Top 5 reasons why your succulents are dying…

1. Insufficient sunlight 

Most succulents require bright direct sunlight. Highly-recommended places are, for instance, car porches and balconies where sunlight is sufficient. At the same time, these places allow plants to be shaded from the rain. 

Signs that your plants aren’t getting the amount of sunlight they need:

• Succulents becoming leggy - Stems being elongated with layers of leaves unusually far from each other (a distance of above 0.5 mm is considered far). The reason behind this is that the plants are trying to gain sunlight and so will stretch towards the direction of sunlight. Sadly, signs of elongation are irreversible :((Thus, when you see your plants starting to stretch towards a direction, place them somewhere with higher exposure to sunlight! 
• Colours of succulent leaves not as vibrant as before - For example, red edges turning pale or green. Besides that, new leaves that grow from the centre may appear yellowish.

2. High humidity 

Succulent leaves dislike being in humid environments, so do avoid placing them in washrooms!

3. Wrong choice of soil

Many may not know that succulents require a kind of soil that is different from those used to grow common house plants. Succulents prefer light and well-aerated soil whereby water can dry up relatively faster. Succulent soil can prevent the roots from being constantly soaked in water, thus preventing the roots from rotting

4. Wrong choice of pot

Succulents prefer to be in pots that are fitting. Planting them in pots that are too large may lead to cases in which the roots may not be able to properly grasp the soil, causing poor growth in their root systems. Pots that are too large in size can also lead to overwatering and underwatering. (Overwatering: We are prone to water more when the pots are big; Underwatering: excess soil may steal the water away from the soil surrounding the roots) 

It is also advisable to choose porous pots such as those made of clay, ceramic or concrete. Besides, we prefer planting them in pots with drainage holes (to allow water to flow out in cases of mild overwatering). 

5. Poor ventilation

Succulents love being in well-ventilated areas - where the breeze gently flows through their leaves 🍃Poor-ventilated areas may cause mold and fungus to grow on the surface of the soil, taking nutrients away from your plants or even causing disease!