How to Revive Wilted Plants
Why is my houseplant wilting?
At first blush, watering a houseplant feels like it should be easy. Just add water right? For many plants this is true since they will adapt to a very wide range of water levels. But some plants can be very particular about the amount of water they are getting. While the amount of water is crucial, sometimes it can be difficult to diagnose if the problem is too much or too little water, and guessing wrong will make the problem worse. So here are a few tips to properly diagnose a wilted plant.
Check the soil. Too dry of soil will be light brown, dry to the touch, hard, and may have shrunk and pulled away from the pot. If, however, you touch the soil of the wilted plant and find mushy, soggy, waterlogged soil, the plant has actually wilted because of too much water.
In the case of dry soil, the solution is pretty easy. Literally just add water. If the soil is so dry that it pulls away from the pot, add a little bit of water slowly over time to allow the soil to absorb it. Otherwise, the water will just run out the bottom in the newly created gap between the soil and the pot. Keep adding water slowly until the soil has expanded back to the edges of the pot.
In the case of waterlogged soil, we need to stop watering the plant and let it dry out. Just like animals, plants have to exchange gasses like oxygen and carbon dioxide too. If the roots have been in soggy soil they can suffer from not being able to “breathe.” In this case, the top of the plant couldn’t get water because the roots quit sending the water upstairs. Dump out any standing water and let the plant dry down so that the soil regains some air space for the roots.
All plants have different water needs. Different species, different potting media, different rooms with different drafts mean that each plant needs individualized water levels. In the future, feel the soil and lift the pots to gauge moisture needs before adding water. This will help you add the right amount of water to every pot.
Check humidity. Some plants need higher humidity than a typical human residence. These plants lose too much moisture to the air and cannot take up enough from the soil even when adequately watered. Often this is because the plants are adapted to a tropical environment and have no mechanism to not lose water to the air. However, there’s no need to move to the tropics or humidify your whole house. It is possible to increase the humidity of the plants microclimate. One way is to place the potted plant on a small tray of gravel and fill the gravel tray with water. The water from the gravel tray will evaporate into the air immediately around the plant increasing the humidity only near the plant. Setting the pot on top of the gravel, instead of directly in a dish of water keeps the roots from being too saturated. The other solution is to buy a small spray bottle with a mist setting and mist the air near the plants as needed to keep the humidity up. This is a bit more labor intensive but allows more control, and some people like to spend the time every day tending to their plant friends.
Check the stem, crown, and roots. In some cases, especially if there were a few episodes of overwatering, the roots may have developed root rot or the plant may have developed crown/stem rot.
For crown or stem root, look carefully at where the plant meets the soil. If you notice black slimy spots, brown necrotic patches, or shriveled stems, the water isn’t able to make it all the way to the top of the plant because of disease and damage.
To check for root rot, carefully pop the plant out of its pot and examine the roots. If they are brown or black and slimy looking, root rot is likely to blame. The roots are diseased and not sending adequate water to the top of the plant.
Root rot is caused by opportunistic bacteria and fungi which is tricky to fix. First make sure the soil isn’t over-saturated. In the case of stem or crown rot, you may need to remove the most infected plant parts if possible. If the main stem is infected then chemical treatments are likely the only option. You may need to treat the plants with fungicide or bacteriacide from a local nursery or home supply store. Read the label carefully and follow the instructions. More is not better! Also if these are indoor plants, make sure the chemical you are using indicates it is safe to use indoors. Follow the precautions on the label and make sure to keep out of reach of kids and pets while the plant is being treated. Repeat per the product’s instructions as needed until the plant is recovered. A word of warning: if a plant is very diseased, it might not be salvageable.
Check for insects. Some insects like aphids or mites can suck so much life out of the plant that it will begin to wilt. Aphids can be easily spotted clustered on the underside of leaves. Mites can be too small to see with the naked eye but the leaves will look stippled and discolored, or in the case of spider mites the webbing will be visible. Sections of plant that are too far gone can be pinched off. The rest of the pests can be blasted off with a strong jet of water, or killed with insecticides from a nursery or home supply store. Again follow the instructions on the product carefully, and if an indoor plant, make sure the product label indicates it is safe to use indoors.
Proper watering is an ounce of prevention. It is much easier to pay attention and carefully find the right amount of water for each of your plant friends than it is to correct the problem once it has developed. Pick up your pots occasionally, stick your fingers in the soil, and get a good feel for your plants' water needs- it is totally worth it.
