Plants can be tricky. Different species need different kinds of attention, and sometimes it can be hard to tell why your plants are dying – and even harder to take action before they wither completely.
Which is why we're taking you through the steps today. Here's everything you should do to try saving your plants!
We'll mention it whenever relevant, but keep in mind different plants may require very different measures, so if you try one thing and it doesn't seem to work, continue going through the steps and be sure to research your plant species!
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. – Thomas Jefferson
Careful With Over-Watering
Obviously watering your plants is important, but some plants don't need it as much as others, which can sometimes lead to over-watering. This will make your plants look weak and frail, and if the over-watering doesn't stop they will eventually die from it.
When you see your plants looking weak like that, try to space out the watering further. Check the soil to make sure it's not too humid before watering again.
The signs of under-watering are different: your plants will look dry and may start to lose color. In that case, water a bit more often!
Are they receiving enough sunlight?
When it comes to house plants, it's best they receive abundant sunlight indirectly – meaning the light bounces off the environment instead of hitting them directly.
Being indoors, it's very unusual for a plant to receive direct sunlight for very long, so make sure they are receiving enough light throughout the day!
If you're interested, we already have a guide for indoor plant care!
Soil condition
First, make sure the fertilizer is being used in appropriate amounts – overdoing it will harm your plants. This will depend heavily on what kind of plant you have, since some need to be fertilized weekly, while others only need it once a year. Ask a professional or look up your plant to find out what works best!
Second, be sure the soil isn't too dry or too wet. If it's too dry, you might want to water a bit more. If it's too wet, you're probably over-watering.
Humidity
Most plants need humidity to thrive, and while indoors (sometimes under the effect of air conditioners) that condition rarely happens naturally. To fix that, you can simply use a humidifier – it's good for you and your plant as well.
Pests
Pests are common problems for plants, but luckily, they are also very obvious. Every pest will leave clear signs of their work and you can quickly take action as soon as you see it!
Trim it out
If it got to a point where your plant has dry or rotting leaves, be sure to trim them out. They will continue to steal energy from your plant if left there.
We've talked about beautiful and low-maintenance houseplants before!
Check the roots
This is more of a worst case scenario, but if you've tried all of the above and nothing worked, we need to get to the root of the problem.
(Did you see what I did there?)
Yes, in the case of small pots, the root will grow and eventually mangle itself on the shape of the pot because it can't spread any further, causing some parts to rot. To take care of this issue, you have to remove the plant from the pot, trim the rotten parts of the root, and place it back on a slightly bigger pot.
Conclusion
The best way to care for your plants is knowing what kind of care they need. You can learn a lot from simple research – this alone already goes a long way. But if you’re unsure why your plants are dying, try these steps and you should be able to figure out what’s the issue!
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