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Why are all my houseplants looking sad? Dumb cane, Japanese aralia, and succulent




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Welcome to GoY, Britolina!
I can see the Aralia in your avatar picture, but without seeing the succulent and Dumb Cane, it will be hard to tell what is going on with those two.
As for the Aralia, there are a wide variety of problems that can cause that droopiness. If those blinds are rarely open, it may be as simple as lack of light, and leaving them open a lot more, or moving the plant to a more open exposure may do the trick. Other causes include lack of water, too much water, poor drainage, or being planted too deep. Lacking detailed info on the plant's history, maybe some general growing guides will be helpful:
Japanese Aralia needs good drainage, so when transplanting, it works best to use a fast-draining potting mix, such as "cactus mix". The drainage hole should be covered with a screen--such as counted cross stitch screen--and no rocks or crocks. We Master Gardeners used to recommend the latter "for drainage", but we've discovered that it has the opposite effect.
The soil should dry out to a depth of 1/2 to 1 inch between waterings, and the mix should be thoroughly soaked when it is watered. A bulb baster can be used to suck the excess water out of the saucer underneath after watering--leaving the pot sitting in water can easily cause the roots to rot.
As a houseplant, it needs bright indirect light, to some direct sun: a big, north facing window, with no patio cover, carport, or porch roof outside at minimum, to an east or west facing window.
I hope that this helps, Britolina. You should be able to post up to three pictures on the question, to help us figure out your other problems, and you can reply to us by adding a comment as if you were answering your own question.

19 Mar, 2018

 

I can think of a few reasons why your houseplant don't look their best, especially this time year. Low light. Days are short and the sun is weak. Many plants slow down or just go dormant. You probably have all the windows shut tight and the boiler cranked up, parched desert-like conditions. Use a humidifier or mist the plants daily. You can even place bowls of water around your plant. Spider mites thrive in these condition. Place an electric fan near your plants to keep the air fresh and moving. This will reduce pests and pathogens.

19 Mar, 2018

 

Succulents usually like more sun and less water so it would help to know which succulents you have.

22 Mar, 2018

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