A drooping plant looks thirsty, but overwatering causes the same droop. Water first only after you have checked the soil, because watering a drowning plant makes it worse.
Check the soil first
- Soil is dry, pot feels light, leaves are limp. The plant is thirsty. This is the easy case.
- Soil is wet or smells sour, leaves are limp or yellowing. The roots are suffering from too much water. They can't take up water, so the plant wilts.
- Soil is moist but the plant wilts only in the heat of the day and perks up by evening. Often the heat. Move it out of the hot spot.
- Wilting right after repotting or moving. Usually shock. Give it a few days in a stable place.
What to do
- For a thirsty plant: water slowly until it drains from the bottom, then empty the saucer. It should perk up within hours to a day.
- For a plant in wet soil: stop watering. Tip the plant out of the pot if you can, look at the roots, and cut away any that are dark and mushy. Repot into fresh, free-draining mix in a pot with drainage holes.
- Keep it out of hot afternoon sun while it recovers.
- Don't feed a plant that is wilting.
When to scan
If you can't tell which one it is, or the plant keeps drooping after you have fixed the water, take a photo of the whole plant and the soil in daylight. The Plant Doctor will also tell you when it isn't sure, so you aren't left guessing.