I now have a "brown" thumb

[sfreeman8]

In my old house, I had so many green plants, it was like a jungle in there. I had trees, every window had a hanging plant, every window sill had a plant or two, etc.

When we moved to this place, slowly my plants all started dying. Nothing I have done saves them. I was down to my very large containers (3) of snake plants....you know, the ones that  are almost impossible to kill. Well, I have 2 leaves in one 16" across pot and 4 leaves in another 16" pot. All the rest have died.

Don't know what's going on but I'm not happy about it. The one snake plant was given to me by my aunts and mom after my uncle died in 1976. It was his and it lived all these years. Now it's on it's "last legs" too. 

I'm also upset that the tree and phils that were given to me by my ex-husband when my mom died just "up and died" within a week last fall. The tree was 12" tall and a few phils back in 2000, but it grew to 6' and hundreds of phils.

This is scaring me. Anyone else have this happen to them?

[Penwoir]

Well I know that plants don't last forever. Did you get a blossoming of baby plants before they died because that's sometimes a sign that they are on their way out. Sometimes old plants are intolerant of change - can't blame them can you. I guess when I reach a ripe old age I won't like change either. In fact, I already don't like change. I get used to it, but I don't like it.

[CharmedPhoenix]

Wow, you too.  In my college dorm I had lots of plants.  I got married and the plants came with me.  They survived a couple of moves then started to die off.  Among them was a snake plant.  One by one the leaves just started to fall over and die.  I killed a bromeliad and even an air plant.  How do you even kill an air plant?!  Between that and my pets I haven't tried house plants.   

The last couple of years though I have pulled off an outdoor kitchen garden.   

[sfreeman8]

Wow, you too.  In my college dorm I had lots of plants.  I got married and the plants came with me.  They survived a couple of moves then started to die off.  Among them was a snake plant.  One by one the leaves just started to fall over and die.  I killed a bromeliad and even an air plant.  How do you even kill an air plant?!  Between that and my pets I haven't tried house plants.   

The last couple of years though I have pulled off an outdoor kitchen garden.   

My kitchen garden even died so count yourself as being lucky. LOL

As for my snake plants, the last one bit the dust yesterday. Now I have dirt plants. 

[catchow]

Have you thought about having the house tested for gas? Thats rather strange that they all are dying at once, and would make me a bit nervous as well.

I find the best windows for growing are the south windows

Did you happen to move in the winter time? Maybe they all got too cold?

Do you have anyone that could take the plants for a few months to see if they can be revived? Ive got a couple christmas cactus's that were my grandmothers, so they are quite old

[swogden]

I've had spider plants for years in my summer home that do well outside in the summer and suffer the winter in a 50 degree house.

But if I brought them home to my condo in the winter, they would falter because the condo is hot and dry (80 degree generally).  I've found that most plants can't stand dry heat so I no longer try to keep live plants in the condo. 

Have you checked with a local plant store to see whether they can offer you some advice and/or plants that are native to the area you are in.

[sfreeman8]

Thanks for some answers but I have decided not to bother getting any more plants unless they're silk plants. They seem to do well.

I've thought it might be too dry in here but we had to buy a dehumidifier a few years ago because we were starting with some mold on the bedroom with the master bath and summer. In the winter, it's really dry in here so I bought aluminum roasting and square cake pans to put under the pots and would put water in them to keep some humidity in the air at the plants. Wound up having to do that every day.

I also think it had something to do with our water softener, which uses salt. I noticed a layer of white on the top of one of the plant containers so I started melting snow to take the place of tap water.  I guess it was just too late to help. Oh, well, I'll miss them. 

[dancer139]

I love house plants also,,,,    but I also have a brown thumb    I don't even touch the plants outside LOL  they are taken care of my my other half    Other wise everything would die