How to revive potted succulent?

[nonsibicunctis]

Hi, this plant which I think, (as a complete nincompoot novice) is a 'succulent' or some such, has been sitting around my place for around 10 years with no attention.  It now looks awfully sad.

Can anyone tell me from looking at the photographs:

* Can I rejuvenate it

* Should I repot it and, if so, how to go about it

* Should I prune or remove any parts of it

* Is it one plant or two, (It seems very different on one side from the other

* Is it an indoor plant or could I plant it in the garden and, if so, shade, part sun, whole sun, etc.

I very much care about not letting any life die or suffer unless it has simple reached the end of its life cycle.  So, if I can revive the plant - although it doesn't particularly appeal to me and the rest of my garden bar one plant is all native - which I prefer, I'd still like to save this plant if I can.

I do not have green fingers and tend to plant trees rather than flowers or even shrubs.  I've had some success with that.  I've also had fair success with small indoor plants in pots.  However, it is all down to good fortune for I have no knowledge or skill in growing things.

If this is an appropriate place to seek help, I'd be grateful for any I receive.  If not, I apologise for the post and ask to be excused for my ignorance.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @nonsibicunctis,

This is absolutely the right place to ask for advice, and it's great that you're keen to save the plant! From the photos, it looks like you have a mix of Sedum and Agave asperrima. Both are resilient plants that can recover well with a little care.

The Sedum can be easily propagated—just take cuttings from any healthy part, and it will regrow. As for the Agave, it's a tough plant that naturally produces pups, so it will keep going strong.

Given how long they’ve been in the bowl, it's likely there’s little to no soil left, just roots. You can certainly split them up and repot them with fresh succulent and cactus mix. As soon as they have some fresh soil, they'll start bouncing back. There's plenty of life left in them yet! 

There's nothing difficult about repotting them, just dig a hole in the fresh mix, pop them in and backfill around them. Any of the dead leaves on the Agave can be trimmed off. They will survive in full sun to partial shade. You might like to take some cuttings from the Sedum, which you can grow on a sunny window sill.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[nonsibicunctis]

Many thanks, Mitchell, that's good news.  Could you just answer me one other question, please? = Which is which?

Thanks,

 non

[EricL]

Hello @nonsibicunctis 

The green one with sharp spikes is the Agave asperrima and the one with the fat clumpy leaves are the Sedum. When the tips of the Sedum leaves start turning red, its an indicator of stress. It's getting too much sun or could be water stress and its not getting enough. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[nonsibicunctis]

Thanks Eric, that really helps.  Yet another question, if I'm not expecting too much - in which case, I apologise, but would these two specimens have been put together in a pot by design or more likely happened by accident?  If by design, what is the benefit of them being located together?  I ask so that I can decide whether to plant them separately when re-potting or putting into the garden or keeping them as one, so to speak?  Thanks for all the help, too.

[MitchellMc · Accepted solution]

Hi @nonsibicunctis,

It's likely they were potted together because they both enjoy similar conditions—plenty of sun and minimal watering. That said, there’s probably no specific design intention behind the pairing, even though it does make for a nice arrangement. You can certainly keep them together if you like the look, or separate them when re-potting if you want to give each a bit more space to grow. Either option should work just fine.

Mitchell

[nonsibicunctis]

Thank you again and Eric too.

I consider all of the responses to my question to be equally helpful and most helpful to me.  However, I realises, after trying to label them all as such, that this designation here is meant to mean something akin to 'that giving the most/greatest help', rather than the colloquial or conversational answer such as 'thank you, that's most helpful."  In other words the former use could be equated with 'greatest' and the latter with 'very helpful'.

I don't like this because although it could be accurate in terms of total content or accuracy of advice or information, it does not necessarily several answers which are equally useful or informative, nor does it take account of the generosity of spirit and willingness to help of those who take the trouble to offer the benefit of their knowledge or experience.

I'm not sure exactly how this failing could be remedied but I would welcome a change that allowed full acknowledgment of *all* useful and sensible contributions rather than, as presently, highlighting just one.  Yes, I understand or, at least, suspect that the aim of this was to help other readers find what has been considered the most satisfactory assistance, however even then, whilst that may be the case for one reader, it may be a different option that is the case for another - perhaps not in the instance of this particular question but certainly of some where several options for building, repairing or whatever may be given and where "most appropriate" will depend on the reader, not necessarily the solution or answer offered

I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to put this and I mean no denigration of what I consider a very useful and helpful service.  I'm just someone who prefers to acknowledge all who give and is reluctant to create or contribute to false hierarchy which may not be appropriate.

[MitchellMc]

Thanks for your feedback @nonsibicunctis. I understand what you're saying—when it comes to discussions like this, it’s often a bit more nuanced than having just one accepted solution. The "accepted solution" button is primarily meant for situations where one response resolves the issue fully and directly.

In cases like this, where multiple contributions are helpful, simply clicking the thumbs-up on any reply that you found useful is a great way to show appreciation. It acknowledges that the response was helpful without needing to designate a singular "most helpful" answer.

Just to clarify, Eric and I both work for Bunnings and are on the same team, so there's no pressure on who gets the "accepted solution". You’re not obligated to click it at all—it’s just there as an option if needed.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Mitchell