TIL that one conversation at a plant swap changed how I grow succulents...

I was at a botany lovers meetup in Portland last spring, and this older lady just handed me a leaf and said 'stop watering so much, they like neglect.' I've killed like 12 succulents before that... now I barely water them and they're thriving. Has anyone else had a random stranger fix a problem you've struggled with for years?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy47528d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah exactly, it's more like finding what that specific plant actually needs instead of just assuming one trick works for all.

claire_ramirez28d ago

Stop coddling those plants. The whole "neglect works" thing is overhyped and not that simple. I've seen people kill succulents just as fast by barely watering them because they get root rot from sitting in wet soil for weeks. You need to actually look at the plant and the pot, not just follow some random lady's advice. If you live in a humid place or use a pot without drainage holes, neglect is gonna kill them slow and sad. I tried that method for months and my echeveria got all mushy and pale before I figured out it needed more light and a different watering schedule. Sometimes those old tips from strangers just trade one problem for another.

shane65528d ago

Wait, hold up. You seriously tried "neglect" for months without checking the soil or pot first? That's wild to me. I'm not gonna lie, I killed a whole lineup of Haworthias that way because I thought "ignore them" meant literally never touching the pot. Two months later they were just crispy husks in bone dry dirt. I think neglect only works if you're checking in every couple weeks, not just leaving them to rot in some dark corner. Your echeveria story got me though, that's a rough way to learn.