If the general conditions get out of joint, a succulent plant sheds its leaves. Representative species such as money trees and other succulent plants are mostly affected. We have compiled the most common causes with suggestions for solving the problem for you here.
If the succulent loses a lot of leaves, this can be due to too much moisture
Lack of light causes the leaves to fall
Indoor gardeners underestimate the need for light in their succulents. The vast majority of these clever survivors reside in distant lands with 12+ hours of sunshine a day. Allocate the sun-kissed exotics a semi-shady to shady location, the succulents see their existence threatened and throw off their leaves to protect themselves. This phenomenon usually occurs during the dark season. To fix the problem:
- Immediate change of location to a location in full sun on the south window
- Compensate for the lack of light in winter with a plant lamp
The cooler the location in winter, the lower the need for light. Therefore, do not expect your succulents to hibernate in a well-heated living room. In the light-flooded, slightly tempered bedroom, the leaves stay where they belong, even in winter.
Wet substrate causes the foliage to fall
Succulents are characterized by the ingenious strategy of storing water in their leaves, branches and roots. This allows them to thrive in hostile locations around the world. The succulent growth does not imply that the soil should be constantly moist. On the contrary, all succulent plants depend on dry, lean soil. If the roots get waterlogged, leaf fall is inevitable. To get the plant back on track:
- Immediately repot succulents with wet substrate
- Clean the root system completely from the wet soil
- Cut off rotten roots with a sharp, sanitized knife
- Potting in fresh, dry succulent soil
Please do not water the repotted plant. Only after a regeneration of 2 to 3 weeks do you check with a thumb test whether there is a need for watering. Until then, just spray the leaves with soft water.
tips
If the leaves turn yellowish before they fall off, the succulent is suffering from chlorosis. A chain reaction occurs. Hard irrigation water causes the lime content in the substrate to skyrocket, whereupon nutrients are fixed and no longer transported to the foliage. Therefore, use mainly rainwater or decalcified tap water as irrigation water.