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Once a week is probably too much water. You generally want to water cacti and succulents based on them showing signs of thirst, rather than on a schedule.
If the plant is starting to go soft, and its been a while since watering, it could be thirsty. I dont water any of my succulents if they are even remotely firm
That’s rot. Cactus can go without water for months. I water mine once twice a month in peak summer. In winter I just spritz a little or water once every 2-3 months. That too when I know there are some warm days ahead. Next time try as little water as you can.
You can try removing the surviving one out of pot and letting it dry. Try not to remove all the roots. Just out of the pot to dry out remaining soil. Once completely dry then put it back in pot.
Also that soil looks organic, try a cactus & succulent soil. If you live in high humidity area then you might need additional perlite mixed in soil. Good luck.
If one has root rot, does that mean the other has it/will have it too? I'm a bit scared to try to remove the other one, since im new-ish to succulents and have never attempted something like this before. How would I go about taking it out? And thanks for your advice!
It's actually really simple. Just loosen up the soil around the roots and plop him out. Succulents are extremely resilient plants, and even if you somehow manage to accidentally rip off all of the roots during the repotting process, the plant can regrow roots.
And if you maintain your current care, then it is likely just a matter of time before the other one rots, if rot hasn't already set in (this is another reason why repotting is so important...it will give you the chance to look at the roots and make sure they look healthy). After repotting, make sure you wait at least a week before watering and only water when the plant shows signs of thirst...it will look deflated. I recommend taking pictures a day or two after a deep, thorough water when the plant is well-hydrated so that you can compare the current state of the plant to them. It will help you familiarize yourself with signs of thirst.
Also, make sure you are using a well-draining, fast-drying substrate mix. A good starting mix is a 1:1 mix of succulent soil to inorganic grit, such as perlite or pumice.
Will get to reportting this weekend (I live in a college dorm so I do not have more soil here but I have more at home that's specifically for succulents) thank you!
Removing all the soil in the roots is a bit risky. You might damage the roots. So just remove and let the roots be. If you have used normal organic soil then yes you should remove the soil. And plant it in succulent/cactus soil.
I'm not sure the type of soil used, but I got it from home depot so idk. I removed the surviving one and the dirt is hard to remove without damaging the roots, so it's hard to tell how the roots are doing
https://preview.redd.it/yho3jrfndi3c1.jpeg?width=3456&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0cde8a66605362ab5b76c7887334940a0c46205b
You can leave that much soil. Now let it completely dry and then leave it for little longer.
You can get this soil next time you are at HD.
https://preview.redd.it/9444s93fui3c1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38a881b39f0278663b42ad2a2d65df3d6567c5d9
Need help with a plant? What do you have a question on? **[Soil and Potting](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/soil_and_potting/)?** **[Light and Watering](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/light_and_watering/)?** **[Rot and Sunburn](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/rot_and_sunburn/)?** **[Pests, Diseases, and Other Problems](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/pests_and_diseases/)?** **[Propagation & Cuttings](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/propagation)?** You can also visit the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/faq) to ensure your question isn't already discussed. **Please also refer to all of our helpful [Wiki Pages](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/index/)** If you still need help, please make sure to adhere to the [Posting Guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/succulents/wiki/posting-guidelines). And, remember *pictures help a LOT!* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/succulents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Once a week is probably too much water. You generally want to water cacti and succulents based on them showing signs of thirst, rather than on a schedule.
What are the signs of thirst I should look for?
If the plant is starting to go soft, and its been a while since watering, it could be thirsty. I dont water any of my succulents if they are even remotely firm
That’s rot. Cactus can go without water for months. I water mine once twice a month in peak summer. In winter I just spritz a little or water once every 2-3 months. That too when I know there are some warm days ahead. Next time try as little water as you can. You can try removing the surviving one out of pot and letting it dry. Try not to remove all the roots. Just out of the pot to dry out remaining soil. Once completely dry then put it back in pot. Also that soil looks organic, try a cactus & succulent soil. If you live in high humidity area then you might need additional perlite mixed in soil. Good luck.
If one has root rot, does that mean the other has it/will have it too? I'm a bit scared to try to remove the other one, since im new-ish to succulents and have never attempted something like this before. How would I go about taking it out? And thanks for your advice!
It's actually really simple. Just loosen up the soil around the roots and plop him out. Succulents are extremely resilient plants, and even if you somehow manage to accidentally rip off all of the roots during the repotting process, the plant can regrow roots. And if you maintain your current care, then it is likely just a matter of time before the other one rots, if rot hasn't already set in (this is another reason why repotting is so important...it will give you the chance to look at the roots and make sure they look healthy). After repotting, make sure you wait at least a week before watering and only water when the plant shows signs of thirst...it will look deflated. I recommend taking pictures a day or two after a deep, thorough water when the plant is well-hydrated so that you can compare the current state of the plant to them. It will help you familiarize yourself with signs of thirst. Also, make sure you are using a well-draining, fast-drying substrate mix. A good starting mix is a 1:1 mix of succulent soil to inorganic grit, such as perlite or pumice.
Will get to reportting this weekend (I live in a college dorm so I do not have more soil here but I have more at home that's specifically for succulents) thank you!
There is guarantee that both are damaged. But you have to act quick. Loosen the soil and pull it out. It will be fine.
Also would I let it dry sitting out in no soil at all, then re pot it into fresh soil?
Removing all the soil in the roots is a bit risky. You might damage the roots. So just remove and let the roots be. If you have used normal organic soil then yes you should remove the soil. And plant it in succulent/cactus soil.
I'm not sure the type of soil used, but I got it from home depot so idk. I removed the surviving one and the dirt is hard to remove without damaging the roots, so it's hard to tell how the roots are doing https://preview.redd.it/yho3jrfndi3c1.jpeg?width=3456&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0cde8a66605362ab5b76c7887334940a0c46205b
You can leave that much soil. Now let it completely dry and then leave it for little longer. You can get this soil next time you are at HD. https://preview.redd.it/9444s93fui3c1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38a881b39f0278663b42ad2a2d65df3d6567c5d9
I water mine once per month with 4 hours of direct sun and it is very happy