How to Revive a Dehydrated Plant

A plant that has become dehydrated may look like it will never recover. However, in some cases there are ways that you can bring your plant back to life. Here are 5 tips on how to revive a dehydrated plant.

1. Add Water

A gentle watering delivered over several minutes can help to revive a plant that is dehydrated. Water your plant slowly until the soil becomes damp and then you should take the pot in put it in a shallow tub of water for roughly ten minutes. Don't leave the plant in the water longer than that has it may cause root rot.

2. Add a Wetting Agent

Wetting agents are made from polymers that are designed to take in up to 400 times their weight. You can add water-storing crystals to help the soil to retain water. Also make sure that you are watering only the soil and not the foliage and leaves as this can lead to fungal disease.

3. Try Re-potting

If your plant is often dehydrated, it may have actually outgrown its pot. Consider adding a wetting agent to the soil first to make the plant uptake water from the soil as well as water-storing crystals. The repotting can give your plant more room to grow and it will better uptake water.

4. Make Sure That Dehydration Is Actually the Problem

If you are trying to revive your plant with these tips and it doesn't seem to be working even though the plant is still alive, chances are your problem might be something else. Problems related to an insect infestation or lack of nutrients can sometimes mimic the symptoms of dehydration. If you are not convinced that your problem is actually a lack of watering, investigate the plant more closely to determine if there is indeed something else wrong with the plant.

5. Don’t Overdo It

If you want to see if your methods for helping your dehydrated plant are working, it is important to not overdo it. After you apply a treatment wait at least a few hours to see how the plant responds. By doing too much before you see if it is actually helping the plant, you could be damaging the plant beyond the ability for it to recover.

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