Question
QUESTION: Two years ago I bought a burros tail from a nursery. It has been placed in a sunny kitchen window and is not really moved as it is delicate. I water it monthly, and let  the water drain out. However, my burros plant color i a light green and kind of has some grayish to it, which does not look healthy. I have not repotted it because as you know, as soon as you move this plant its beads fall off. Now I have moved the plant outdoors for it to get direct sunlight. The ends of the plant appear dry and brittle. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to fertilize it? Also once the beads fall off. The branch is bare and there is no regrowth. Please help.. thanks

ANSWER: Hi Jackie,

Let's first be sure you have a Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum) and not a String of Beads (Senecio rowleyanus). The former is a light green/gray color and has oblong, bean-shaped leaves. The latter has green perfectly round pea-shaped leaves.

If yours is indeed a Burros Tail, then the color you have described is as it should be. However, if it is a Senecio, then you do have a problem. Do an image search and let me know which you have or post a photo here so I can ID it for you.

In either case, moving it outside to the direct sunlight is not a good idea and explains why the leaf tips are getting brown. Direct outdoor sunlight is up to a thousand times more intense than good indoor sunlight. Your plant should be kept indoors hanging in a sunny window or outside in a shaded area such as on a porch.

Fertilizer is not medicine and will not fix any existing problems. It should only be used with healthy plants.

It is good that you have not repotted. Both plants I have mentioned not only need bright indoor sunlight, but small pots that dry out quickly. Water only when the soil is dry as far down as you can probe with your finger.

Either improper light or watering can cause leaves to drop off. Those that drop off are not replaced because all new leaf growth comes in at the tip ends of the stems. Stems that have become too long and bare, can be cut back to a length of a few inches. As long as the stem is healthy, new growth will emerge just below where you make the cut. If the stem is completely leafless and dry/brittle, then it is dead and should be cut off entirely.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com






---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Will,
hello again and thank you for the information about my burros tail plant. I will be bringing it indoors as you suggested. Right now I have been watering the plant once a month. I was wondering if the plant needs to be watered more often in the summer? Thank you again for your speedy reply.

Jackie

Answer
Hi Jackie,

You cannot water a plant by the calendar. As I wrote in my first reply, "Water only when the soil is dry as far down as you can probe with your finger." If the surface of the soil is very hard, you may want to use a pencil or pointed stick to probe the soil. In general, increased light and increased temperatures cause the soil to dry out more quickly.

~Will