Keep Forgetting to Water Your Houseplants? Don’t Fret – Experts Share 3 Simple Tricks to Revive Even the Most Dehydrated Plants
We've all been there, but it doesn't mean you have to throw away your plants
I'm the first to admit I've made mistakes with houseplant care, especially when it comes to watering. When life gets busy, it can be easy to accidentally neglect the leafy members of the household, leaving them to dry out, crisp up, and shrivel. But, I urge not to discard them when they start to look a little worse for wear – the majority of the time it's possible to revive houseplants you forgot to water in just three easy steps.
While some indoor plants will be more challenging to save, you'll be surprised by just how many will bounce back with deep watering, pruning, and repositioning. This common indoor plant mistake will quickly be resolved and you'll soon spot healthy new foliage once again.
Moisture-loving houseplants, like ferns and orchids, benefit from living in a bathroom
How to Revive Houseplants You Forgot to Water
Before jumping in with reviving your houseplants from dehydration and drought, houseplant experts say to identify this is actually the issue causing discolored and damaged foliage.
'A droopy plant isn’t always thirsty, sometimes it’s drowning below the soil line,' says plant expert and interior plant designer, Shane Pliska .
'Foliage can be all droopy because of root rot below the soil due to too much water or poor drainage,' he explains.
You can check by simply sticking your finger in the soil to feel if it is dry or soggy. Alternatively, use a soil moisture meter (from Amazon) to check several points in your plant's soil.
'If the soil is bone dry or pulling away from the pot, the plant is telling you it needs water,' Shane says.
Here's how to revive it.
1. Use the Bottom Watering Method
It's best to use planters with drainage holes for houseplants to aid moisture management
When you spot a dehydrated houseplant, it might be your first instinct to water your houseplants by chucking water on the surface. However, this isn't the most efficient way to rehydrate it, says Shane.
'Rehydrating a plant isn’t about more water, it’s about better absorption. When the soil is dry it's important not to just dump water on top, as the water could run through the dry soil,' Shane notes.
This is especially true if the soil has become hydrophobic, i.e. it's repelling water and not soaking it up.
'Instead, it is important to slowly and even apply water, throughout the surface to ensure an even distribution,' Shane adds.
One of the best ways to do this is by bottom watering houseplants, allowing the plant roots and soil to soak up as much water as needed.
'Bottom watering is a gentle way to revive a dried-out plant without shocking the roots,' Shane says. 'Move your plant into the sink or bath and soak the bottom half of the pot in water,' he explains.
If your plant pot has drainage holes, you won't need to remove it from the pot. If it's growing in a planter without drainage holes, however, you'll need to gently remove it from the pot to do this, keeping the rootball intact.
You may even choose to pop it into nursery pots with drainage holes (like these from Amazon).
'Don’t let the plant sit in the water for an extended period of time, just soak it long enough for the soil to be saturated (usually 20-30 minutes) and then move the plant out of the water and allow it to drain,' Shane says.
Soon enough, you'll see your plant physically perk back up and stand taller.
Shane Pliska is the president and CEO of Planterra - a national leader in interior landscaping.
2. Prune Damaged Foliage
Discolored foliage won't turn green again, so it's best to remove it
If you haven't watered your houseplants in a while, there's no doubt they'll be looking a little worse for wear.
Drooping, browning, and curling foliage are all typical symptoms of a dehydrated plant that has been exposed to a long period of drought. You may also find your plant has leaf scorch if it has been underwatered and growing in a direct sun position.
You should use essential pruning tools to remove this discolored and damaged foliage. These Fiskars bypass pruners from Amazon make clean cuts so the health of the plant isn't compromised.
'Trimming dead leaves helps redirect energy to recovery,' Shane says. It will, in turn, help encourage new healthy growth because of this.
Just take care to follow the one third pruning rule so the plant doesn't become shocked and stunt growth.
'In general, as soon as you see a leaf displaying signs of damage my advice is always going to be to remove that leaf,' plant influencer Evelyn Martin (@thefiddleleaflady) advises.
'It makes it a lot more difficult for you to tell if your plant is continuing to deteriorate if new damage is mixed in with old damage,' she adds.
Evelyn is a houseplant influencer @thefiddleleaflady, where she shares houseplant advice and answers queries.
3. Relocate Your Plant to a Bright Spot
Houseplant soil dries out more quickly when temperatures are warmer, requiring an adjusted watering regime
To revive houseplants you forgot to water, you need to do more than just rehydrate it – to encourage a full recovery, provide a healthy growing environment.
Bright light will aid recovery when a plant has been severely neglected, encouraging essential plant processes like photosynthesis.
Of course, some indoor low light plants and those sensitive to direct sun will struggle with intense light, however, so always check the needs of your plant before choosing a location for it in the home.
'Before you make any intervention into your plants, think to yourself 'is this something the plant would do in the wild?',' suggests Evelyn.
Evelyn also suggests cleaning houseplant leaves of dust to improve plant processes, allowing the plant to gain more energy and grow stronger again.
I find these houseplant dusting gloves from Amazon are excellent for gently wiping away layers of dust and debris.
FAQs
Why is The Top Layer of My Houseplant's Soil Dry?
The top layer of houseplant soil will dry out more quickly than soil within the pot because it's exposed to the air. But, if the top layer of soil is bone dry and won't absorb water, yet the rest of the soil is soft and moist beneath, it can indicate the soil has become hydrophobic. This is often a result of the plant becoming pot-bound and having compacted soil. In this case, you'll need to repot the plant into a bigger planter with fresh potting soil.
Should I Fertilize a Dehydrated Houseplant?
No, it's not recommended to fertilize a dehydrated houseplant because it's already weak and may experience more stress from this, including root burn. Instead, work on reviving the plant's health before fertilizing during the active growth seasons of spring and summer.
Don't forget to aerate your houseplant soil every now and then to keep soil structure in good form and improve its ability to absorb moisture easily.
Shop Your Houseplant Care Kit
This set of 12 houseplant tools has everything you need to repot plants, aerate soil, clean houseplant leaves and more. It comes with a canvas bag to store them in.
This watering duo has a watering can and plant mister. The watering can has a detachable spout, suiting all houseplant needs.
This pebble humidity tray helps raise humidity levels around houseplants as water evaporates.
This set of 2 blue ceramic planters have drainage holes and saucers to help manage moisture levels.
These pruning snips are ideal for tending to houseplants. They have a stainless steel non-stick blade.
This bamboo plant grow light is ideal for small coffee table plants. It boosts light levels for plants during darker days.
