• Home
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Succulent Spotlights
  • Lists
  • Articles
  • FAQ
    • Contact
Sublime SucculentsSublime Succulents
Sublime SucculentsSublime Succulents
  • Home
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Succulent Spotlights
  • Lists
  • Articles
  • FAQ
    • Contact
5 Common Reasons that Succulents Die
botanicalgardens.ubc.ca

5 Common Reasons that Succulents Die

November 9, 2016 Posted by Patrick Grubbs

Table of Contents

  • 1. Over-Watering 
  • 2. Lack of Sunlight
  • 3. Improper Soil and Drainage
  • 4. Pests
  • 5. Temperature

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Sublime Succulents may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

We get it – growing plants can be hard. Not everyone was blessed with a green thumb, after all. In an effort to rescue succulents we have identified several common reasons that succulents perish. 

Get Rid of Scales on Your Succulents!

Subcribe now to get a FREE guide on how to 

prevent & treat pest infestation!

1. Over-Watering 

The overwhelming majority of succulent deaths can be attributed to watering regimes. We understand you want to shower (literally) your plants with love and water, but succulents aren’t clingy like that. They need less love, attention, and water. Indeed, some succulents seem to do better the more you neglect them!

Read Also: Gift Guide for the Succulent Obsessed

reasons succulents die

ambius.com

Signs of over-watering vary from plant to plant, but here are a couple of things to look for:

  • unusually plump leaves
  • browning or wilting leaves
  • rotting roots

Read Also: 10 Rare Succulents (and Where to Find Them!)

Over-watering is hard to diagnose because it shares symptoms with under-watering. A good rule of thumb, though, is that your succulent is probably never being under-watered. Many people use soil dryness as an indicator of weather or not it is a good time to water. You can use a soil moisture meter to check!

Try not to be over-zealous in your watering. While it is impossible to generalize for all succulents, most don’t need to be watered more than once a week. During the off-season (winter), water them about half as often.

2. Lack of Sunlight

Have you noticed your succulent’s stem stretching unusual lengths or weird angles? Are the leaves spacing out and failing to form those nice, compact rosettes? Your plant is probably suffering from etiolation.

reasons succulents die

reddit

You know that most succulents are native to deserts, and they rely on intense sunlight. If you live in a place that gets less sunlight, growing plants outside may not be feasible. Consider growing them indoors using a growlamp. These lights are specially built to deliver plants exactly the light they need.

Read Related Article: 10 Best Succulents and Cacti for Succulent Arrangements

Windowsill succulents and office desk succulents are always attractive. If they don’t seem to be doing well, try moving them to another window or place with more direct light. In the northern hemisphere, south-facing windows tend to get the best light for plant growth. Need more windowsill space? Me too. Fortunately, someone has already fixed that problem with these windowsill extenders.

3. Improper Soil and Drainage

This is a big one for new succulent owners. “Succulents are plants; plants go in dirt, right?” Wrong! Succulents want special dirt! It is imperative that succulents are planted in soils that allow water to drain quickly. If the soil retains water for too long, it can cause root rot. Normal plants use loamy soils, but succulents prefer sandy stuff!

reasons succulents die

coffeeforroses.com

It’s not hard to get, though, don’t worry. You can buy commercial succulent soil mixtures which work just fine. You can also read about how to make your own here.

Another important point to mention is that it matters what vessel you plant your succulent in! Terracotta pots with drainage holes are very facillitative towards rapid draining of the soil. If there’s no drainage hole, the water will sit in the pot and rot your plants!

Read Related Article: How to Get Rid of Spider Mites During Flowering

4. Pests

Unforunately, you’re not the only one who loves succulents. There are a variety of pests that can cause your plant to die. Scale, mealybugs, spider mites, and fungus gnats are all common pests for succulent owners. The presence of these pests do not ensure your plants death, so don’t worry. In fact, we even wrote a guide about how to deal with them!

reasons succulents die

missouribotanicalgarden.org

Risk of pest infection can be minimized by a couple of key practices. First – maintain good plant hygiene. Remove dying or rotting leaves and flowers from the plant and from the pot. Don’t allow the soil to retain water for too long. Make certain you are using clean water to hydrate your plants.

Some pests, like mealybugs or spider mites can be dealt with by washing your plants with powerful water to rinse them off. Cover the dirt or repot the plant afterwards to prevent water damage. Fungus gnats lay eggs in the soil which can damage your plant roots – so kill the adults using flypaper. Scale is hard to deal with, but wiping the infected plant with a dilute alcohol solution can kill them. If you prefer a more natural solution, Neem Oil is used as a general cure-all for all kinds of plant pests.

5. Temperature

I don’t need to tell you this, but succulents like warm, dry climates. They do better in regions with little rainfall. Most people’s homes are at a reasonable temperature to sustain succulent growth, so indoor succulents are usually fine. However, during hard winters, plants on a windowsill may get colder than you anticipate. Monitor the temperature to prevent accidental deaths.

reasons succulents die

myhappylittlethings.blogspot.com

Outdoor succulent gardens have variable success in the winter depending on your region’s climate and the composition of succulents. Some, like those belonging to the Sempervivum genus fare quite well during the winter. Others, like Echeveria, perish at the mere thought of a frost. Research your succulents before putting them outside!

 

Do you have succulent problems we didn’t cover? Ask in the comments!

76

About Patrick Grubbs

Just a college kid sharing everything he learns on the path to transcendence via succulents.

You also might be interested in

Opuntia prickly pear
Opuntia prickly pear

How to Care for Prickly Pear (Opuntia Cacti)

May 9, 2018

Table of Contents Soil Requirements for the Opuntia CactusHow to[...]

aloe vera
ninenaturals.com

How to Care for Aloe Vera

Sep 7, 2017

Table of Contents What is Aloe vera?How to Care for Aloe veraAloe[...]

dog safe succulents
You can get this Haworthia (and more!) at Planet Desert.

11 Non-Toxic Succulents Safe for Dogs

Sep 17, 2018

Table of Contents 1. Schlumbergera – Holiday Cacti2. Sempervivum –[...]

4 Comments

Leave your reply.
  • Ahsan
    · Reply

    May 1, 2020 at 4:41 AM

    I just got few sacculants plants, I did my best I went to nersery, i took special soil for them, I was just out of perlite,,I mix construction sand, my garden soil,. N that special soil, n planted them, tomorrow but still trey are not going well I’m so tens about them., I fee lmao really bad when ever my plant die, I don’t wanna lose these beautiful living ororgen plz help me. Out plz plz plz

  • Patrick Grubbs
    · Reply

    Author
    May 4, 2020 at 11:35 AM

    I don’t have enough info to say why your plant isn’t doing well. Just be sure to water it infrequently.

  • Lauren
    · Reply

    June 8, 2020 at 5:30 PM

    My cactus succulent is on a shelf above my desk. Sadly, one of my cats knocked it over. The cactus ended up half under the pot and unrooted. Could this seriously hurt my cactus?

    • Patrick Grubbs
      · Reply

      Author
      June 15, 2020 at 11:57 AM

      No, it should be okay. Just repot it and keep an eye on it.

Leave a Reply

Your email is safe with us.
Cancel Reply

Recent Posts

Echeveria Purpusorum – A Care Guide

Echeveria Purpusorum – A Care Guide

January 13, 2021

Table of Contents...

Euphorbia Lactea Cristata – A Care Guide

Euphorbia Lactea Cristata – A Care Guide

January 13, 2021

Table of Contents...

Fairy Castle Cactus – A Care Guide

Fairy Castle Cactus – A Care Guide

January 13, 2021

Table of Contents...

Haworthia Retusa – A Care Guide

Haworthia Retusa – A Care Guide

January 13, 2021

Table of Contents DescriptionCultivars and...

Sedum Album – A Care Guide

Sedum Album – A Care Guide

January 13, 2021

Table of Contents...

Contact Us

Have a question or comment? Want to contribute to the site? Drop us a line!

Send Message

© 2021 · SublimeSucculents.com

  • Privacy Policy

Need Help to
Get Rid of Scales?

Learn how to prevent & treat pest infestations with our FREE guide now!

x