Question
Hello.  I have a plant whose tag says it is an "echevaria metallica."  I have had it for about 4 months now, and it came from a cutting from the original plant I bought, which had some sort of bacteria in its stem which was causing the stem to rot away.  It was doing very well, although it grew kind of thin-stemmed, but recently has started dropping its leaves and and the ones it didn't drop are drying up.  The leaves at the very top of the plant are still doing alright.
The pot size is about 5 inches at the top, and the plant does not look too small for it to me.

I think I have overwatered it and may have burned its roots.  The soil tends to dry out much faster than my other plants, so I began watering it around every 2 weeks, when the soil felt dry to me, but I think I was not pushing my finger deep enough into the soil to check properly.  The soil is quite damp, although there are no puddles.  It is supposed to be quite porous, but I don't know what kind of soil it is.

The houseplant fertilizer I have says it is mild and may be used every time you water it, but I used it for the first time on my Echevaria a few days ago when I watered it and suddenly the plant could not stay upright without a stake, although the bottom leaves had been dropping before that.  

Right now, I have it sitting on paper towels in its saucer to try to draw water out of the soil.  Do you think my plant has a chance?  Should I try to use a hot lamp to dry out the soil faster?  Is there anything I can do to help it?

I can take it to the greenhouse on campus and ask for help repotting it or, if it's not saveable as it is, I can ask them to help me make a cutting, but I am not sure what is best.  They usually only help you do something that you ask them to help you with.

I can send pictures of it would help you to determine what kind of condition my plant is in.

Thank you,
Elizabeth

Answer
Hi Elizabeth,

A photo would be very helpful.

Echeverias are succulents. They require direct sunlight, very small pots, and very porous sandy soil that dries out quickly.

I suspect that your pot is too large and the soil is too absorbent. You didn't mention the light, so I am not sure about that.

Regards,
Will Creed

You can send a photo to me at [email protected]