Why Is My Succulent Dying? 4 Tips To Revive Your Plant
Are you watching your beloved succulents wilt away, or noticing no growth in months?
The good news is that you can find out why and how to save them.
People who love succulents are often sad when their plants die. It is usually because they have given them too much water or not enough sunlight.
Take a deep breath. We can handle this! Even difficult problems can be solved with the right knowledge and care.
Your suicidal plants don’t stand a chance against your new knowledge.
Find out more today by continue reading this blog post on “why is my succulent dying.”
Contents
Reasons Your Succulents are Dying
If you’ve been caring for a succulent and it’s suddenly starting to die. The first question to ask yourself is: why is my succulent dying?
There are several reasons why your succulents may be in distress. Too much or too little sunlight, giving them too much or not enough water. Also, poor drainage systems, cold weather, and bugs can all be problems.
If your succulent has problems, you can fix them by changing the environment or care routine a little bit.
Here are a few quick symptoms with reasons for poor succulent health.
| Symptoms | Reasons |
|---|---|
| Losing leaves at a rapid rate | The loss of leaves is often a sign of overwatering or damp soil. |
| Yellow, black, or brown succulent leaves & stems with a mushy texture. | Root rot could be caused by overwatering and slow drainage. |
| Shriveled or wrinkled succulent leaves | A lack of water, or soil repelling water away from roots causes drought stress. |
| The lower leaves are dying on tall growing succulent | Too much shade makes succulents tall and droopy. Lower leaves die back when succulents redirect their energy to younger leaves. |
| Black mushy succulents | Overwatering or frost damage can cause black leaves. Cold temperatures less than 50°F (10°C) are particularly harsh on some succulents. |
| Brown looking succulent | Moving from a shaded area to full sun can cause sunburn on succulents. Indirect light is preferable to full sun for succulents. |
Now we’ll dive deep into the factors that cause succulents to die.
Overwatering
People often make the mistake of giving too much water to succulents. Giving your plant too much water is bad. It won’t get enough air and the roots will not be able to breathe.
When you water your succulent, wait until the soil is completely dry before giving it more water.
Put your finger into the soil. See if it feels wet or dry. That will help you know if your plants need water. If it isn’t dry, don’t water it.
If you have been overwatering your succulent, you can still save your plant.
Make sure to put your succulent in a pot where the water can drain out. This will help prevent you from giving it too much water.
Too much water can hurt plants. It can cause root rot and make leaves yellow, wilted, or even kill the plant. It is important to not give too much water to your succulent.
If you pay attention to how much water you give your succulent, it will stay healthy and happy.
High Temperatures
High temperatures can also harm your succulent. Succulents like hot weather, but they still need some shade from the sun. Make sure it is in a spot where it won’t get sun all day.
Be careful when bringing it indoors, succulents can easily get heat stressed. Make sure your garden is at a comfortable temperature.
If you’re bringing it indoors, place it in an area that doesn’t get too hot or too cold.
If your succulent gets too hot or too cold, the leaves may look droopy or change color.
Study the ideal USDA zone map for your specific succulent. It will help you care for plants more easily.
Space
If you don’t have enough space for your succulent, it can cause problems. Succulents like to spread out and grow.
You need to put the plant in a pot that is big enough. If the pot is too small, the roots won’t get enough air and your plant won’t be healthy.
The container you use should be twice as deep as the roots of the plant. It should also be at least three times as wide.
It’s also important to make sure that the succulent is not too far away from the window. That will help keep it warm and happy.
Not giving your succulent enough space can cause problems with its growth. Make sure that it has plenty of room to grow and thrive.
Lighting
Lighting is also important when it comes to keeping your succulent healthy. The plant needs the right amount of sunlight or artificial light to stay alive.
If your succulent does not get enough light, its leaves can become pale and hang down. You can move it closer to a window or use artificial light to help it get enough light.
If you give your succulent too much light, its leaves will start to burn. Make sure it doesn’t get too much direct sunlight or artificial light.
So the point is, try to give indirect light to your plant.
If you want to move your succulent to a sunnier area, take two weeks to do it. Move the succulent little by little and give it more sun each day.
Drainage
People like to put succulents in fun containers, like cups and boots. But these containers need drainage holes for the succulents to grow well. Otherwise, the plants won’t survive.
The drainage is also important for your succulent. It needs to be able to drain water out of the pot so that it doesn’t get too much moisture.
Make sure to use the right kind of soil and a container with a drainage hole. That will help keep the roots from being too wet and prevent root rot.
You can also add rocks or grit to the bottom of the pot. It will help with drainage and prevent too much water from staying in the soil.
To help keep dirt from coming out and to let extra water escape, put a piece of netting or pantyhose over the holes.
Soil
The type of soil you use for your succulent is important. You should always use a potting mix made specifically for succulents.
This kind of soil will give the plant enough air and drainage so it won’t rot.
Succulents need well-draining soil that won’t get too wet or dry out quickly. If you don’t use the right kind of soil, your succulent won’t get enough air or water to stay alive.
It’s also important to make sure that the soil is not compacted. You should fluff it up before using it and add more sand or pebbles if necessary.
Adding a layer of gravel to the top of the container can also help with drainage.
Pests
Pests can also be a problem for succulents. If you notice any bugs or fungus, remove the pests as soon as possible.
Succulents can be affected by pests like spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects. These bugs feed on the sap of the plant and can cause damage to the leaves.
Fungus gnats are another problem. They lay their eggs in the soil and feed off of the roots of your succulent.
If the insects are causing a lot of problems, you can spray them with an insecticide specifically made for succulents. You can also use special soaps that kill bugs.
Nutrients
Your succulent will also need the right kind of nutrients to stay healthy. Most potting mixes contain a few nutrients, but they won’t last forever.
You can give your succulent an extra boost with fertilizer. Use a special fertilizer for succulents or cacti. It should be balanced, not too strong, and not too weak.
The fertilizer will give your plant the nutrients it needs without burning its roots.
It’s important to use fertilizer sparingly. Too much can burn the roots and cause damage to the plant. Read the instructions on the package. This will help you get the best results.
How to Revive a Succulent
It is bad when you check on your favorite succulent and it is not doing well.
Even if you thought everything was fine the last time you checked on it. Whether that was a few days or weeks ago.
It can be hard to tell when a succulent is not doing well. It may seem like it happened suddenly, but it could have been happening for a while before you noticed.
Don’t worry if your succulent looks like it is dying. If you can still see some signs of life, it can be brought back to health.
When to Revive a Succulent
When caring for a plant, like repotting or pruning, do it in the spring or summer. During the plant growing season.
But, if you notice your succulent is not doing well. It’s best to take action right away to help the plant.
Succulents can take time to show that they are not feeling well. When signs appear, act quickly so you can help the plant.
What You’ll Need
If your succulent is dying, you need to figure out the problem before doing anything. Depending on the cause, you will need to follow a different process to help it.
Often, if a plant is not healthy, it can be because of too much water or too little water. Also due to the leaves being damaged by the sun or bugs eating them.
You can figure out what is wrong with your succulent. We gave you the factors above to help you do this.
Here’re the things or tools required for the whole process.
| Tools | Other Things |
|---|---|
| Hand pruners | Insecticide |
| Well draining Pot | |
| Glass container | |
| Suiatble soil for Succulents |
Revive a Succulent Dying Due To Underwatering
When your beloved succulent is dying due to underwatering, it’s time to take action! To revive your plant, you’ll need to rehydrate the soil and increase water frequency.
Here are some tips:
Remove Damaged Roots & Foliage
Take the succulent out of its pot. Cut off any leaves or roots that look dry or shriveled. If the stem of a plant is dry, you can cut it off so it grows back.
Let the Cutting Callous Over
Take the succulent out of the soil and place it in a dry spot. Leave the cut part alone for a few hours. This will help it to get better.
Place the Succulent in Water
To help your succulent get more water and grow new roots, put it in a little pot with water.
The leaves of the plant should be above the water. The stem and roots should be below the surface of the water.
Cut off some of the lowest leaves on the plant if they are close to getting wet. Put the container in a place that gets some light, but not direct sunlight.
Repot in Fresh Soil
Wait a few weeks. If the succulent has some roots, you can move it to a new pot with special soil for succulents.
You can mix potting soil, perlite, and sand together in equal parts. That will also work. After repotting, give the plant lots of water. Also, allow the extra water to come out of the pot.
With patience and care, you’ll be able to bring your succulent back from the brink of death!
Revive a Succulent Dying Due To Overwatering
If your succulent is dying due to overwatering, there’s still hope! The most important thing to do is to stop giving too much water right away.
Once you’ve done that, the next step is to take action to revive the succulent.
Prune Away Mushy Stems & Roots
Take the succulent out of its pot. Cut away any bad roots or stems with hand pruners.
It is okay if you don’t cut all the roots off. It is very important to get rid of all the rot. The rot can spread really fast if you don’t get rid of it.
Prepare a Fresh Pot of Succulent Soil
To grow succulents or cacti, you need to put them in a pot. Choose a plastic or terracotta pot with holes in the bottom for water to drain out.
Fill the pot with special soil made for succulents and cacti.
You can also make potting soil by mixing together equal parts of indoor potting soil, perlite, and sand.
Repot the Succulent
If your succulent still has roots, leave them. If needed, cut it down to the stem. Then put it in some new dry soil.
If your plant lost its roots, let the cut end of the stem. Then, allow it to sit for a few hours before you put it back in the soil.
Return the Succulent to Its Original Location
Put the succulent back where it was before. Don’t give it any water.
Wait until the leaves of your plant look a little wrinkled before you give it some water. It is important if you put your plant in a pot without any roots.
Like, when you propagate succulent cuttings, the roots start to grow in the soil. There is no need to water until the roots have formed. If you do, it may sit in wet soil and rot again.
Revive a Succulent Dying Due To Pests
If you find that your succulent is dying due to pests, don’t worry! You can save it!
Isolate the Succulent
If you have a succulent with pests, move it away from all other plants. This will help stop the pests from spreading.
Put it in a place that has enough light. You will need to leave it there for at least a few weeks.
Remove Badly Damaged Foliage
Use a pair of hand pruning to cut off any leaves or branches that have been hurt by bugs.
If some parts of the plant have a lot of bugs, it is advised to just take them out. Don’t try to treat them.
Spray Down the Plant and Treat
Put your succulent in the sink or shower. Then spray it with water to get rid of any bugs that are on it.
Use the right insect spray or treatment for the bugs you are trying to get rid of.
You can use 75% rubbing alcohol, neem oil, or insecticidal soap. Follow the instructions on the product to make sure it is applied correctly.
Repeat
It is likely that one treatment will not be enough to get rid of pests. You may need to do the process a few times over the next weeks to make sure your plant is safe.
But, don’t try to overuse spray or alcohol.
Revive a Succulent Dying Due To Leaf Burn
If you see your succulent has brown, dry leaves, it probably has leaf burn.
The leaves can get damaged if they are in the sun for too long or when it is really hot outside.
It is easy to fix your succulent when exposed to too much heat. But it will take some time for the plant to get better, depending on how long it was exposed.
Here’re a few steps to revive your plant.
Remove Affected Foliage
Use hand pruning to cut off any burnt leaves. It makes your plant look better. But also stops bacteria from getting on the plant through the burns.
Your succulent may look sparse, but soon it will have new growth.
Find a New Location for the Succulent
Move the succulent to a place with less sunlight (direct). That will help it from getting burned.
If you want to move your succulent to a place with more light, do it slowly. This will help prevent the leaves from getting burned.
FAQs
Will my succulent grow back after it dies?
Good news! Succulents are strong. Even if your succulent looks like it is dying, it is usually easy to fix and get it growing again.
What does an overwatered succulent look like?
Overwatering occurs when leaves become yellow and transparent or feel soggy and mushy when touched. They have soft yellow leaves and black spots.
Do succulents need sun?
Succulents need lots of sunlight to grow. They should get at least 4-6 hours of indirect sunlight each day. Sometimes it is necessary to keep succulents in the dark.
How can I tell if my succulent needs water?
If your succulent has wrinkled and shriveled leaves, it needs more water. The cells in plants give away the water they have stored. Then, they try to get more water to replace what was lost.
Do succulents like tap water?
Most plants and succulents need rainwater or distilled water to stay healthy. Tap water sometimes has minerals like magnesium and calcium in it. These minerals can build up in the soil of your plants or show up as white dots on the leaves.
Final Verdict
Taking care of succulents can be a challenging task, so we want to applaud you for even trying!
If your plants are not doing so well, it might be because of too much water, or the wrong temperature.
Also, due to not enough space or light, bad drainage, soil problems, or bugs. We hope you learned something from this.
When trying to help a succulent plant, it is important to find and fix the problem right away. Take care of all the details, and your plant will stay healthy and happy.
We hope these tips help your succulents stay healthy. Remember, sometimes they need extra care and love.
Have fun taking care of those beautiful plants!
