While there are many reasons a plant could be drooping, one thing is sure—a drooping plant is an unhappy plant. So if you’re frowning and asking yourself, “Why is my plant drooping?” one of these reasons is sure to be the culprit. Find the source of the problem and save your drooping plant stat!
In this post, we’ll cover:
- Why is My Plant Drooping?
- 1. Lack of Water
- 2. Too Much Water
- 3. Saving Energy
- 4. Weight
- 5. Aging Leaves
- 6. Not Enough Light
- 7. Rootbound
- More Detective Work for Your Drooping Plant
- More Posts About Houseplants
Why is My Plant Drooping?
Let’s troubleshoot. Here are 7 reasons why your plant may be drooping and how to help it perk back up.
1. Lack of Water
When people see a drooping plant, usually, the first thing they do is reach for a watering can. I have a peace lily in my house that I use as my litmus plant. When it droops, I know it’s time to water the rest of the houseplants! It’s always the first to ask for a drink.
Before watering, touch the soil and see if it’s dry. Stick your finger in an inch to ensure there’s no moisture before you water.
Crisp or brown leaves may also indicate a lack of water.
2. Too Much Water
People tend to overwater more than underwatering, so if you touch the soil and it’s still wet, you may be watering too much. Yellow leaves can also be an indication of too much water.
If the houseplant’s soil is still moist, let the plant dry out thoroughly—only water when the plant is fully dry.
3. Saving Energy
Many outdoor plants will droop to save energy and protect themselves. For instance, they dry out quickly when it’s too hot and will wilt. Meanwhile, drooping in cold weather could indicate stress.
When it’s hot out, moisture may leave the leaves faster than the roots can soak it up, causing wilting. However, by the evening, when things have cooled down, the plant should be able to soak up moisture fast enough that the plant perks back up.
Try to keep your plant as comfortable temperature-wise as possible to avoid wilting.
4. Weight
Sometimes, gravity is to blame! If the branches or stems are too heavy for the plant, the plant may begin to droop downwards.
This happens a lot with fruit trees or vegetables like tomatoes. The solution is simple: either harvest the plant, add some support or give the plant a good trimming to stop the drooping.
5. Aging Leaves
Sometimes there’s nothing wrong; it’s just a fact of a plant’s life! The plant could either be completing its life cycle, or some leaves may die. Leaves on the bottom outer edge usually tend to be the oldest.
If you notice older leaves are beginning to droop, cut them off. This encourages the plant to direct all energy to the new growth.
6. Not Enough Light
The plant may not like its spot. If it’s not getting enough light, it may droop since it’s not getting the energy it needs to feed itself. Move the plant somewhere brighter (gradually if it’s a drastic change to avoid stressing out the plant).
7. Rootbound
Plants that are rootbound are outgrowing their pot. In this case, they may not get the nutrients and water needed to support the bigger plant. Repot the plant into a bigger pot.
More Detective Work for Your Drooping Plant
Yellow leaves indicate many things, including overwatering, underwatering, pests, disease, lack of light, etc. But, in most cases, it is likely an indication of overwatering.
If there’s been a sudden change with your houseplants, figure out what has changed. Always check the soil to determine if over or underwatering is the culprit. Changing light, temperature, moisture, weather conditions, and more can cause leaves to drop.
The new soil may be causing issues for the plant. The soil should be designed explicitly for houseplants or containers since it needs to hold lots of water while draining well.
If the pot doesn’t have drainage holes, the water may be collecting at the bottom of the pot and causing root rot.
If you moved the plant’s location and changed the pot, it may not like the amount of sun or temperature of the new spot.
Lastly, having a new home can stress out a plant! Sometimes waiting it out is all you need to do.
Absolutely! Find the source of the drooping plant by looking at the reasons above. If it’s temporary, you may not need to do anything.
When it begins to wilt, it’s easy to turn it back around and save the plant. But if it’s been wilted for a long time, the leaves may be dead. In this case, cut the dead leaves and let the energy be directed to new growth instead.
