Drooping

What is going on

Wilting, soft leaves that have lost their spring. Usually thirsty, occasionally the opposite. The full guide walks through the checks in order, fastest first, so you can find the cause before trying a fix.

The fix, in order

Start with the check that costs nothing: light, water, and where the plant actually sits. Most cases of drooping trace back to one of those three, and the guide for your specific plant will narrow it further.

The step by step fix

1. Lift the pot. A dry plant feels startlingly light compared with its just watered weight. Learn this one trick and you will diagnose most drooping in seconds.
2. Test the soil deep down with a finger or a wooden skewer. Leaves can droop over soil that feels damp on top and is dust dry below.
3. If it is dry, water deeply until water runs from the drainage holes. For a badly dried out pot of mix that shrinks from the sides, stand the whole pot in a sink of water for twenty to thirty minutes instead.
4. Wait an hour. A thirsty plant that only needed a drink will be visibly lifting, and most recover fully the same day.
5. If the soil was already wet, think the opposite way. Slide the plant out and look at the roots: pale and firm is healthy, brown and slimy means rot. Cut the rot away, repot into fresh mix, and water sparingly while it recovers.
6. Check for shock. A plant that was just moved, repotted, or left beside a heating vent or a cold window can droop from stress alone. Give it soft light, steady warmth, and a few quiet days before you change anything else.