by Evin Morrison, Extension Master Gardener
Photos © Evin Morrison
Help! I think I drowned my plant. I thought there was a drainage hole, and the plant kept looking wilted, so I kept watering it. Now it’s totally waterlogged, because the water wasn’t going anywhere. Can I save my plant?
The problem with plants that have been either underwatered or overwatered is that they can both look wilted. With overwatered plants this is usually because the soil is so saturated that the roots have begun to rot and are no longer able to absorb the water, so basically the plant is thirsty despite sitting in a puddle.
However, now that the damage is done, let’s try a rescue plan. The first step is to dump all the soil out of the pot. There’s a good chance that it is now full of bacteria that causes root rot that could come back if you reuse the soil once it’s dried out. There’s a greater likelihood of fungus gnats breeding in it and mold developing on it as well. Just dump it out.
Next you will want to wash your plant in the sink or under a hose. Do this in a sink that has a disposal or outside, because leftover soil and soggy roots are going to make a mess and could potentially clog your drain.
If you still have roots hanging onto the plant, you will want to check to see if they are healthy. Healthy roots are a green, cream color and will be solid. Remove any brown, squishy, or broken roots with sanitized scissors or pruners. Wipe them with rubbing alcohol in-between cuts to make sure you aren’t transferring bacteria from one open wound to another. You should also take the time to clean up and prune any squishy stems, dead leaves, or sickly-looking plant material.
Once you have a tidied-up plant, you should inspect it to see just how many roots you have left. At this point you are going to treat your plant as a propagation. The goal is to make sure that you stimulate healthy new root growth. Nothing else matters, because without healthy roots to sustain the plant, it will only continue downhill. Since the plant is already in a weakened state, choose the propagation method that you are most comfortable with. That way you have a better chance of success rather than trying something totally new. Once you have sufficient new root growth, you can repot the propagation in fresh soil and make sure it has a drainage hole this time.
In the future, double-check the soil by pushing your finger into the soil surface about an inch down before watering. Sticking to a watering schedule without understanding whether your plants need to be watered can be detrimental. It’s better to check your plant’s moisture level on a schedule and then only water when the top few inches are actually dried out.
I maybe went a little too wild with my plant shopping, and now I am overwhelmed with how many plants I have. I am out of space and don’t know what to do with all these plants! Any ideas on how to consolidate the collection?
It’s easy to swing through the houseplant section every time you go to the hardware store—and now even pharmacies and grocery stores carry houseplants— so “just picking up one more” can quickly grow into a huge collection.
None of us has unlimited space, and continuing to buy planters and tables to set the plants on can become expensive and crowded. What’s a plant lover supposed to do? There are a few ways to clear some space and consolidate your collection, and only one of them requires you to rehome your plants. Let’s get that option out of the way first.
Culling the plant herd can be hard when you’ve put time and effort into growing all of them, but sometimes it’s necessary. Take stock of your plants and first see which ones aren’t doing well. It’s nearly impossible to have great growing conditions for every single plant, so if you have any that haven’t ever been happy in your home or ones that are making you work hard for mediocre results, consider gifting them to a friend who has better conditions for the plant. Sometimes, the flip side occurs, and you have a plant that is loving its home and has maybe put on a little too much growth. If it’s truly gotten out of control and simply doesn’t fit anymore, it might be time to let it go, but if it’s a type of plant that takes well to “chopping and propping” you have another option. Take a clean pair of pruners, and below the nodes on your plant chop it to a more manageable size. Then you can share those cut pieces with friends as propagations while still keeping the mother plant.
From one large piece of this philodendron, we are able to create three separate and more manageably-sized plants
Another great option is to mount your plants. There are many types of ferns, jungle cacti, and orchids that take well to being mounted on a board or pieces of stone and hung on a wall. This will clear your flat surfaces and allow you to hang your plants like artwork in your home. Additionally, wall planters are a popular way to hang plants. Just make sure there is a water barrier of some kind to prevent moisture from reaching your wall.
Lastly, you can put plants together and create beautiful pots overflowing with different species. Of course, the trick is to make sure that the species have similar light and watering requirements. For example, plant cacti and succulents together, but avoid planting cacti and tropical plants in the same pot. This will not only consolidate the number of pots and planters you have to deal with, but will also create fuller, better designed plantings around your home. Try underplanting a fiddle leaf fig with a trailing plant like a pothos. The pothos will fill in the top of the pot disguising your soil layer with beautiful greenery. Or maybe try filling a large planter with a bunch of your smaller plants for a medley of green. They will eventually grow together and intertwine for a natural-looking display.