Why Are My Succulents Dying?

Contents

You just bought your set of succulents and you excitedly put them in your garden or on your living room table. Your succulents even made it to your Instagram account and now all your friends absolutely love them! All of a sudden, your succulents do not appear in your Instagram or Facebook stories anymore because you are now wondering, “Are my succulents dying?” and if yes, “Why are they dying?”

For those who have only just begun their green thumb journey, a succulent is absolutely the best choice as your first plant to keep in your home because it is extremely easy to take care of. If you have just started out as well, it is not a surprise you got those beautiful succulents as your starter plant. Maybe that is why you have been so bothered why your succulents are dying.

While they are indeed easy to take care of, there are a lot of common mistakes made by newbie gardeners. No need to worry there, fellow succulent-lover! We are here to share with you these five common mistakes so you can avoid them. Eden succulents to the rescue!

1. Putting Them in A Poorly Lit Area

As you may already know, succulents first appeared in areas such as Africa because of their long dry seasons. That means these succulents are accustomed to consistent exposure to natural light all year long. They are not like other houseplants that are native to tropical jungles which have shifting periods of shade and sun.

Even if your succulents are accustomed to indoors, make sure that they are put in a nearby window where they can receive sunlight. Do not keep them in the shaded parts of your house. Give them the sunlight that they need!

2. Growing Too Many Varieties

All succulents are oh so beautiful! We know it can be so tempting to get just one, two, or three varieties of succulents. Why just get two when you can get more? They just absolutely look beautiful together. When you look at them, we know it can definitely give you that peace of mind.

However, if you put all your varieties in one place, do not forget to check whether they are all suitable to keep indoors. If not all the succulents you bought are suitable to put indoors, do not force them to be together. We know it is hard to resist putting the outdoor succulents in your home especially if they bloom such beautiful flowers that can give color to your home. Remember, some flowers cannot be tamed! Let them be where they need to be.

3. Overcrowding Your Succulents

If you just got a pretty container or vase from online and your planning to put all your succulents there, you may have to rethink this decision.

Not all succulents like that arrangement because some succulents do not like to be crammed together with other succulents. Overcrowding might also result in mold and insect infestations. Let’s avoid that! By avoiding overcrowding, we also avoid competition with food and water among your dear succulents. Remember that your succulents still need to eat and drink. If you overcrowd them, some succulents may get more food and water over others. Give your succulents the food and water they need. Separate them so that they can grow together.

4. Using A Standard Potting Soil

Succulents, originating from areas with long dry seasons, means that they can withstand heat and that they can store water in their leaves.

If you will be using a standard potting soil, this will not work out with your succulents. You need a desert-dweller mix which contains potting soil and inorganic elements such as granite. This allows the water in your soil to dry quickly. The succulents are not fond of moisture and wetness! We can’t use soil that holds out the water for them, because the succulents can already do it themselves.

We recommend Hoffman’s Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix. This can get your succulents to grow and bloom faster than. Your succulent soil, if not the most crucial, is one of the most crucial factors for their growth. We recommend you check Hoffman’s price by clicking on this link.

5. Not Watering Them Enough

We can see the look on your faces after you read that sub-title! How can not being able to water them enough be a problem if they do not need much of it? They absolutely do not daily watering, but they still need water after all.

Your indoor succulents only need to be watered every other week. For your small-sized succulents, they only need ¼ cup if water. If your succulents are medium-sized, large-sized or have thick leaves, they need 1 and ½ cup of water.

For your outdoor succulents who are more exposed to warm temperatures, they need more frequent watering than your indoor succulents. You might need to water them every 3-4 days. You will be needing two cups of water to pour over your outdoor succulents. You may feel the warmth of the soil and if they are too hot, that means you may already need to water your outdoor succulents.

If you happen to be propagating your succulents, you will need to water them every day because the leaves of your propagating succulents can get the water out.

If you happen to make one or two of these common mistakes, that may be the reason why your lovely succulents seem unhealthy. But wait, how do you know if your succulents are unhealthy?

Signs Of An Unhealthy Succulent

Here are some of the signs that your succulent may be unhealthy or dying. Before that, we want to assure you that having dead leaves from your succulent is normal! That is a natural process of a succulent or for any plant, for that matter. Just pull those dead leaves and throw them away.

1. Dead Leaves on The Upper Part

As we mentioned, dead leaves on the bottom are perfectly normal. Just grab them and throw them away. Your succulent is perfectly fine. However, dead leaves on the upper part of your succulent is a different story. This means that you may have overwatered your succulents.

2. Leaves on Top of Your Succulent Are Wrinkled

When the leaves on top of your succulents are wrinkled or becoming drier than they need to be, that means that they may not be receiving enough water. Do not worry because this is easier to solve than having an over-watered succulent!

3. Pests and Infections

For any plant, having pests and infections is definitely a sign of an unhealthy plant. If this is the case, put them in new soil and separate the infested plants from the safer ones. Using a fertilizer can also speed the process of revitalizing your infested succulents.

Check out Cute Farms’ Succulent Cacti and Aloe Fertilizer in Amazon. See if they can ship out to your city because it can definitely help with your succulents’ health.

Those three are the basic signs of your succulents being unhealthy. Do not worry because we have solutions for that! Read more of our articles by clicking on the home button so we can work together to help your succulents reach their full potential, health and beauty.