If your plant begins to seem more a forgotten decoration object than anything else, do not panic yet. Often, plants can recover if we detect in time the signs of life and act with conscience. Before saying goodbye to your favorite plant, check these five key points to know if there is still hope and deserve a second chance.
Main stem, is there still life?
The state of the stem is one of the best clues about the health of the plant, because it is the channel where the sap circulates, the plant equivalent of our blood. If it is firm and flexible, it means that there is still water and nutrient circulation; If it is dry and brittle, it is probably not fulfilling its vital function. Instead of scraping the cortex, which can be invasive, carefully bend the stem and observe if it offers resistance and flexibility. If you have some turgidity and return to its form, there is life; If, on the contrary, it crosses or is easily split, it is dry inside.
To do? If there are green areas, cut the dried parts with clean pruning scissors. This encourages the growth of new outbreaks by preventing the plant from spending energy in dead parts. If the whole stem is dry, check the roots, since they can be sending sprouts from the base. If the plant is a bush or a woody plant, try to make a deeper cut in different parts of the stem to see if green tissue is still. Sometimes, only the upper part is dead, but the base can be recovered.
The best time to do this review is at the end of winter or early spring, when many plants leave lethargy and show more clearly if they are ready to sprout again or not. If you do it in the middle of winter, it is possible that the plant is alive, but asleep, which can confuse you.
Roots: the survival key
The roots are the heart of the plant. They are responsible for absorbing the water and nutrients of the substrate, so its state directly reflects the ability of the plant to survive and regenerate. To review them, extract the plant with care of the substrate and observe its appearance.
- Signals of healthy roots: white or light brown, firm and without bad smell. Thick and elastic roots often indicate that the plant can recover.
- Signals of rotten roots: black, soft or with unpleasant smell. Rormular rot is usually caused by excess water and lack of drainage.
If there are rotten roots, cut the affected areas with sterilized scissors and let the plant dry before transplanting it into a new and well drained substrate. You can also apply a fungicide to prevent rot returning. If the plant has very few healthy roots, place it in a humid atmosphere, but without flooding. You can plant it in a light substrate until you begin to develop new roots.
Leaves: Witter or completely dry?
The leaves can fool: a plant with musty or yellow leaves is not necessarily dead. The important thing is to differentiate between dry leaves and withered leaves due to lack of water.
How to differentiate them?
- Dry and brittle leaves: sign of irreversible damage. They indicate that the plant has not received water or nutrients for a prolonged period, which makes their tissues dry completely and can no longer regenerate. In that state, the sheet has stopped fulfilling any vital function, such as photosynthesis or perspiration.
- Fallen and soft leaves: they are usually a sign of lack of water. If the plant has lost too much, the leaves can be folded and flaccid, but if the hydration is adequate, they can recover. Remove the dry leaves and water in moderation if the earth is very dry. If the plant is dehydrated, you can submerge the pot in water for 10 minutes to hydrate the substrate slowly.
If the leaves are burned by the sun, cut the damaged parts and change the plant to a place with indirect light. If the problem was an excess of irrigation, it reduces moisture and allows the earth to dry before the next irrigation.
Substrate state: neither drowned nor desert
An inadequate land can be causing the problem. Is the substrate completely dry and has separated from the edges of the pot? Or, on the contrary, it smells moisture and feels soaked?
A dry and hardened substrate prevents the plant from absorbing water correctly. Sometimes we insist on watering at all costs, without checking if that substrate is really absorbing water. When the earth is very compacted or repel the water, the liquid simply slips through the edges and does not reach the roots, so the plant remains dehydrated even if we seem that we have watered it. On the other hand, a flooded ground can cause rot of roots and fungal diseases.
- If the substrate is dry: rehydrate the plant with gradual irrigation or the immersion method. If the water does not penetrate well, pierce the earth with a stick or use a more loose substrate.
- If it is flooded: Let it dry and improve drainage, changing the earth if necessary. If there is mold on the surface, the time may have come to water less and consider improving the earth. A smaller substrate and with good drain will facilitate that water arrives where it should without watering so much and will help avoid future problems and rot.
New outbreaks: the final signal
If your plant shows new outbreaks, even if they are small, there is life in it. Look at the base of the stem and in the armpits of the leaves: sometimes, new yolks can be arising without you notice. Green outbreaks are usually the best recovery signal, even if the plant lost all its leaves. If you notice small green points in the stem or new roots at the base, it means that the plant is responding to the care.
Be sure to give the right environment: sufficient light, moderate irrigation and aerated substrate. Do not pay it immediately, since a fertilizer can be too strong for a recovery plant. Wait until you stabilize and there are new growth before fertilizing.
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