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3 Steps to Quickly Save your Overwatered Succulents

August 9, 2024May 23, 2021 by thegirlwithashovel

Overwatered. The one word that every succulent owner comes to know and fear at least once during their plant journey. But don’t worry. An overwatered succulent is on the path to dying, but by immediately doing these three steps, you might be able to preserve at least a part of your beloved plant! So here are the three things you need to do as soon as you notice that your succulent has been overwatered.

*Note: For those of you who want to watch all of the steps, here is my video where I go through exactly what you need to do to save your over-watered succulents!*

Step #1: Prepare the Roots

Take your succulent out of its current pot and remove as much of the soil as possible from its roots. This can be done by holding your succulent above a bowl or a tray and gently massage the root system to allow the soil to fall into the tray. If your soil is very wet, then you might have to support some of the roots to keep the wet soil from ripping the roots off when it falls.

Another way to gently remove soil from the roots is to use water to wash off the soil. This is best done outdoors with a hose to avoid getting soil down an indoor drain system.

Depending on how much root rot has occurred, some of you might still have a root system to work with, while others of you might not have any root system left. This is seen when the stem of the plant is mushy and separates from the root system easily. However, if you do have a root system remaining, then let any roots lightly air dry in a warm location for about 20 minutes to an hour. Make sure that this succulent (and its roots!) stay out of direct sunlight!

Step #2: Remove Dead Portions

If you have a root system that is still attached to your plant, then simply trim off and remove any black or mushy roots. Then pour hydrogen peroxide over the roots that remain. The hydrogen peroxide will help kill any bacteria rot in the roots!

If you don’t have a root system left, then assess the stem of your succulent. Trim off any portion of the stem that is discolored. This should leave you with only a top portion of the plant remaining. If the majority of the stem is discolored, try to take off a few of the best-looking leaves to prepare for the third and final step. Try to take leaves from the top of the plant as these are always the last to become affected by overwatering. Just keep in mind that you will want to try to choose any fully-formed leaves as leaves that are just starting to grow from the top won’t be as easy to propagate.

Step #3: Repot or Propagate

If your root system is still intact, then let it lightly dry out before repotting. When placing it back into soil, you will want to correct any issues that were causing it to be overwatered. Three things that you can adjust is to either repot your succulent into a smaller pot, repot it into a pot with better drainage (either switch to a clay pot, a pot with larger drainage holes, or both!), or repot it using a lighter soil (such as a cactus and succulent mix, or a perlite mix).

For those of you who only have a stem or leaves left, then you will need to start by drying your cuttings out for a few days (1-2 days away from direct sunlight). Then propagate them by using the instructions found in my post How to Propagate Succulents.

Another great tool to help you avoid overwatering in the future is to use a soil moisture meter. I have personally never overwatered a single plant since purchasing this soil moisture meter! It really is a game-changer!

Well I hope that this process goes well for you and your succulent. It can be a very delicate process as you save your succulent from being overwatered. I hope that this 3-step process has helped you to have success. And once again, be sure to buy a soil moisture meter to prevent this from ever happening again!

Please leave any additional comments or questions below and sign up for my email list to receive even more tips and tricks to help keep your houseplants alive!

Happy Digging!

How to Stop Over Watering your Succulents

August 9, 2024January 25, 2021 by thegirlwithashovel

I get it. You buy a succulent, you lovingly water it, and then three days later it has died… What went wrong?! Then you discover the ugly truth. You’ve been over watering your succulents! Don’t worry. We’ve all been there. But how exactly do you stop? And how do you keep your little guys alive?! Keep reading, cause I’ll show you exactly how to stop over watering your succulents!

There are a couple of different reasons why your succulent is being over watered. First, it could be because you are simply adding too much water to its pot.

Reason #1: Using Too Much Water

To fix this, only add small amounts of water each time you are watering.

Sounds simple, right?!

Well, it can actually be super difficult if you’re using a regular watering can to water those tiny little pots.

This is why it’s BEST to water your succulents with one of these!

These succulent watering bottles are designed to give you the ultimate control over how much your succulent is watered. It also has a small nozzle, which positions the water stream to exactly where you want it! No more wet succulent leaves, and no more wet plant shelves!

Reason #2: Not Enough Drainage

The next thing to consider with over watering succulents is how fast your water is draining out of its pot.

In a succulent’s native habitat, water will move quickly into, then out of a plant’s reach. This is done either through the water quickly sinking down through the sandy or rocky soil, or water will escape through evaporation due to the sun’s heat. Either way, the soil does not stay wet for long.

Which means… succulents are not accustomed to having their roots constantly wet. In fact, they’re used to having moderately dry roots.

Because of this, we need to allow the water in our own pots to move down and out of the soil.

To do this, we will need:

Soil that drains well
Pots that drain well

Well-Draining Soil

For well-draining soil, either amend regular soil with sand and perlite (at a rate of 1/3 soil, 1/3 sand, and 1/3 perlite), or consider purchasing a pre-mixed soil, such as this cactus and succulent soil!

Well-Draining Pots

To have well-draining pots, first make sure that your pot’s soil-to-root ratio is correct. (A.k.a., don’t use a large pot for a small succulent). This is extremely important!!!

If your succulent is small, use a small pot.

Also, look for shallow pots. Don’t purchase anything too deep.

Then, make sure that your pots have drainage holes!!!

I can’t stress this enough! Succulents NEED pots with drainage holes!

If you want to group your succulents together, get a pot that is specifically made for grouping succulents. These will be shallow, wide, and have drainage holes. Check out these pots for succulent groupings.

And for pot ideas, check out my post on Indoor Plant Pots. Just make sure you pick out pots that are proportionate to the size of your succulents!!!

So remember, add less water, and improve drainage of your soil and your pots! If you do all of these above steps, you will never over water your succulents again! Let me know if you have any more succulent-related questions in the comments below! And for more succulent tips, check out my post on Succulent Care, or my post, How Often should I Water my Succulent?!

Happy Digging!

Common Problems with Christmas Cactus and How to Fix Them

August 9, 2024January 10, 2021 by thegirlwithashovel

Isn’t it frustrating when your plant (that looked so great at the store!) comes home and slowly starts looking like it’s about to die?! If this is the story of you and your Christmas cactus, just know that it’s okay.

You are not the only person who has a hard time keeping this tropical cactus alive…

And today, I’m going to show you the five most common problems people run into with their Christmas cactus. Knowing these problems and implementing their solutions will turn your dying Christmas cactus back into its glorious cactus self again soon!

Problem #1: Your Christmas Cactus’ Leaves are Limp & Droopy

Cause #1: There are two different reasons why your Christmas cactus’ leaves are limp and droopy. The first reason is if it is currently flowering. Producing flowers takes a lot of energy away from the plant and many people have said that their plants become droopy during and just after flowering.

Care: If this is you, then simply wait until your plant has finished flowering, then make sure to let it rest for a few weeks with no fertilizer and only little water. Only water it when the soil is dry to the touch. After these few weeks, you can then resume your care as normal.

Cause #2: The second reason for limp or droopy leaves is because of improper watering. This is also a cause for wilted or shriveled leaves. So if your plant’s leaves are limp and droopy, and it isn’t currently flowering, then improper watering is the cause.

Care: Refer to the next section for shriveled or wilted leaf care.

Christmas Cactus Limp Leaves — Image courtesy of Garden.org

Problem #2: Your Christmas Cactus’ Leaves are Shriveled or Wilted

Cause: Christmas cactus leaves will wilt and shrivel up when the leaves aren’t getting enough water due to improper watering. This can be from either over-watering or under-watering. Feel the soil several inches below the soil surface, or use a soil moisture meter to determine if your soil has been kept too wet or too dry.

Care #1: If your soil is too wet, then you will most likely have damaged roots. You should immediately re-pot your Christmas cactus into fresh soil that is only lightly moist. While re-potting, trim off any black or mushy roots and pour hydrogen peroxide over the root system. This will kill any remaining bacteria before you place it into fresh soil. Also, take stem cuttings at this time to propagate, following the directions in Christmas Cactus Propagation. This will ensure that even if your plants’ roots die, you will still have cuttings to re-grow your Christmas cactus.

Care #2: On the flip side, if your plant is too dry, then you will need to slowly increase the moisture levels over a few days. Slowly bring it from bone dry back to lightly moist. You will know you’ve been successful when your plant’s leaves perk back up! Just be sure that you don’t end up over-watering your plant at this time. Remember, let it barely dry out before you water it again.

Also note that if your plant’s soil is hard and difficult to press your fingers into, then you will need to re-pot your plant into fresh, well-draining soil, such as a cactus and succulent soil or a regular soil mixed with additional sand or perlite.

Problem #3: Your Plant’s Leaves are Pale or Red

Cause: Christmas cactus leaves begin to turn pale and then get a slight red tint if they are getting too much direct sunlight. The red tint can be pretty (and harmless in the right settings), but make sure that it isn’t getting burnt. Remember, these plants are tropical cacti, not desert cacti. So they are used to a very moist heat, not a dry heat like what you find in a home window. So if your leaves are turning a pale greenish-yellow color, or are excessively red, then it’s too much hot, direct sunlight.

Care: Move your Christmas cactus out of any direct sunlight. Indirect sunlight will be fine, but try to avoid any direct sunlight for at least a little while.

These plants can eventually become accustomed to higher light levels, but this would take a lot of acclimatizing. Instead, I would suggest you take the easier route and simply move it away from the hot sunlight.

Problem #4: You Christmas Cactus’ Stems are Falling Off

Cause: The reason why your plant’s stems are falling off is because of root- or stem rot at the base of the plant. This always happens as a result of over-watering.

Care: Follow the care instructions for over-watering under the “Wilted or Shriveled Leaves” section (Problem #2, Care #1). This will tell you exactly how to care for a plant that has been over-watered.

Problem #5: Flower Buds Fall off Before they Fully Bloom

Cause: Christmas cactus flower are notorious for being overly-sensitive. The reasons why your buds fell off could be because of your plant getting too dry, staying too wet, or because it recently moved locations.

Care: When your plant is in bud, make sure to keep your watering schedule consistent. But, if something comes up (or you’ve just recently brought your plant home) and all of its buds fall off, sit tight.

Let it rest for a few weeks, keeping it a bit more dry than usual, and give it a chance to set new buds. Sometimes if it is healthy enough, a Christmas cactus is able to produce a second set of blooms. So don’t get frustrated! Your little plant might just need a bit more time!

Those are the 5 most common Christmas cactus problems and how to fix them! Please let me know below if you have any questions or additional comments, and join my email list to get not only a special welcome gift, but to also receive all the latest tips and how-to’s straight to your inbox. Then, for more info on how to take care of your plant, check out my post, Christmas Cactus Plant Care!

Happy Digging!

problems with christmas cactus pinterest image

Top 5 Worst Herbs to Grow Indoors

August 9, 2024December 2, 2020 by thegirlwithashovel

We’ve all been there… bought a new plant baby, lovingly watered and nurtured it, gave it the perfect spot,… then cried as it withered away and died despite all your hard work. Been there, done that. So let’s just get this out in the open. Not all plants like being indoors. Some like more sun, others like the temperature fluctuations that come with the outdoors, others just need better air circulation… So let me help you stay away from those sad plant deaths and tell you which indoor herbs are the hardest to grow indoors.

*Note: These herbs can still be successfully grown indoors, but they will have more indoor plant deaths than their easy-to-grow herb counterparts. If one of your favorite herbs is on this list, you might just need to do some extra research before purchasing one of these plants for growing indoors.*

Worst Indoor Herbs #1: Basil

Basil is one of those herbs that everyone has because it’s so useful, but that dies in a lot of people’s care. This is because basil plants need a lot of sun to grow well, and a lot of water to keep it happy in the sun. When caring for my basil plant, I noticed that I had to water it at least once EVERY DAY during the summer to keep it happy. And with it being in the brightest spot in the house, it STILL produced small leaves. So that’s why it’s on my list of worst herbs to grow indoors… it needs a LOT of attention and is very difficult to produce those large, tasty leaves that are so much easier to grow outdoors.

Quick Tip: If you still want to grow basil indoors, try out one of the smaller-leaf basil such as a Thai basil. This will be easier to care for and will grow better indoors.

Worst Indoor Herbs #2: Cilantro

Cilantro makes the list of worst herbs to grow because it also needs a LOT of sunlight to grow. Most indoor cilantro plants that I see all have small leaves and are stretched because they aren’t getting enough sunlight. In order for cilantro plants to produce well, they need to have lots of sun and lots of space, which makes them one of the worst herbs to grow indoors.

Quick Tip: If you still want to grow cilantro indoors, then grow them in large flats and put in plenty of seeds. Then start another tray 4-6 weeks later, and maybe another tray after that. Then make sure that your cilantro has a dedicated grow light. This will help you feel okay about over-harvesting since you will have other trays growing. You will also be able to harvest each tray at once and before it begins to bolt (aka flower). This method of having different trays at different development stages (and each with their own light) is one way to successfully grow cilantro indoors.

Worst Indoor Herbs #3: Italian Parsley

Just like cilantro, parsley makes this list of worst herbs to grow indoors based on the amount of light that it needs to produce large, harvest-worthy leaves. Indoors, parsley needs to be placed in a sunny window, and will need to be turned every other time that you water it to ensure even growth. Even with this, it might still not produce large enough leaves. Then it will need a dedicated plant light to stimulate large leaf growth.

If you want to grow parsley indoors, then I would suggest you use a curly leaf parsley (as opposed to flat-leaf parsley, such as the common Italian parsley). Curly leaf parsley is usually a bit easier to grow and will give you a better harvest than the flat-leaf parsley.

Worst Indoor Herbs #4: Dill

Dill is actually pretty easy to grow, however, this plant gets huge! Unless you’ve got a spare 3-4 feet to give this herb, then you won’t be able to keep it in your windowsill herb garden!

To grow dill indoors, try a fern-leaf variety, which will only grow to about 1.5-2 feet in height. You’ll still need to give it some space, but at least this smaller size is more realistic for an indoor plant.

Worst Indoor Herbs #5: Fennel

Fennel is one of the worst herbs to grow indoors because, like dill, it is also huge! Most fennel plants can reach up to 6 feet in height! I don’t know about you, but I DEFINITELY don’t have this type of space in my home! So while you can grow it from a small plant indoors, you’ll eventually want to bring it outdoors. This will allow the plant to have enough space to grow its large, onion-like bulbs (that are also edible!).

There aren’t really any options to grow this herb indoors, but if you want to overwinter it, you can grow it in large, deep pots outdoors during the summer. Then in the fall, cut it back to a few feet in height and bring it indoors. This way, it can continue to stay warm and grow throughout the winter. You can continue to harvest the leaves all winter long as it grows, and then simply move it back out the following spring before it really begins its spring-time growth.

Those are the 5 worst herbs to grow indoors! These herbs have been selected based on personal experience, as well as selected based on many other comments and suggestions made by others who have had difficulty with these plants.

IF you have difficulty growing herbs indoors, then I would suggest you get one of these indoor herb kits! These are simple, table-top systems that make growing herbs as easy as pushing a button. Seriously… these kits are amazingly simple and effective!

If you have any other questions or comments to help with the indoor growing of these plants, please share! And feel free to sign up for my email list for even more amazing tips and tricks for your indoor plants!

Happy Digging!

Plant Propagation

September 20, 2020 by thegirlwithashovel

Succulents

September 20, 2020 by thegirlwithashovel

Gardening

September 20, 2020 by thegirlwithashovel

Outdoor Plants

September 20, 2020 by thegirlwithashovel

Indoor Plants

September 20, 2020September 20, 2020 by thegirlwithashovel

3 Simple Steps to Grow Roses from Cut Flowers

August 9, 2024July 15, 2020 by thegirlwithashovel

Grow Roses from Cut Flowers Featured Image

Hey everyone! And welcome again to another awesome post! Today I wanted to talk about how you can actually grow roses from cut flowers! Like actual rose bushes from your bouquets! Let’s get started!

So first, I have to admit, when I heard about this cut flower-to-plant idea, I was pretty skeptical. I did some research and saw that yes, some people were actually having success growing their roses into plants, and after several months of testing, I finally did as well. But you have to do it right, or you’ll just end up with a bunch of dead stems…

Here are the 3 steps:

Prepare your Cutting
Root in Water
Transplant in Soil

Step 1: Prepare your Cutting

In order to be successful, you NEED to have a good, healthy cutting. Select a cut flower that hasn’t begun to wilt yet. Also, make sure that the stem doesn’t have any brown portions in the middle.

For this post, my cutting’s leaves had a bit of yellow in the veins. I normally prefer them to not have any yellow in the leaves, but they were the only cut flowers I had at the time… that being said, I only kept the best leaves on each stem…

How to Grow Roses from Cut Flowers - Step 1: Prepare your Cutting

Next, cut off the main flower. I know this can be hard to do, but trust me… the cutting won’t have enough energy to continue to bloom and to grow a root system.

Also, try to cut just above a node on the stem. (A node is where there is a growing point… usually where a set of leaves connect to the stem…)

Once you’ve cut off the flower, find the section of the stem that is the older, more woody section. The section of young growth that connects to the actual flower WILL NOT root. So make sure that you use the older base of the stem and not the young, flexible stem at the top.

Remove the majority of the leaves from your stem. I like to leave 1-2 branches of leaves, but this should only contain about 2-3 leaves in total. If there are any large leaves, cut them off, or trim them to be smaller.

Then, cut the bottom of your stem at a 45 degree angle. This angle will maximize the area of stem that is in contact with your water and will maximize the area that is available to root!

How to Grow Roses from Cut Flowers Step 1: Cut base at 45 degree angle

Last, cut light, superficial slits (just a scratch) up the sides of your stem. This will also increase the area that is available for more water to enter the plant and for more roots to form!

Step 2: Root the Cutting

Over the past year or so, I’ve experimented with several different types of rooting methods: in soil, in straight water, and in a hydroponic-style system. Rooting stems in soil proved to be difficult to keep the soil moisture levels evenly and lightly moist, so the BEST way to root stems was definitely in straight water or using a hydroponic system.

To root your cuttings in water, simply place it in a thin, tall container of water and make sure that all of your leaves stay dry. Switch out the water every few days to keep it aerated and free from bacterial growth. Then simply wait several weeks for either roots or scar tissue to form.

Grow Roses from Cut Flowers Step 2: Root in Water

A hydroponic system also works well for rooting our cuttings. Watch the video below for an easy, effective way to root your cuttings using a plastic pot, perlite, and a large plastic bag. Just be sure to change out your water every few days with this system as well.

Step #3: Transplant in Soil

Once your cutting has rooted, transplant it into a pot with soil. To have a successful transition, keep the soil from completely drying out in between watering for the first few weeks. The longer it has been in the soil, the more dry it can stand to be between watering. Your final transition should be to let your soil dry down to the top 1 inch in between watering, but this should only be done once the cutting has fully rooted (from several weeks to months depending on how many roots your cutting had when it was placed in soil).

If you are planning on planting your cutting outdoors, then make sure that it has fully rooted and has some new growth before you move it outdoors. Then, place it outdoors for only a short period of time. Then slowly increase the time it is outdoors until it is used to being outdoors 24/7.

One more thing to consider is that your variety of rose might not do well in your particular climate. Try to keep it out of hot, direct sunlight if you live in hot climates. On the flip side, bring your plant indoors or wrap it to give it additional protection from freezing temperatures. If you want to know which rose varieties will do well in your area, check out this map that shows which roses do best in different regions of the USA! (For all my readers outside the USA, you can still compare the USA hardiness zone and climate to your own local conditions!)

That’s it! And remember, the success rate is going to be low because of the anti-rooting chemicals they use on roses before they are shipped. This is why rooting your cut roses will take a lot longer and will be less successful than if you were to simply root a cutting from a bush. If you’re lucky enough to have a cutting though, check out my post on the Easiest Method to Grow Rose Bushes from Cuttings! Good luck, and let me know in the comments how it goes! Then feel free to subscribe to my email list to receive even more awesome tips and instructions for your plants!

Happy Digging!