Six Steps to Bring a Houseplant Back to Life

 

Houseplants are surging in popularity and at Happy Houseplants, we could not be happier at peoples’ biophilic desires and continue to express the positive effects of adding mother nature in your amazing home.

Have you ever seen a houseplant that looks so vibrant and colourful, a perfect fit for one of your rooms at home? However, after a few days, weeks, or months you notice your beloved houseplant becomes shrivelled, or the leaves have tuned yellow and are beginning to fall off. Perhaps you forgot to water it or excessively did, left it in direct sunlight? Regardless, it is possible to bring a houseplant back to life and Happy Houseplants are here to help!

Plants are exactly like us, they have an inherent desire to survive, returning their vibrant and colourful nature. Happy Houseplants always recommends that you attempt to revive your indoor plant as it is a learning process that teaches us not to replicate mistakes.

1. Overwatering – An extremely common reason that houseplants die or lose their vibrancy is killing them with kindness! We have all been guilty of overwatering our plant which can indicate that the roots are rotting. Happy Houseplants advice is to remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. If you identify any rotted roots, remove them, and replace the soil. We have a step-by-step guide on repotting a plant here.

2. Underwatering – You may notice your plant is wilting, has dry soil, has dry/dead leaf tips, and has slow growth. These are all symptoms of an underwatered houseplant. Happy Houseplants does recommend that you place your houseplant into a bath or sink, hydrate the soil and leave the water to drain for 15 to 30 minutes. We then suggest that you set a calendar reminder when your plant needs watering.


3. Changing Pots – Houseplants can be perfectly healthy but can decline when the roots begin to outgrow their plant pots. Symptoms can include the plant becoming ‘top-heavy’ and more frequent watering. Typically, houseplants will want to be repotted every 12 to 18 months. Highly recommended, we have a step-by-step guide on repotting a plant here.

4. Too Much Sunlight – Depending on where you store your houseplant, you may notice some dark marks or blemishes on the leaves. It may only be on one side of the plant as it is getting harsh sunlight from a nearby window. If these symptoms relate to you, your houseplant is getting sunburnt. We recommend trimming the scorched leaves and move the plant out of direct sunlight.

5. Too Little Sunlight – Your houseplant receiving not enough sunlight can be just as harmful as receiving too much sunlight. You may notice your indoor plant leaves turning pale or yellow. These symptoms indicate your houseplant is not receiving enough sunlight. This can be bad as improper sunlight works in tandem with overwatering. This is because your houseplant is unable to process the water given due to insufficient sunlight needed to dry the soil. Move your houseplant to bright indirect sunlight for the best chance of survival.

6. Drainage – Ensure that your plant pot has adequate drainage. This is because you want excess water to escape out. If there is something clogging the drainage hole in your plant pot, the excess water will sit and potentially rot the roots of your houseplant.

There can be so many factors that can contribute towards a dying houseplant. Happy Houseplants recommends feeling out your plant. Touch the soil as an indication when exactly the plant needs watering, but also, know your plants needs. Some plants like their soil to be dry between watering while others prefer to be constantly moist.

For more information on plant care, head over to our Plant Care Guides Here to help give you the confidence and skills to help you care for your houseplants.


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