I’m new to houseplants. I have tried multiple times with ...
I’m new to houseplants. I have tried multiple times with succulents and they always slowly (leaf by leaf) die on me. I used a cactus mix and planted 6 in a planter all together. I always assumed I was overwatering (I dote on them too much my mom said I need to just leave them alone) but this is what I’m seeing. The bottom leaves just fall off. Some are mushy, some look like they’re withering. I use a mist bottle. Can anyone see what I’m doing wrong by the pics? The ones doing bad are the string of buttons and the golden sedum… help!!!
Last watered 2 weeks ago
7
Hard to say but it could be that they’re not receiving enough sunlight & are getting too much water? Where are they located? I have a planter with 5 succulents in it & I’ve never been able to keep them alive before but now I leave the planter outside in the afternoons and bring it inside in the evening, water it about once a week & all but 1 are thriving. I water when the soil is bone dry. The pot itself is about 6 inches long and maybe 2 inches deep with soil. How deep is your container?
The main issue is that the pot is too large for the plants. Succulents have very shallow roots systems, so it a pot this big there will be way too much excess damp soil after watering. When succulents sit in damp soil, they rot. Another issue is the type of pot. Glazed clay pots with thick walls are notorious for preventing the soil from fully drying out. Succulents like to be quite snug in their pots, and the ideal pot type is terracotta. That's because it's porous and allows more airflow to the soil, which helps it dry out faster. Insufficient light will also contribute to overwatering and rot issues, since light helps the soil dry out. Your succulents need to be getting at least 4-6 hours of DIRECT sun a day. When they're kept indoors, they should be right up against the glass of a west or south-facing window. Lack of light will not only prevent the soil from drying out, it also causes succulents to lose their pretty coloring and revert to all green. They'll also grow very leggy and elongated because the plant is literally reaching toward more light. When you repot them, try to leave some space between the lowest set of leaves and the surface of the soil. The bottom leaves are rotting because they're sitting right on top of the soil.
@VenusianPlants I don’t open my blinds much and when I do, it’s usually just for a few hours … I just put together a plant stand with grow lights… will that work?
@stephongreg I don’t have widows that it can get direct sun. Would a grow light work if I repot them in a terracotta pot and add some small gravel or fermecukite to help the soil drain more? I am moving in August to a place with a sun room so they just need to hold out a little longer 🤣
@planthoe40 I only mist the soil because I thought it would help me not over water. I don’t mist the actual plant but thank you for the tip! I didn’t know it was something you shouldn’t ever do
@KeenRainbow81 depends on the grow light. The cheaper ring or clip-on lights they sell on Amazon are so weak they're not worth it. If you're moving in August, they'll be fine till then. Succulents are very resilient. You could probably get away with not watering until then and they'd still be completely fine. As for the misting, even if you were only misting the soil, it's not the correct way to water succulents, and it likely wasn't even enough for the roots to absorb much. Succulents like their soil to completely dry out, then be thoroughly soaked, then let their soil fully dry out again. It mimics the rainfall patterns in their native environments, where rain is very infrequent but when it does come it's a brief downpour.
Can't recall if you said the pot they're in has drainage holes or not. Once you move, I'd definitely recommend a shallow terracotta pot, specifically one that's wider than it is tall. They're not always the easiest to find with these dimensions, but it's the best type of pot for succulent arrangements like this. Placing gravel or stones at the bottom of a pot *can* help if the pot also has adequate drainage, but it definitely shouldn't be used as a replacement for drainage holes.
Can't recall if you said the pot they're in has drainage holes or not. Once you move, I'd definitely recommend a shallow terracotta pot, specifically one that's wider than it is tall. They're not always the easiest to find with these dimensions, but it's the best type of pot for succulent arrangements like this. Placing gravel or stones at the bottom of a pot *can* help if the pot also has adequate drainage, but it definitely shouldn't be used as a replacement for drainage holes.