Not-So-Succulent Succulents: The Real Reason Why Your House Plants Wilt Every Time

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There are all many reasons you might want houseplants in your tiny home. As well as looking amazing, these guys are fantastic for purifying the air. And, when space is limited, pure air is always welcome. Any tiny home tenants out there are sure to know already that things can get stuffy fast. These babies can ensure that doesn’t happen often.

But, plants only work if you can keep them alive. And, despite our best efforts, some us aren’t skilled in this area. You know how it goes; you do everything possible and still the wilt sets in. Within a few days, your plants are deader than a dodo, and you’re wondering what you did wrong. Surely, plants should only die if you neglect them?

However, that’s rarely the case in reality. In fact, it can often seem like neglectful plant owners get all the luck. Why is it that your friends succulent still looks, well, succulent, when she hasn’t watered it in a month? Funny you should ask. When you get down to it, over caring for your plants is often worse than not caring for them at all. To prove the point, we’re going to look at three cardinal over caring sins you might be guilty of.

 

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Too much water

Plants need water. That’s basic stuff. But, too much can actually be worse for than too little. Most plants, even of a house-based variety, are pretty good at getting every last drop of moisture from their pots. So, forgetting to water them for a month might not be as harmful as you think. By comparison, watering a plant every day when the soil is already moist can lead to a fast death by drowning. As a rule, always check the soil before watering. If it isn’t dry, don’t do it.

It’s a bit hot in here

The majority of us also know that temperature is an issue. Namely, getting cold can cause plants to freeze and die. So, many of us attempt to keep our plants in warm areas. The issue here is that heat can be just as deadly. Nothing wilts those leaves faster than a blaring radiator. Instead,  find a middle ground. Try to keep plants away from direct heat sources, and turn your aircon on when the sun is scorching. This is also a fantastic motivation to find an ac service near you if you run into problems. You might be able to cope with the heat, but you can be pretty sure your poor plants can’t.

You let light in

 

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After water, plants need light. That’s plain logic. But, putting a plant in direct sunlight isn’t always as good for it as you think. Sometimes, this is the right thing to do. Options like fiddle-leaf figs do need direct sunlight. But, there’s such a thing as a low-light plant. Heart-leaf philodendron and dumb cane appear on this list among others. Make sure to research before putting your latest plant purchase straight on your windowsill.

*This is a contributed post