Catching Up & A Cry for Help

Posted on by Ilze

Today I finally sat down and spent an entire hour replying to all the blog comments I’ve been meaning to answer for days. I truly didn’t expect it to take so long, but reading your thoughts, memories, and kind words always makes me feel like I’m catching up with old friends. Thank you for taking the time to comment — I see you and I appreciate you!

Now, Please help. 🪴

I’ve always thought of myself as a gardener — I know how to grow carrots, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, and all the outdoor garden goodies. But indoor plants? That’s a whole different universe.

I got Aloe Vera and Peace Lilly for free.. and I took them, but they both don’t look good…

Can you tell what’s wrong with it? When I water it, it perks up and looks great — but only for a few hours. After that, it droops again. I’ve tried not to overwater it (every plant blog warns about that like it’s a crime), but now I’m starting to wonder if it’s something else… The light? The pot? Me?

If you have any tips for reviving a sad-looking Peace Lily (or whatever it might be) also Aloe Vera, I’m all ears.

Ilze

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29 thoughts on “Catching Up & A Cry for Help”

    1. Thank you, Mary! No, I’m not feeding plants! I got them in this stage. Not sure they were like that, but they stayed with a friend for two weeks while we got there to get them…

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    1. I think I’ll re-pot them… Maybe they just need fresh soil.
      Since they were being thrown out after a divorce and had no place in the new flat, giving them a new home — with new soil and new pots — feels like the right thing to do.
      A fresh start for them, just like they’re getting one with me. 🌿

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    1. That’s a great point — I hadn’t thought about the soil going sour, but it would make sense! They’ve had a bit of a rough journey, so a fresh start with new soil and a little plant food might be just what they need. Thank you for the tip — I’ll definitely try re-potting them this week! 🌿🪴

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    1. Thanks, Mandy! 🌱
      A moisture meter sounds like such a helpful tool — I’ve never used one, but now I’m really tempted to get one! What would be the “moisture measure” you are looking for? T Re-potting with fresh compost is definitely on my to-do list now. Thank you for the encouragement!

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  5. Ho Ilze! I love your post. I’m not sure what is going on with your Peace Lily. It looks like you have your Aloe Vera in direct sunlight (south or west facing window maybe?). I have killed a few that way. I would try moving it to a lower light space. Good luck with both of your plants. 💞🤗

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    1. Hi, Anne! Thank you! Peace Lily looks terrible, and Aloe Vere stayed outside in direct sunlight while we came to collect… I think I need to replant them!

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  7. I am absolutely terrible with houseplants so I am probably not the right one to give advice, but it sounds like some of your other readers have great advice, good luck!

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  8. Okay:

    Based on the pics of your plants, it looks like they get quite a bit of light. Here’s the deal about indoor plants.

    The number one killer of all indoor plants is overwatering. Why is that, you ask?

    a. Lighting is the main factor.

    b. Overwatering causes plants to suffocate. You probably have noticed that when you put a plant in a glass of water, it can live indefinitely. That’s because oxygen is exchanged differently in a glass of water versus soil. When soil is over-soaked and plants sit in it, they basically cannot breathe.

    The best way to tell if a plant actually needs watering is through two or three different methods.

    Take a flat butter knife or any metal instrument that is long and flat and drive it down into the soil until it hits the bottom of the pot. Then slowly pull it out. If you find soil sticking to the object, it’s wet and does not need watering. If it pulls out clean, then yep, it needs watering.

    Pick up your pot and see if it feels heavy or light. That will help too.

    If your plant is dry and it’s wilting like I see here, it could also look that way due to overwatering; normally, overwatering gives it a weird, strange green/grey tint to it. However, Peace Lilies are a bit funny and don’t always display that cast of weird color I’m talking about.

    Here’s what I’d suggest you do:

    When it’s wilting, check the soil. You can remove the pot and have a look at the root ball even if you’re not sure if it’s wet or dry. If it’s dry, do the following things once a month. If you have a bathtub, let it soak for a few hours in the tub and then drain the tub to allow the plant to finish draining out of the pot. If you are like me and have only showers, then set it in your shower and shower it in lukewarm water until you see water running from the pot. Then leave it sitting there for a few hours to drain and breathe. They love to have showers!

    If you discover that your plant is sitting in a soaked pot while looking all wilted, the plant may have already hit its failure mode and there may not be any hope for it. Some people will try to repot them in new soil to see if it helps. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.

    Now about lighting:
    When your plant gets a lot of light, it needs more water. Right now, high light is the order of the day in places like where some of us live. You will need to get a rhythm going where you set certain days for watering. But you must check your pot by the suggestion I mentioned above to make sure it’s not sitting in water. Peace lilies are notorious for drinking water during high light situations but then start a downward spiral because they are being oversaturated. You have to find the balance between the two. Use this as a learning tool too.
    You may kill a few of them before you figure it out. Document what you do with the plant each time you are working with it. How much did you water it? How many hours of light is it getting? Which direction is the window it sits next to facing? East, West, South, North. That will help you to determine how many hours of high light it’s getting or how many hours of low light it’s getting. Keep in mind it’s good to monitor and document as you move into the fall and winter as well. Fall and winter will require less water because the sun will be sitting in a different position, thus less high light.

    As for your aloe, don’t water it too much! 😉 🙂

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  9. I’d google the Peace Lilly and see what kind of lighting it needs, some need indirect and not direct lighting. But yeah overwatering can cause root rot, googling to see what they need water wise is a good idea.

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    1. Google is always an option — but sometimes it’s just nicer to ask someone for help 😊 It often feels more relevant than searching alone!

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    1. Thank you! I think it’s time I start gathering some information on indoor plants. I’ve mostly had orchids and ferns before, and they were thriving! 😊

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  12. My Prayer plant was finicky at first, now I keep it moist not wet and it get extra light from my artificial lights. I can’t remember but I don’t think they like full sun. Replanting can also be a big issue. If you haven’t transplanted that is the first step I would take. Maake sure use a houseplant soil that has soil small wood chips or vermiculight in it. As for the for the Aloe Vera, make sure it’s planted in succulent soil and only water when it dries completely. They do like light so a sunny window might work. It the winter you’ll probablly need artificial lighting. Aloe Vera has so many uses, they are great to have around. I’ve had several but have overwatered them all. Also remember to use some fertilizer based on what the plant needs, plants and succulents need a different type of fertilizer. Good luck.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing all these tips! 🌿 That’s really helpful. I hadn’t transplanted any of my plants yet, so I’ll definitely start there — and I didn’t realize how picky they can be about moisture and light balance. I’ll also look into better soil with wood chips or vermiculite like you suggested.

      As for the Aloe Vera — I totally get you on the overwatering part! It’s so easy to love them a little too much. 😄 I’ll switch to proper succulent soil and keep a better eye on drying out between waterings. Thanks for the reminder about different fertilizers too — I always forget they’re not one-size-fits-all!

      Really appreciate the advice 💚

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