House plant expert Sarah Gerrard-Jones explains how to bring a sick house plant back to health, in five simple steps.
Got an ailing house plant? Or maybe you have bought a plant at a knockdown price at the garden centre in the hope that you will be able to revive it, or been given a sickly specimen by a friend? House plant expert Sarah Gerrard-Jones, AKA The Plant Rescuer, has rescued hundreds of sad house plants and has brought them back to health. She now shares her home with many of them.
More on growing house plants:
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The best trailing house plants
15 of the best large house plants
Create the perfect house plant display
Can house plants really beat mould?
How to rescue a house plant
Wilting plants? Yellow leaves? Plagued by fungus gnats? Discover Sarah’s solutions to the top 10 house plant problems, below.
Check for pests
Make sure there are no signs of pests. I like using a jeweller’s loop to spot even the smallest ones. My preferred pest solution is either biological control (good bugs that eat bad bugs) or Diatomaceous Earth. It’s amazing. Search online for ‘food grade diatomaceous earth’. Wear a mask when using it, like you would when using perlite, and remember it only works when it’s dry.
Check the soil
Check how damp or dry the soil is; this can give vital clues to what the potential cause of the issue could be, whether it has been over- or underwatered.
Golden rules for watering house plants
Check the roots
Look underneath the pot to see if roots are growing from the drainage holes, a sign that it needs a slightly bigger pot.
Put on a bright windowsill
Place the plant on a bright windowsill (one that is preferably not south facing) and water only if the soil is dry.
Leave the plant alone
Leave the plant alone to acclimatise to its new environment.
Find out more about Sarah Gerrard-Jones @theplantrescuer