Have you asked yourself recently, why is my houseplant drooping?!?! We all know how much love, care, and dedication you put into nurturing your houseplants. So, we get how hard it is when our green friends aren't doing well.
Creating a houseplant oasis in our home or working spaces offers an uplifting touch of green to our day.
But what if your house plant is drooping? Have you given it ‘too much love’ with water, or maybe you forgot to water it on occasion or might it just be that it's not getting enough sunlight?
In our helpful article, we will help you find the answer once and for all for to the common question, "why is my houseplant drooping and what the heck should I do about it!?!"
Nine times out of ten houseplants wilt because you overwatered. Other causes include underwatering, low humidity, pests, moisture, stress, disease, and fertilizer issues. If houseplants are wilting from lack of water, you may be able to restore them by promptly watering and hydrating before checking other issues.
With that in mind, let’s first discover why your houseplants might suddenly start to droop, wilt, or become limp.
Here are a few of the main reasons why your house plant is drooping. Solving the following issues will fix the problem in almost all cases...
Houseplants That Are Rootbound
One of the main reasons plants might start to droop, wilt or become limp, is when the plant's roots are not free to grow properly.
Often the reason for your houseplant is looking sad and limp is because its pot is too small and that is limiting the amount of water necessary to keep your plant healthy and vibrant.
The plant is not able to sufficiently hold on to the right amount of water it needs to thrive.
"One of the main reasons plants might start to droop, wilt or become limp, is because the plants roots are not free to expand and grow. Simply put, its pot is TOO SMALL."
Too Little Watering
We all know how when we first get a brand new houseplant we lavish it with attention, but after a while, it can be tricky consistently giving it the love it needs.
So it’s easy to forget to water your plants, especially if you are in a busy household. Feeding your kiddos usually comes first. :)
One of the main signs of too little water is that the leaves on your houseplant might look brown, feel limp, or even a little crispy around the edges.
According to a study by the Journal of Tropical Ecology, too little water can stress out your houseplants and the lack of moisture will result in drooping houseplants.
Read on to discover more...
Too Much Water
We can fairly easily understand that plants without enough water may be likely to droop, but is it the same if you water your houseplants too much?
"Too much water is usually the main culprit for why your houseplant is drooping."
When you have too much water, or sometimes soil that is too dense that doesn’t drain effectively, the roots are smothered and are not able to draw in water properly.
Although it may look like the pot has sufficient water, with soil that looks and feels adequately damp, without enough water inside the plant’s tissues, you may start to see that familiar wilted look.
Leaves that are wilting may droop from the stem or have leaves that look closed.
Repotting a plant into looser soil, and possibly trying a larger container might help to avoid drooping.
Check for Pests And Bugs
If you’ve thoroughly checked your plant for signs of overwater or under watering and checked that your plant is in a large enough pot to allow its roots to grow comfortably, pests or bugs may be causing your houseplants to droop.
Take a close look at your houseplant that is drooping and check for signs of insects.
Mostly these little bugs and pests are very tiny, so make sure you look carefully. Pests can often times be found on the underside of the leaf.
Some insects suck sap and are the main culprits for drooping, limp, and lifeless houseplants.
These sap-sucking pests survive on this fluid needed by your plant and when the pests remove this important nutrient, it can lead to a loss of moisture in the soil and internally for your houseplant.
The Most Common Indoor Pests Are...
- Aphids
- Scale
- Mealybugs
- Spider Mites
- Whiteflies
- Fungus Gnats
An aphid is as small as a grain of rice, so it’s important to look carefully and even use a magnifying glass if necessary.
Most pests hide on the undersides of leaves so check both sides of every leaf thoroughly as they can easily be missed.
"Take a close look at houseplantsthat are drooping and check for signs of insects. Here's what they look like..."
Sometimes a wilting plant might be difficult to revive. In most cases with a little bit of love and attention you will be able to restore your houseplant to its former green and healthy glory!
- Repot - remove your houseplant from it's current container. Remove as much of the old soil from the root system as possible and replant in a larger container with fresh soil.
- Revitalize extra dry soil - poke several holes in the surface of the soil and then water. This is called aerating. These holes will allow more water to penetrate the surface of the soil. By doing this you're also breaking up impacted soil that is preventing your plant from getting the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive.
- Try a pebble tray - sometimes houseplants droop because they aren't getting enough humidity. Fill a saucer with small pebbles, add a bit of water, and then place your houseplant on top. Make sure your houseplant isn't sitting directly in the water.
- Mist - another way to add to the moisture and humidity is to use a spray bottle and mist your plant. Misting is good for almost instantly giving your houseplant a lift and aid rejuvenation.
"In most cases with a little bit of love and attention, you will be able to restore your houseplant to its former green and healthy glory!"
So here are two of our best tips on how to prevent drooping houseplants in the future!
- Improve soil's water retention by lining containers with plastic bags. Poke holes in the bags for drainage. Adding organic matter or water-retaining gel granules may also help.
- Don't overwater! Grab a moisture meter so you can tell when your plants need to be watered and most importantly, when they don't.
"Important note: Don't let your plant sit in a pool of water for a long period of time. Over-watering can not only cause wilting and drooping, but it will also cause leaves to turn yellow or pale green."
So there it is! Everything you needed to know about why your houseplants are dropping and how to review them to be strong and healthy plants.
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