If you are searching for how to fix drooping plants then before that let me tell you it’s a common problem that every plant faces because of various reasons. Wilting can be solved with simple procedure and sometimes if the problem is bigger the solution needs to be propagation and nothing else. So,
How to fix drooping plants : Most Common reason for Drooping plants is due to Low water, overwatering, Fungal infection, Excess Sun and Pest Infestation. To fix Droopy, wilting plants you need to pour water on your plant and it could solve the limp occur due to heat or sunlight. Your plant would definitely revive in a few hours and sit straight again. That’s how I fixed it.
For other problems to fix on wilting, your plant needs to follow my guide & determine what happens to it.
Why is My Plant Drooping?
Most common reason indoor or outdoor plant drooping is due to underwatering and low humidity. When they are placed in an area where the temperature is too high, this happens generally in the summer. Plants get limp easily as the sun makes the soil dry easily. To revive the plant from overwatering you need to pour water on top soil and water until the pot starts to leak some water. provide enough water to your plant and it should reach to all the rootings.
Sometimes a plant may wilt just because it is not getting humidity and they live in a tropical climate where humidity is more in the air. In That case you can add a humidifier and the plant can revive itself again. Using a pot with a saucer where you just need to put water on it and the plant will slowly absorb water whenever they need. This saves your time and lets the plant grow in a low humid environment.
In case of Indoor plants wilting, the leaves generally seems pale, dry and curl up so that could be solved by giving some water to your plant. If not resolved then it can be suffering from root rot or pest. I have discussed most of the problems below including small, large, bulk, green leaves that are drooping with solution.
Table of Contents
Plants droop from too much light
When plants droop from too much light the soil gets dry which affects the root system making leaves curl, limp. It is recommended that if you have indoor plants then giving them bright indirect light works for them. Plants that grow outside may need watering more often and for some plants you may need to pour water regularly.
Also Too much light on plants may burns the leaves, you can see foliage may turn yellow first then drops. Some plants leaves get brown tips if exposed to sunlight. If water is low on the soil the leaves can wilt, curl up to protect itself from the overheating and loss of water. If somehow they protect themselves and again still the plant doesn’t receive the water it will turn yellow, brownish then dries up that leads to drop.
When there’s too much light on plants they need more water. Some succulents may tolerate it but not all, same with vegetables they can tolerate but most commonly they will start drooping until somebody spray water on them or pour water on the whole soil container.
Once they receive water, in a few hours the leaves may come back to the same position and grow. Sometimes if you give water to the plant it still seems droopy for 1-2 days which means your plant may die because of root rot or fungal infection. It can only be saved by propagation and using a new pot and fresh potting mix. It will grow again with a healthy part.
Indoor Plant Leaves Drooping
Plants that are kept indoors in the bedroom, dining hall, and entrance hall may seem to droop due to low humidity. The leaves of those indoors plant get dry that may result in wilting. To fix this you can open the windows for cold air, and use a humidifier in hot summers. There are other options like using saucers under the pot which has water on it, plants roots may absorb water when they are needed.
problems like overwatering may occur when plants grow inside the house. Some people give plenty of water everyday which makes them feel too soggy soil, the roots may find less air circulation, too much water creates root rot issues. That’s why I recommend giving water to plants when the topsoil feels 1-2 inch dry by putting a finger. Sometimes we clearly see the topsoil is dry then we provide water to the plant only that is good for longer growth of plants.
Plants Wilting in Sun
Plants wilting may occur in the sun due to low water in soil or underwatering. Peace lily and areca palm are some plants that may burn leaves in sunlight and some leaves lead to drooping. For that you need to change the location of plants to a bright location which has indirect light. For example: Under the tree, near the shrubs, Shaded area below the balcony.
In full sun your plant leaves may lose a lot of water that results in curling and wilting. This can be solved by pouring water to plants and spraying some water on leaves to provide them with moisture so they don’t lose water and stay green.
How to Fix Drooping Plants
Most Common reason for Drooping plants is due to low water, overwatering, Fungal infection, Excess Sun and Pest Infestation. To fix Droopy, wilting plants you need to pour water on your plant and it could solve the limp occur due to heat or sunlight.
1 . Underwatering
The most common reason for an indoor plant, vegetables leaves to drooping or wilt due to underwatering. Low water on soil always results in wilted leaves. Try to check water by putting your index finger on the soil for about 2 inches. If it’s moist from inside then you don’t need water for a day at least. If the plant is really thirsty and seems droopy and the soil is compactly dried then water your plant immediately to save your plant from dehydration.
If these problems run for days then your plant leaves may turn to brown, leaf tips might start to brown or black. In some plants you may check for dark spots. In vegetables, browning leaves is a common sign of underwatering, but sometimes it can turn to purplish or black.
To fix this problem, immediately hydrate your indoor plant or vegetable. The best time to water the plant is evening or early morning so that its roots can absorb all water. You can still pour water anytime if you see signs of drooping plants. After hydrating, you may find the leaves back to normal, lush, looking healthy in just a few minutes to hours. If the damage by wilting is bigger then it cannot be solved because leaves that are burned, droopy, dried extensively cannot reverse back. Still water would give strength to other leaves to get back and always remember not to forget to lower the water needs of an indoor plant.
2 . How to Fix Drooping Plants : Too Much Heat
Again when your plant is positioned or placed in somewhere that has too much heat or has an excessive amount of sunlight that might stress your plant for water needs. If it doesn’t get water on time you will see leaves drooping. Plants react to the temperature just like human beings, if we feel the hot sun then it makes us sweaty and thirsty for water just like plants feel. Plants’ leaves start to dry and wilt that’s the cause of excessive heat. This also creates uneven demand for water that was not necessary last year. As you know global warming is also a cause of change in temperature and you won’t find the same heat every year if this problem isn’t solved.
To fix this problem, change your plant’s current location to partial shade so it gets protected from Sun as well as shade. It will be normal in a day or two ounces the plant will feel more comfortable in the new place. You also need to change the watering schedule because it now lives in different locations so the water requirement also gets changed. Mostly moist soil would work for indoor plants even for vegetables.
For Winters you can change the location again because some plants might need warmer temperatures and good sunlight. And Don’t place your plant in direct sunlight. I see various problems after a plant gets drooping and it makes the leaves scorch, brown, and spotted.
3 . Provide Additional Support
Some Indoor plants that are born to grow in fencing trellis need support. Also some would need just a wall to support their tall leaves from drooping sideways, it happens when an indoor plant matures and leaves become tall over 15-30 inches in height, they need support after a period of 6 months to one year. Every leaf that grows fresh and gets old needs support after some time. Older leaves drop sideways while the new leaves emerge from the middle or side of the soil and replace the older leaf.
To fix the problem, use a wall, fence, trellis or some stick to provide support to your needy plant. It will surely solve your drooping plant problems.
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4 . Excessively Watered
Too much watered indoor plants or vegetables can be a target for bacteria growth or root rot that could lead to problems like yellowing, dark spots and wilting of leaves. When an Overwatered plant has too much water inside its soil then its roots might not get proper air, that could lead to more challenges as it can’t supply water to the other parts of the plant. Once roots are unable to provide water the leaves won’t get enough water resulting in drooping plants.
To fix this problem, immediately take out all excess water present in the soil, check the bottom drainage hole of the pot for draining issues. Let the soil dry in partial sunlight for hours it will save your plant from this issue. Also remember a plant can be received only if it has partial damage, you can’t save a plant that seems to have rooted fully. A plant’s root is a main supply system, and if it gets spoiled it won’t be correct. Drooping plants can only be fixed when the problem is in minor to medium phase.
5 . Wilting Due to Pests
Problems related to roots, watering, sunlight can be the major cause of wilting of leaves in indoor plants. But if that’s not the cause you may look at the plant’s leaves and see if there is a sign of pests infestation on stems or leaves. Some bugs suck the sap juice and make the leaf pale and droopy. When it happens the stem or leaf section loses nutrition which is important for plants as this consistent supply of nutrition makes the colour of leaves green and make it more healthier.
There are some pests like mealybugs, aphids, spider mites and scales which may create problems which result in drooping plants. Most of these bugs are tiny but they impact and take out most of the sap juice which leads to loss of important nutrition.
They are so tiny that sometimes it hides below the leaf so that we don’t see the area generally and we also don’t check to see if it benefits the pests to infest more stem and leaf sections of the indoor and garden plant.
There are pesticides, insecticide available to tackle these pests as they repel all of them and save our precious plant.
For scale like insects it can only be taken out while for other pests you can apply neem oil spray it works for them.
6 . How to Fix Drooping Plants : Growth Break
Sometimes we don’t really notice but stem bending is another issue that might result in drooping plants. If the indoor plant stem is bent or broken from the middle or bottom it may create problems for one part of the plant. These problems can be identified easily because the broken stem would be the one that has wilted leaves and other stem foliage would be green and healthy.
When this happens your plant gets a growth break in some parts of the leaves and others keep growing. Once the stem broke it cut off the supply of water and nutrients which creates problems for top leaves that’s why it looks wilted and pale.
To fix this problem check if it’s still growing and it is slightly bent and not fully. In that case we can just tie the stem with thread or clean cloth and the damaged part of the stem would automatically recover. It is not the case for every broken stem; some might not recover and you may need to cut off that part so it would not create infection to other parts of the plants.
Just continue giving water and sunlight to your plant. It will heal by itself for that all the very best to you.
7 . Fungus on Soil
I talked about all the possible reasons on why plants droop but if it doesn’t solve your problem then it could be a fungus that can live in soil and absorb all water which leads to no water for plants roots to absorb. This creates underwatering problems which lead to wilting of leaves in outdoor plants.
It rarely happens with indoor growing plants. This fungus called Fusarium takes all the water from the roots but doesn’t damage it.
You can fix this problem by transplanting your existing plant to a pot or container with fresh soil. For Garden, Just place fungicide or use other options to get rid of this fungus.
FAQ
How do you revive a drooping plant?
Droopy plants are not a big problem and it can be solved with simple tips that i am about to provide you here below. I would definitely make your plant green,happy, and healthy again. here are the steps to revive your droopy plants:
If your plant is droopy because of underwatering, then immediately water it fully and let it absorb all water. You may notice in a few hours your plant leaves get back growing healthy.
If your plant is drooping due to Excessive Sunlight then change the location to partial shade where it can live. Also water it so it helps the plant to recover.
For Overwatered Droopy Plants, You need to take all water out and let the soil dry for hours. Once soil is dry, water again but this time less water, don’t make it soggy. Also if you can check the drainage hole it might be blocked that needs to be fixed.
Sometimes Wilting Plants might happen because of Pests infestation that absorb all the nutrients from the leaf stem which result in Dried, Pale, Droopy Leaves.
Also Plants which require additional support don’t stand for long and if not provided proper support it looks droopy and may not grow good enough.
Can plants recover from drooping?
Wilting leaves is very common in plants and it protects the plant from losing more water as this shields the area from sun. After Pouring watering, most plants recover in 2-6 hours from drooping, and if not get back it might be other issues that need to be fixed.
Reasons like Overwatering, underwatering, Excess heat, Water loss, Broken Stem and much more that I have discussed in my article.
Final Thoughts
I hope you get the answer on “how to fix drooping plants” problem and here I talked about all the possible reasons and solutions. I know droopy leaves can be a problem sometimes but with good care you can get rid of these small problems by yourself.
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