Why do my houseplants keep dying?

Houseplants fail for a short list of reasons: too much water, too little light, and being expected to tolerate a position they are not adapted to. Almost every rescue starts with checking the soil and moving the plant closer to a window.

What you'll need

• Pots with drainage holes (optional)
• A watering can (optional)

Step by step

1. Check the soil before every watering, without exception.Push a finger in a few centimetres. Damp means wait. Watering on a schedule rather than by checking is the leading cause of houseplant death.
2. Make sure every pot has drainage holes.Decorative pots without holes drown roots. Keep the plant in a plastic nursery pot inside the decorative one and lift it out to water.
3. Never let a pot stand in water.Empty the saucer twenty minutes after watering. Roots sitting in water rot, and rotting roots cannot absorb water, so the plant looks thirsty.
4. Be honest about the light.A metre from a window is dramatically less light than on the sill. Most rooms are far darker than they appear, since eyes adjust and cameras do not.
5. Match the plant to the position, not the other way round.Snake plants, pothos and ZZ plants tolerate low light. Most flowering plants and succulents do not, and no amount of care compensates.
6. Water less in winter.Growth slows and the plant uses far less. Watering at summer frequency through winter kills a great many houseplants.
7. Keep them away from radiators and cold draughts.Both dry plants out fast and cause sudden leaf drop. A windowsill above a radiator is one of the harshest positions in a house.
8. Repot every couple of years.When roots come out of the drainage holes or water runs straight through. Fresh compost restores nutrients and structure.

Tips

• Yellow lower leaves usually mean overwatering; crispy brown edges usually mean underwatering or dry air. The two are frequently confused.
• Group plants together. It raises local humidity, which most common houseplants originally evolved with.
• If you kill everything, start with a pothos or a snake plant. Both tolerate neglect and both tell you clearly when something is wrong.

Common mistakes

• Watering on a fixed schedule — Plants use different amounts depending on light, season and temperature. Checking the soil takes two seconds and prevents the most common cause of death.
• Using pots with no drainage — Water collects at the bottom and roots rot. It is the second most common killer after overwatering, and often the cause of it.
• Buying a plant for a spot without checking its light needs — No amount of watering or feeding compensates for insufficient light. Match the plant to the position.

Questions people ask