The first thing you can do when you notice your plant drooping is to check its soil. “If it's really wet, then overwatering is likely,” Cheshire says. “Just leave your plant to dry out, and in the future, only water it when the top two inches of soil feel dry.”
Solution: Misting, pebble trays, or a humidifier will perk them up. Repotting Shock: Damaged roots can cause droop. Solution: Be gentle when repotting, and give it time to recover. Rootbound: Droopiness + roots poking out the pot = time to repot!
It depends on why your plant is wilting. Different causes require different responses. If you've under watered your plant or have extremely low humidity, you can add water more and/or raise the humidity level around the plant. If you've overwatered, wait until the soil dries out before you water again.
Not enough water
Let's start with the most obvious cause of drooping leaves. If you don't water your plant enough, the soil will become dry, and there won't be enough water for the roots to absorb. Eventually, the pressure in the stems and leaves (turgor pressure) will decrease to the point where the leaves will droop.
While dramatic, wilting is a relatively easy problem to fix. Wilting is a natural response by plants to reduce water loss, and many plants can bounce back if the wilting is treated within a day or two.
1. If a plant is overwatered, it will likely develop yellow or brown limp, droopy leaves as opposed to dry, crispy leaves (which are a sign of too little water). Wilting leaves combined with wet soil usually mean that root rot has set in and the roots can no longer absorb water. 2.
Any dead or dying leaves can be pruned immediately, and it's a good practice to inspect the plant and root ball for any underlying issues. Leaves with slight damage can be trimmed back, especially if it's the leaf tip. If you prefer to remove the whole dying leaf, that's fine too.
Potassium-deficient plants are easily distinguished by their tendency to wilt on dry, sunny days. The overall appearance of the plant is wilted or drooping. Deficient plants will have a stocky appearance with short internodes. Younger leaves' growth is inhibited, and they have small leaf blades.
Overwatering means yellowing leaves, a general feeling of flop (science calls it wilting!), fuzzy soil, and a pot that feels like it could double as a weight. Underwatering shows itself with crispy leaves, that same sad droop, and bone-dry soil.
Most plants leaves will begin to wilt when they need watered. As long as the leaves have not become crunchy, they will perk up within a few hours. If the plant is still wilting a day after you've watered it, it could be wilting due to over watering.
Gradually infuse moisture into the soil, allowing it to permeate and revitalize the root system. Thorough saturation is the goal, evidenced by water gently seeping from the pot's drainage holes. This measured approach avoids the pitfalls of overwatering while fostering an environment conducive to the plant's recovery.
Leaves may wilt in response to poor drainage, high root temperatures, too much fertilizer, pests and pathogens, spiraling roots that are constricting themselves, and/or compacted soils. Several of those issues are a problem for the plant because of poor oxygen availability in the soil, which can lead to root hypoxia.
Wilted greens such as lettuce, kale, and chard can be revived with a cold water bath. Before composting leafy greens that seem to have lost their pep, take a few simple steps to bring them back to life. For lettuce: cut the base about 1/2", or separate leaves from base entirely.
During spring and summer in Southern California, she suggests drip watering three times a week for 18 minutes, then adjusting from there if the soil is too wet or dry. Don't know how to tell? Stick your finger in the soil. If it's consistently moist 2 inches down, your plants are fine.
The good news is that most plants will bounce back between 7-14 days if they're given proper care (which includes rehydration). If this isn't possible because major damage was done or little healthy root system exists then expect about 2 weeks until improvement can be seen.
If you have a wilting plant the first thing you want to do is give it a thorough watering. You can accomplish this by putting your plant in the sink, or adding watering for anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes (depending on pot size and specific plant/soil requirements), letting the water completely drain out of the bottom.
How to check for root rot. The main signs to look out for are: yellowing, wilting leaves, wet soil that isn't drying, black, wet roots, quickly declining health, and stunted growth.
When leaves curl or 'cup' at the tips and the margins, the plant is trying to retain moisture. Any form of downwards curling usually indicates overwatering or overfeeding. Using a flush product removes excess nutrients from your plants and growing media to help fix overfeeding issues.
“If your plant's leaves are looking wilted and yellow, the problem is likely overwatering,” Cheshire explains. “Overwatered leaves will have a very soft, floppy look, because they're waterlogged.” Another, non-water-related reason why your plant might be drooping is because it's not getting enough light.
Fertilize: The most effective way to prevent and treat nitrogen deficiency is to fertilize the soil with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as urea, ammonium nitrate, or fish emulsion.
Wilting isn't always a sign your plant is unhappy, if you're seeing a few wilted leaves near the bottom of the plant it probably just means they've completed their lifecycle. Solution: There's nothing to worry about here. You can snip off the odd wilted leaf or flower with clean secateurs.
Leaf margins curling down, yellowing – overwatering. Leaf margins curling upwards – heat or wind stress. Leaf curling mainly in new growth and in deformed ways – often a disease or insect pest. Middle or old leaves curling and have patchy yellowing but green veins – Magnesium deficiency.
Like wilting leaves, drooping leaves hanging limply from the stem indicate the plant is distressed. However, a drooping plant is not necessarily dry or browning like a wilting plant. Heat and under-watering often cause wilting, but other factors can contribute to droopiness.