What’s Wrong with My Succulent?!

Succulents: While interesting and trendy, these plants can be quite the little trouble makers.

People love to say how easy succulents are, but we know they can be a bit tricky. We’ve collected the most common succulent symptoms to help you figure out what is wrong with your succulent and how to fix it!

If the tips of your succulent’s leaves are yellow and shriveled:

You are most likely under-watering your succulent. If you’ve been hesitant about watering your succulent for fear that you may overwater it, do yourself a favor: Take a deep breath in, and let it out.

Now; let’s water that succulent! You’ll want to water the plant thoroughly at the base, then keep the soil about as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Once your succulent starts looking healthier, proceed with normal watering’s. Soak the plants soil and allow the water to run out of the pot’s drainage hole. Make sure to empty the water in the saucer. Allow the soil to dry out before giving another hefty watering. Repeat when necessary (every 2-3 weeks).

If your succulent is leaning toward the window or stretching out:

It’s time to move your succulent! If your plant is stretching out (too much space in between leaves) or leaning toward its light source, your succulent is trying to grab as much light as they can! Simply place your leafy friend in brighter light or consider adding a grow light above your plant to stimulate normal growth.

*Word to the Wise- Sudden increases in light can burn your plants leaves* When adding more light to a succulent, do it gradually over a span of a few days or weeks so that you don’t accidentally scorch your plant. Check out this video here to learn more about common succulent issues, including those that are getting leggy from stretching.

If your succulent’s leaves are drying out at the base:

Relax! While dry leaves would concern any loving plant parent, shriveled or crispy leaves at the base of your succulent tend to be relatively normal. The withered leaves at the base of your succulent actually shade and insulate the stem of your plant!

If you don’t like the look of it, you can pluck them off, but they won’t harm your succulent!

If your succulent looks bleached:

While we won’t judge bleached hair -we’ve all gone through that phase- we don’t suggest bleached plants! Too much light tends to dry out your plant, so opt for a spot in your house where the light isn’t too direct! 6 hours of light a day will suffice for your succulents to thrive.

If your succulent’s stem looks soft and mushy:

You may have overwatered your plant. Overwatering is a very common means to an end for succulents, so don’t be too hard on yourself!

If you think you may have gone a little water-happy on your succulent, try taking cuttings from the healthy part of your plant and repotting them. These cuttings will grow new succulents, and you can try again!

If you have tiny insects on your succulent:

EEEK! While no one want bugs on their plants -unless they’re ladybugs, ladybugs are cute- this tends to happen every now and then. Try an insecticidal soap for getting rid of aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies!

Be a Succulent Succa!