Why is my plant wilting?

Wilting is a water supply failure, and the two opposite causes produce exactly the same symptom.

Step by step

1. Feel the compost first.Two knuckles deep, or lift the pot to judge by weight. This single check separates the two main causes and it takes seconds.
2. Water thoroughly if it is dry.Until it runs from the base. If the compost has gone hydrophobic and water runs straight through, stand the pot in water for half an hour.
3. Stop watering if it is wet.Waterlogged roots cannot take up water, so the plant wilts exactly as if it were dry. Adding water accelerates the collapse.
4. Check the roots if compost is wet.Slide it out. Firm pale roots are fine; brown, soft, sour-smelling roots are rotting and need cutting away and repotting into fresh compost.
5. Check the drainage holes.Blocked holes or a pot standing in a full saucer produce waterlogging even with sensible watering.
6. Rule out normal midday wilt.Many plants droop in strong sun and recover by evening. If it recovers on its own, nothing is wrong.
7. Look for pests and stem damage.Vine weevil grubs, root aphids or a damaged stem all cut off water supply. A plant that lifts out with no roots has grubs.
8. Consider transplant or repot shock.Recently moved plants wilt while roots re-establish. Shade, consistent moisture and patience rather than intervention.

Tips

• Feel the compost before you do anything. Wet and dry look identical from above.
• A plant that lifts out of its pot with almost no roots has vine weevil grubs.
• Midday droop that recovers by evening is normal and needs no action.

Common mistakes

• Watering a wilting plant without checking the compost — If it is already waterlogged, more water drowns the remaining roots. This is the single most common way houseplants are killed.
• Moving a wilting plant into full sun to perk it up — It increases water demand on a plant that already cannot supply its leaves. Shade reduces the demand while the roots recover.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask