At the point when houseplants begin to shrivel it’s where expert advice proves to be useful, so Food 52 enrolled Tara Heibel, creator of Rooted in Design and proprietor of Sprout Home, to help in planing for the the worst—and reverse it.
Similarly as with every single living thing, even the hardiest plants require care, and procedures can change a very much. When you buy new plant you need to become acquainted with it: how extreme it is or isn’t, how much water it truly craves… A plant will experience different cycles and change shape and frame as it develops with you, and some of the time those cycles may resemble the finish of the line. Be that as it may, if you pay attention, you may have the capacity to get on some obvious signs that your plant is sending you before it’s past the point of no return.
When you first bring a plant home
Make sure you understand what it needs in the way of light, water, soil, and other conditions, so that you can provide it the best possible imitation of its natural environment. Then, learn how to read its signals: A plant can go through stress for a multitude of reasons (most of which you have some control over) and it will normally let you know via its leaves.
Dropping and/or changing color of leaves is one of the biggest signs that your plant is in stress. When you notice a change of this kind, however, don’t freak out and overcompensate. Take a moment to analyze the scenario and react accordingly.
What to do if your plant is in crisis:
1. You’ve instantly killed your plant
If you’ve recently repotted a plant, it can experience shock, which should subside in 2 to 3 weeks.
Treatment: Just wait it out. Don’t try to add fertilizer to perk it up, as the potting mix you used for repotting most likely has food in it. A plant can only take in so much food!
2. The leaves are dropping off like flies
If your plant is dropping leaves from the center of the plant (versus dropping leaves on the perimeter), it might not be getting enough light.
Treatment: If you’re not giving the plant the light that it needs, move it closer to a sunny window or buy a plant light.
3. Your plant is paling from green to yellow
If the leaves are turning yellow—almost jaundice-looking—and the center stalk is turning brown and getting a little soft, chances are you might be overwatering your plant.
Treatment: Check to make sure that it’s draining properly (by looking for water in the drain tray), and adjust your watering schedule as needed. If your container has no drainage hole, you can use gravel at the bottom under the soil but that’s just a precaution and won’t guarantee good drainage. Using a good potting soil instead of topsoil for planting also encourages proper drainage. Lastly, remove yellow leaves, as they will not turn vibrant green again—and don’t worry, it’s all for the best.
4. Your plant is turning brown
If the leaves are turning crispy brown from the tips, chances are your plant is drying out.
Treatment: Determine if your plant needs more water by checking the soil, and adjust your watering schedule accordingly. If you have forced air blowing on your plant, or it is getting too much sun, move it into a more habitable environment.
5. Your plant has been invaded
If the leaves are turning colors and you see webbing or new bumps protruding from your plant, check for bugs. There are a multitude of bugs that could be munching on your plant such as mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects, and aphids.
Treatment: Determine if there are bugs and which kind they are by comparing with pictures online, then treat your plant with an appropriate organic insecticide.
6. Your plant just won’t grow
If your plant looks lackluster in general and isn’t growing very readily, figure out when you last fertilized it. We’re now getting into the warmer growing season when plants need some food; yours might be hungry!
Treatment: If you haven’t fed the plant in a while, you might want to start doing so.
7. If nothing helps!
If your plant still isn’t responding to your care, consider when you last repotted it; maybe it’s time for you to find it a new home.
Treatment: Many plants will benefit from being moved into vessels about 10 to 20% larger than their current homes, every year or two. When you get to the point where you’re watering the plant much more often than you used to, or you see active roots popping up through the soil, it might be time. When repotting, massage the plant’s roots to loosen them before you pot it in its new home—that way they understand that there is room to move out and expand.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.com
