Why do my houseplants always die?'

[lollipoprainbow]

Without fail my houseplants always die despite me feeding and watering them. My latest casualty is a lovely peace lily that was doing fine but has now got some brown leaves and is dying. I follow someone on Instagram who has a house full of houseplants and they all thrive! Where do I go wrong ?

Probably overwatering and/or putting the plant in the wrong place for it.

You probably water them too much. Wait til the soil is drying out.

Do you water them too much? That was always where I went wrong, now I mostly ignore them and they're much happier

Overwatering/improper watering are probably the reasons why.

Water them from the bottom.

Almost always overwatering or inadequate light.

Another vote for overwatering? I'm usually pretty crap with houseplants but my peace Lily is growing great guns being largely ignored, and I have a Jasmine that is in danger of taking over the whole house, equally ignored. Might splash a bit of water in if I'm taking a glass back to the kitchen that's not quite empty.

I stick my finger about an inch or more into the soil. If it feels dry then water it. Make sure any excess water runs off and the bottom of the plant doesn't sit in water for days.

I really learned that lesson after being far too nurturing and killing many plants with kindness.

Also careful of over feeding. A very dilute solution more often is better than a strong dose all at once.

Oh, and don't water your plant with your used watercolour water cup. I killed a beautiful African Violet almost over night doing that!

Over watering is the main culprit. i feel the leaves, if they feel weak and limp then it’s time to water but that’s hardly ever.

The soil needs to allow water to flow through quite easily and quickly. Oxygen is important for roots. If the soil remains wet for too long the roots can rot. Not all soils are the same. Some have more clay or organic matter. The soil needs to dry out between watering. They need light from the sun. They don't need too much feeding. Sometimes they need repotting if they have too many roots, and not enough soil. Sometimes they dry out if it's hot inside. Some succulents are easy to grow inside. They're low maintenance.

Peace lily is great because it shows very clearly when you’ve left it too long between waterings, by going limp and lying all its leaves flat on the ground like a stranded jellyfish. Then when you water it perks up in a couple of hours. So you could easily extend the period between watering without fear of killing it.

The aim for most plants is to water when the soil is dry, not to keep the soil moist. Roots need oxygen and they can’t get it if they soil is waterlogged.

Light is important. The warmth of the house stimulates growth, and if there isn’t enough light,the plant will seek it, growing rapidly and weakly with spindly growth. Light is what drives all the energy producing processes and therefore everything else that’s going on in the plant.

Thanks all ! I've watered it and it seems to have perked up slightly so will see how it goes and I won't water as much in future.

They do appreciate some feeding too, not a lot though, ( I use a mix of coffee\tea dregs and either rainwater or tapwater that has 'stood' for a few days)

Check where the plant grows naturally, some don't want direct light (like orchids and jungle climbers). We've kept a monstera\type alive for, it must be, 30 years in the light but not sun. and benign neglect.

Of course it can sometimes be difficult to replicate the conditions in the nursery where they have been grown. So it's not necessarily your fault if the plant fails.

Is it on a very sunny windowsill? I find (most) plants prefer to be near light rather than directly in it! The RHS website is a great source of information from professionals.

@ppeatfruit yes! What a difference using rainwater has made to some of my plants!

If my water butt is empty, I find using water that has been sitting in my little watering can for a day or too to be better than straight from the tap , same as the pond I suppose.

How often are you watering? I’d go for every 4/5 days unless it’s something like a succulent.
Give it a good water but make sure later in the day that you haven’t left it sitting in any water.

I leave a bucket out to collect rainwater for mine and I have a soil moisture meter.

Yes, peace lilies like shade I think.

My peace lily went like that after getting too much direct sunlight. They seem to do better in shadier spots, out of direct sunlight. Mine's now doing well in the bathroom!

I have lots of house plants but am not very lucky with peace Lilly. The mistake with watering is to let the plant dry out then totally drown it.

Always water from the bottom and be patient as it takes time for the water to be taken up. This time of year, when light levels are low it will need less watering.

One problem is that overwatering and under watering, both turn the leaves brown. Generally, underwatering the leaves look dry and crispy and if overwatering they look mushy.

Peace lilies need misting on a regular basis too!

@SheWoreYellow

How often are you watering? I’d go for every 4/5 days unless it’s something like a succulent. Give it a good water but make sure later in the day that you haven’t left it sitting in any water.

Gosh! My peace lily gets watered every 2-3 weeks!

Too much water, insuffient or too much light.

We have about 30 houseplants, they really do need treating as individuals, so some are in the bright dry livingroom, others are in the humid and not so bright bathroom etc.

For plants neglect is better than love.

I agree with much less water than you think. In this weather, maybe only fortnightly. I have a jug of tap water which I leave out for a couple of days before watering. Apparently that lets the chlorine evaporate off, and also ensures the water is room temperature. If it's too cold it can cause root shock. I used to kill off house plants regularly but they're started doing very well since I changed the watering regime. I also have a plant mister, and if you're not sure if they need watering you can always mist. Most centrally heated homes are too dry for plants, and you can't really 'overmist'.

OP, if you want a plant that is indestructible get a snake plant (Sansevieria) - they thrive on being left alone, as long as they get enough sun