Garden Houseplants How to Save a Dying Plant Wondering what's wrong with your plant? Experts share the eight most common signs your houseplant is ailing—and the best ways to remedy them. By Haniya Rae Haniya Rae Haniya Rae is a gardening writer with nearly a decade of experience writing about plants, gardening, and landscape design. She's worked on plant and garden features for Landscape Architecture Magazine, Consumer Reports, and Cottages & Gardens. Editorial Guidelines Published on June 21, 2024 Close Photo: Getty Images Oh no! Your prized houseplant that once held everyone’s attention in the living room is suddenly turning yellow and dropping leaves. You thought you watered it correctly and gave it the proper fertilizer ratio, but it’s quickly declining and you can't figure out what's wrong with your plant. Before you panic, there are several steps you can take to revitalize your formerly glorious foliage, as long as you take it one step at a time. "Too many interventions are stressful for the plant and can inhibit recovery," says Leslie Coleman, plant information specialist at The New York Botanical Garden.Here, experts share the most common signs your plant is stressed, and the necessary steps to take to bring it back to health. Leslie Coleman, plant information specialist at The New York Botanical GardenLaura Payne, horticulture educator for Oklahoma State University Extension, Payne County 8 Signs Your Plant Is Sick—and How to Fix It Your houseplant will tell you if it has an infestation of thrips or mealybugs, or if it’s getting too much (or too little) sun—if you know what to look for. "Observe your plants regularly because they’ll tell you a lot," says Laura Payne, horticulture educator for Oklahoma State University Extension, Payne County. "Think about where the plant was growing naturally and mimic it the best you can for your plant to thrive." 01 of 08 Wilting or Yellowing Leaves Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images One of the most common houseplant problems is drooping or yellowing leaves. These symptoms can mean either overwatering or underwatering. "Use your finger to feel into the pot and make sure the plant is dry before you water it," says Payne. If the soil is dry a few inches down, it just needs a quick top-off. If the soil is still wet on the surface to a few inches down, don’t water the plant again. "When plants are overwatered, they look like they’re wilting," says Payne. How to Fix Yellowing Leaves 02 of 08 Dropped Leaves Some plants will drop their leaves after a sudden change in location, temperature, or humidity. "When we switch from air conditioners to heaters, it can also stress the plant out," says Payne. The fiddle-leaf fig and other ficus plants are famously sensitive to change, says Payne. Even if their current location is too close to a window or has too much heat, they don't like to move rooms. The solution? Take care before moving your plant, and make any changes to its environment as gradual as possible. 03 of 08 Browning on the Leaves Getty Images If the corners of the leaves look brownish, but the leaf doesn't look dried out (drying leaves are usually a sign of the plant needing higher humidity), you’ve probably over-fertilized. Using a diluted amount of fertilizer with each watering will help container plants receive essential nutrients, says Payne. But if you start to see the browning leaves, stop using fertilizer and just use plain water to wash out the salt buildup from the fertilizer, says Payne. How to Fertilize Houseplants 04 of 08 Bugs of Any Kind Not all bugs on houseplants are bad—some are even beneficial, such as springtails, which are tiny white bugs that live in the soil and eat decomposing plant matter. But if your plant starts to look unhealthy and you see signs of damage to the stems and leaves, you may have a pest problem. "If the problem is insects, identify the pest and treat it with a gentle technique specific to that insect," says Coleman. "Physical removal and high-quality, organic commercial products are safer for your plant than homemade ones." (In other words, don’t make your own pesticide.) Be thorough, inspect every week, and repeat treatment until it is no longer needed. If you repot the plant, mealybugs can remain in the bottom of the original containers. "Sterilize your container if you’re going to keep it, wash it with soap and water and maybe even a 10 percent bleach solution just to make sure," says Payne. How to Get Rid of Common Houseplant Bugs 05 of 08 Long, Reaching Stems and Branches Getty Images Too little light causes etiolation, when plants look pale and start stretching toward the closest light source. If you don’t have a window nearby (or if your window is already filled with other plants), consider getting a grow light to supplement. Payne recommends a red grow light for green growth if you don’t have blooming plants. "If you don’t have a window, a 100-watt bulb should be OK.” Houseplant Lighting Guide 06 of 08 Mushy Roots Most houseplants at garden centers and plant shops come from tropical or arid climates, and require very porous potting media so water can drain freely. If the soil is too dense, it can suffocate the roots and cause them to rot. The only way to check if the roots are rotting is to pull the plant out of the pot."While the plant is out of the pot, inspect the roots for mushy or slimy sections," says Coleman. "Use a sterilized cutting tool to trim off these diseased portions. If most of the roots are healthy, your plant has a better chance of recovery." You can use rubbing alcohol to sterilize your tools, such as a pair of scissors or a knife, before using them on the roots. How to Catch and Cure Root Rot 07 of 08 Slow Growth and Curled Leaves Getty Images If a plant that was once healthy and thriving has slowed growth or curled leaves, it could be a sign that its pot is getting cramped. The only way to check is to gently pull up the plant, and if the roots have mostly covered the soil or are coming out of the bottom of the pot, it’s time for a bigger home. When repotting, be sure to use soil that mimics the plant's original habitat.—and though repotting is best done during the early growing season, correcting this condition is more important, says Coleman. How to Repot a Houseplant the Right Way 08 of 08 Unhealthy Stems Occasionally, only one part or branch of the plant will be affected, but the rest of the plant looks healthy. In this case, you can use sterilized pruners to cut off the affected part. Keep snipping back until you see the healthy tissue, says Payne, and continue to sterilize after each cut. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit