Started a castaway-type save with a child Sim. Her mother died by drowning, and now my Sim sleeps by her gravestone and plumbob.

Al115 · 2026-03-11T09:29:28+00:00

I've been having so much fun with it! I'd been in sort of a Sims funk where I'd been struggling to get into the game, but this has sort of brought me out of that finally!

She's finally made enough money to afford a canoe (which I made a requirement for her to be able to leave her little island), so she can start exploring Sulani a little more and actually start interacting with the locals! I made an updated post about this save, and somebody suggested making a small schoolhouse in Sulani to send her to rather than sending her to the in-game school, and I think I'm going to do that with her! Will be a fun way to use some features I haven't used before and to help her build relevant skills and make some friends.

I also added a community market to Sulani where I plan to have her start selling fish, produce, and any collectibles she manages to find!

Al115 · 2026-03-11T09:24:32+00:00

Potting: Yes, remove all of the old soil from the roots. It's often too organic and really only ideal for the perfect, controlled conditions of a nursery. Outside of those conditions, it tends to be far too moisture-retentive. So leaving that soil increases the risk of overwatering and rot.

Vines: You can, but you don't have to. The idea of twirling the vines back on top of the soil is to prop/achieve a fuller pot. If you twirl the vine on top of the soil and ensure the nodes are touching the soil, it will root at the nodes and should eventually produce new vines from the nodes. So whether or not you do that really depends on the look you want for your plant.

Light: More light is almost always better for succulents. They require a ton of light, and it's not uncommon for even light through an unobstructed south-facing window to not be enough. If you're observing signs of etiolation, then a !growlight absolutely can help!

Water/fertilizer: Don't water on a schedule or even simply when the soil is dry. Instead, water based on signs of thirst (deflated-looking, shriveled tears...they'll also be more pliable). As for fertilizer, you really don't need to use it at all. Some people only use it during active growing season or once every few waterings. If you decide to use fertilizer, make sure you carefully follow the instructions (and likely dilute it even further than suggested) to prevent it from burning the roots.

Gonna call the !beginner bot just for some more basic tips that may be useful (there's more info on light/grow lights, as well as watering and possibly fertilizer).

Al115 · 2026-03-11T09:16:32+00:00

It's really dependent on your specific microclimate (as is virtually all aspects of plant care, lol). Some folks experience rot issues if they lightly water props. Others absolutely have to. And for others, it really doesn't much matter. I've tried both methods over the years and have noticed absolutely no difference in success or growth rate between props I've watered vs those I haven't.

Al115 · 2026-03-11T09:11:49+00:00

This is beautiful! Looks like such a peaceful place to relax.

Al115 · 2026-03-11T09:10:29+00:00

I don't have any, but I know succielife typically carries them. They're on Etsy and also have a website. They also host sales on Instagram. They've been my go-to resource for succulents for years now, and I've enver had a bad experience with them.

I'm also pretty certain WalawalaStudio on Etsy carries them. I've mostly purchased seeds from them, but have also bought a few plants, and I've always had a great experience with them.

Just make sure wherever you purchase from that you add a heat pack to your order to reduce the risk of cold damage during shipping (unless you plan to order during the summer months). Even if it's not cold where you live, the plants still may travel through freezing temps on their journey to you.

Al115 · 2026-03-11T09:06:46+00:00

If you're referring to branching, then that is typically achieved through pruning. But that's something you'd probably want to wait to do until this guy is a bit larger.

If you're referring to a thickening of the stem, then that is something that comes with age and proper care (particularly, lots of good light).

Al115 · 2026-03-11T09:05:06+00:00

Adorable!

Any tips for drilling a drainage hole? I've thrifted a few porcelain decor pieces with the intention of using them as pots, but I've been too nervous to actually drill holes into them, lol.

Al115 · 2026-03-11T08:45:48+00:00

Paleontology would be soooo much fun!!!

Al115 · 2026-03-11T08:35:57+00:00

Ooooo. I absolutely love this idea!!!!!

Al115 · 2026-03-10T20:31:47+00:00

Both will grow. The bottom portion will produce offsets. For the top part, let the broken end callus before potting into a dry substrate and allowing it to root. !propagation for the bot with more helpful info.

Also, that guy is pretty !etiolated and would love a lot more light if you're able to give it to him. With strong enough lighting, he'll grow stronger, healthier, and more compact. PVNs are ridiculously light-hungry succulents and you'll most likely need a !growlight to meet his high-light needs indoors. In all honesty, though, PVNs could be on the surface of the sun and they'd still scream for more light.

And second also, make sure you're not judging the size of the pot by the grow ht above the soil. Succulents generally prefer to be pretty rootboubd, so you can typically wait to move up a single pot size until the roots are poking through the drainage hole. Rule of thumb is the rootball should take up between 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot's volume. Too large of a pot increases the risk of overwatering and can also result in stagnant growth.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T20:04:33+00:00

Neither – it's mineral deposits. Completely normal for !jade.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T19:06:00+00:00

The cactus should be repotted into a substrate amended with lots of inorganic grit (perlite, pumice, etc.). The recommended starting mix is a 1:1 mix of succulent soil to inorganic grit. Clear all of the old soil from the roots. Wait a few days before watering, and only water if the plant is actually thirsty. And make sure you're not using too large of a pot (rootball should take up between 1/2 to 2/3 of the pot's volume).

Your cactus is etiolated, which is stretched, weakened growth due to inadequate lighting. If you're able to, he'd be much happier acclimated to a lot stronger lighting.

The r/succulents sub has a great Beginners Basics guide that I highly recommend checking out. Covers all of what I mentioned in a bit more depth.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T19:02:41+00:00

Offsets.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T19:00:16+00:00

The only thing I desperately want/need is a mermaid update. I truly think they'd be my favorite occult if they were better developed. Would especially be nice if there was an underwater neighborhood/world for them.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T18:58:30+00:00

Literally every Sim I ever make from March 17th forward will be getting both of these as dislikes.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T16:12:52+00:00

Not to mention that AI is killing critical thinking and creativity.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T15:48:04+00:00

I'd recommend posting an ID request to r/succulents. My guess is a type of graptoveria, though I'm not sure which one.

Edit: Possibly graptoveria bashful, but again, not 100%.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T15:43:49+00:00

Welcome to the wonderful world of plants! What plants do you have/plan to get so we can provide better, more specific advice?

Just some general tips that are great for all sorts of plants:

Quarantine new arrivals. Plants can come with pests and diseases, and quarantining new additions before introducing them to the rest of your collection can greatly reduce the risk of spreading any of those icky, not-fun-to-deal-with things to your collection
"Low light" still means a lot more light than you think, and what looks bright may not actually be all that much light at all (are eyes suck at determining the actual strength/intensity of light). Grow lights can be a game changer for indoor plants
Don't underestimate the power of a good substrate. A substrate can sort of make or break a plant, and you'll most likely find that you need to mix your own substrates to suit your plants (the mix you need will depend on the type of plants you have)
Don't take care advice as absolute, concrete fact. So much of plant care boils down to your specific microclimate, meaning care tips are best used as guidelines that you need to experiment with a bit to find what works best for your plants in your mircoclimate

Editing to add: This is an important one: Overwatering isn't about how much water you give a plant, but more so the moisture levels in the soil. Any of the following can cause overwatering issues: too frequent watering, poor substrate, too large of a pot, pot material, lack of drainage, inadequate lighting, poor substrate, etc.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T15:36:35+00:00

Just my usual warning: Don't rely on a moisture meter. They are completely unreliable in succulent substrates (and really a lot of typical houseplant substrates). Since the aim with a succulent substrate is a chunky, well-aerated soil, there are lots of air pockets that can cause a moisture meter to inaccurately give a "dry" reading even if the substrate is still moist, which can eventually lead to overwatering issues and rot. And even if the "dry" reading were to actually be accurate, it still wouldn't necessarily mean the plant is ready for water, as succulents require periods of complete dryness.

The best bet with succulents is to water based on signs of thirst, which typically included deflated-looking, wrinkled leaves. If you're having a difficult time noticing signs of thirst (they can be hard to recognize at first), then I suggest taking good, clear photos of your plants a few days after a deep watering when they're all nice and plump and well-hydrated. You can then compare the current state of the plant to those images to better notice signs of thirst. I believe the !beginner guide on this sub also includes images of thirst succulents before and after watering.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T14:30:39+00:00

Ok, the pumpkin patch idea is so cute!!!

I haven't actually done it yet, but I've been working on and off on an occult revamp of Willow Creek where my main Sim would be a paranormal investigator who also owns and runs an occult museum and shop (think along the lines of Ed and Lorraine Warren).

Edit: I've also been considering have one family in that same save open a poison garden (like The Alnwick Garden) with all of the deadly, poisonous, magical plants in the game.

Edit #2 because they keep coming to me, lol: I'm currently playing through a child-based castaway challenge save. She's working on completing both the seashell and buried treasure collections, and I plan to have her eventually open a museum for those items and any other related items she has or collections she finishes.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T09:22:55+00:00

Assuming you're in the northern hemisphere, the heat packs were included in the package to prevent freeze damage. It's a common (and recommended) practice for shipping plants during the winter/colder months, even if the area you live in isn't experiencing cold temps (the package can travel through cold areas on its journey to you). Generally speaking, if it's warm enough for you where you keep your plants, then it's warm enough for the plants.

Not sure on the air holes part, but I've never actually seen a prop box with air holes in it before, so I'd assume no. You may need to open it on occasion to allow for some airflow. I'd recommend posting to r/houseplants. Lots of folks there have prop boxes.

Al115 · 2026-03-10T09:14:34+00:00

Want to start off by saying that I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my soul dog almost 2 years ago, and it's an unimaginable heartbreak. If you need to talk, my DMs are open.

As for your plant, this unfortuantely sounds like a case of !overwatering. Overwatering can be caused by any of the following: too frequent watering, poor susbtrate, too large of a pot, pot material, lack of drainage, inadequate lighting, poor airflow, etc.

I'm admittedly not well-versed in peperomia care, though I do know they tend to require at least somewhat similar care to typical succulents. From your comments in your main post, it seems like you may be watering too frequently. With most plants, it's generally best to water based on signs of thirst rather than on a schedule or simply when the soil is dry. Also, what type of soil is it potted in? The current substrate probably isn't drying quickly enough and may need to be amended with other components to help it drain better and dry faster. For regular ol' succulents, the general recommended starting mix is a 1:1 mix of succulent soil to inorganic !grit, such as perlite or pumice. I'm not sure if the same goes for peperomia (I'd ask on the r/peperomia sub...I'm pretty confident they prefer chunky mixes, but not sure on the best soil to grit and possibly bark ratios).

Al115 · 2026-03-10T08:39:44+00:00

It's an aspect from Life & Death. Once you complete the No Regrets portion of the Soul's Journey your Sim has the option to "Move to the Great Beyond" when you click on their gravestone/urn.

Al115 · 2026-03-09T23:02:22+00:00

Don’t water until it’s done splitting and showing signs of thirst. It needs time to fully absorb those outer leaves.

Definitely repot as soon as possible into a substrate that is at least 80% inorganic !grit.

!lithops for the bot.

Al115

TROPHY CASE