]

Thanks guys,

Terry, that makes perfectly logical sense explained like that. Didn’t fancy taking out the pot as other cuttings in pot are doing ok, but will now bite the bullet!

Ralph,

Thank you. Will see what’s what once I’ve taken out of pot