why do my plants keep being in bad condition?

soursos

Hello, my plants keep dying even though i really try to be following the intructions of the people in the plant stores i m buying them from. I feel like they will suffer either from too much water, either from too few water. At this point i cant understand what is going on, i uploaded 2 pics of my plants that are doing bad for reasons i cant understand. First of all, apparently the size of the pot was the reason for my overwatering. The bigger one was overwatered, while the smaller one was underwatered. Or at least thats what the (so called?) florist said, since a few plants of mine died right after a few days which he came to say that they were fine. Is the size of the pot more important than the size of the plant for watering? But anyway, my problem remains that even when i stopped watering the overwatered one, and started watering more the underwatered one, i was still having problems, i see leaves keep dying in the smaller one with no new ones growing, some branches even turned yellow, i had to cut 2 of them cause they dried for real and probably i will cut the other one i guess since its following the same pattern. Is the problem now that i switched from underwatering it to overwatering it abruptly or what? About the bigger one, i havent watered it since then and indeed, the mud hasnt seemed to have dried up even after more than a month or so that has passed i think. But then, why does the few leaves that have been left on it start turning yellow too and there are no signs of new growth? I also had a sansevieria and a few cactus that turned mushy and died, apparently that means overwatering, even though i was just following instructions. At this point, i desperately need some proper advice. How to save the remaining plants and how much and how often should i be watering them from now on? I really think that the problem lies on the water, at least for the ones that already died the reason was too much water, besides, there is good temperature in the room, there is some sunlight but not too much on it, and i often open the windows to renew the air. If you could provide some tips for these plants first and foremost, but also overall tips for watering cactus and sansevieria, it would be extremely helpful. Thanks in advance.

B3

It's more about when the plant actually needs to be watered than having a set watering regime. You should poke your finger into the soil and when the top one of two centimetres of compost is dry, then give it a drink. Make sure that any excess water can drain out of the bottom so that the roots don't sit in water.
Are you sure the plant is getting enough light? It looks a bit dark in your photo.

fidgetbones

It looks like lack of light to me as well.

SherwoodArrow

As @B3 and @fidgetbones have said they both need more sunlight and only water when the compost is dry. 

Obelixx

The best way to avoid over and under watering is to dunk the whole pot in a bucket of water so the surface of the compost is just under water.  You then wait till no more air bubbles appear - matter of seconds, not minutes - then leave the pot to drain before putting it back in its cache-pot or saucer so it doesn't sit in a puddle.  

I agree that your plants look starved of light so try and find a better lit position but not in direct sunlight.

soursos

@B3 @fidgetbones @Sunflower26 @Obelixx Thanks for all your responces. When i bought them i was notified that they dont need a lot of light and its better to have them in the spot where they are not hit directly from sunlights. However, when i open the curtains i felt like enough sunlight was entering. Shall i move them to a different spot then, even though this might stress them out, or at least keep more open curtains during the day when i can? Generally, what are the symptoms i should look for in a plant that let me know that they need more light? One last thing, do you all thing i m write in my suspicion that the plant on the first pic needed less water while the one on the second pic needed less?

BenCotto

“ do you all thing i m write in my suspicion that the plant on the first pic needed less water while the one on the second pic needed less?”

Frankly, no. My suspicion is that they need much more light as others have said. My guess is both are over-watered but, again as has been said, the test is to pop your finger in the pot. If there is dampness 2 cm down do not water until that zone feels quite dry.

Obelixx

I put nearly all my houseplants outside for the summer once night time temps are warm enough not to frighten them.    They go on a north facing terrace so plenty of light but no direct sun except for the hibiscus siniensis which can cope with Caribbean sun.

Yours look like jungle canopy plants so need dappled light but not such low light levels that they are unable to photosynthesise effectively and end up looking thin, bedraggled and feeble like yours.

Buttercupdays

Something that might help you, and make things less frustrating, would be for you to understand your plants a bit better. They all need the same things but they need dfferent amounts of them. If you know the plant names, then look them up online and find out where they come from. Then look up those places and find out what it is like to live there as a plant.

Many houseplants come from tropical rainforests, others come from deserts, some from less extreme climates. They have adapted to cope with where they live. Be kind and put them somewhere safe at first,  with good light but not hot sun, and don't feed them if you think they look poorly. Check how much water they need but too little is safer than too much. Don't let any plant sit in water unless it is a bog plant.

If you moved from the rain forest to somewhere more temperate you would feel the cold and be thirsty if the rain seemed to have stopped, but you would hate scorching sunshine. If you came from the desert you wouldn't know how to cope with a flood or have any protection against rotting.

Good websites will tell you what kind of soil the plant needs, how much light or shade or sun, what temperatures are best and how hot or cold they can be before they get ill.

As has been said about water, there are no rules, just needs. It isn't always easy. Leaves go limp if the plant is thirsty or if it is over-watered. The reason is the same though - the leaves aren't getting enough water, either because there isn't any or because the roots are rotting and not working properly.

Start with a couple of plants from the same climate and try to get everything just right for them. Try succulents before cacti, as they are more forgiving if you get it wrong. Read about your plants and watch them too and your experience will grow along with them. After many years I can often look at a plant and tell if it needs watering by the colour or shininess or wrinkliness of its leaves. Use the finger test, water if it is dry, look to see the tiny changes. It's not magic, it's observation and when you love your plants you will do it without knowing that you are learning at the same time