Millions and millions of people all around the world have their own hobbies and interests that captivate them and take their time.
Some people enjoy staying physically fit and may partake in local sports clubs. Other people might prefer to handle arts and crafts. There is also more than a fair share of people who truly enjoy being able to work with plants.
After all, there are so many types of plants out there that you can choose to work with. Some people may take an interest in the plants they have produced that you can harvest and work with from the plant, while other people may plant solely to see the gorgeous and vivid blooms that come from particular plants.
There is also a handful of people who enjoy being able to plant and maintain their houseplants so that they can keep their interior home design looking good.
This is where umbrella plants fall into the mix. Umbrella plants are a very common type of houseplant that you have surely seen before, even if you don’t know what its name is. It is one of the most common houseplants in the country, and there are many different variants of it.
No matter what kind of umbrella plant you are growing, it is an unfortunate fact of life that you may end up coming across an issue that you won’t know how to deal with.
Especially in a hobby that is as fickle as gardening, there are times where your plant may begin acting in a way that you have never seen before and you may be at a total loss as to what you should do.
In these situations, one of the best things that you can do for yourself is going to be to step back for a moment to check and see what you can fix about the situation. For example, if you notice that your umbrella plant isn’t thriving, then you may want to take a look at its leaves, as these will be a common indicator of something going wrong.
One of the most common problems that you will encounter with the umbrella plant is that its leaves will begin drooping for seemingly unknown reasons. Thankfully, with enough time and research, you will be able to not only find the cause of the problem, but also be able to fix it.
What Is Happening to the Plant?
There are a fair few problems that can cause an umbrella plant’s leaves to droop. Some of these problems are easy to fix, some of these solutions can be found through the process of elimination, and sometimes, there are just some context clues that may help you.
For instance, if an umbrella plant has been watered every day when it is normally watered every other day, you can probably assume that the issue is that there is too much water, versus too little water.
Speaking of water, both too much and too little water can result in dropping leaves in the umbrella plant. There are some subtle differences, namely in the soil, that will give you the clues you need to determine whether there was too much or too little water in the soil.
Typically, if there is not enough water for the plant to thrive, the soil will feel dry and dusty to the touch. If the soil is oversaturated with water, it will feel moist to the touch.
Here, the problem would be to try and water the plant at an appropriate level. If there was too little water for too long, you may need to consider putting the entire plant on a pebble tray so that you can bring up the humidity around the plant so that you can try and bring some life back into it.
For too much water, you will usually want to try and drain the soil out as best as you can so that you can remove that excess water before it damages the umbrella plant.
Finally, there are two last reasons why your umbrella plant’s leaves may be drooping. In some cases, it happens because the roots are not getting enough oxygen. Just as people tend to feel “droopy” when they do not get enough oxygen, your plant will begin to quite literally droop.
When this happens, its most common cause is going to be root rot. By being able to remove as much of the rot as possible, you will be able to help the plant survive. You will want to take the umbrella plant out of its pot to try and check the roots (which will be brown, soft, and mushy). You should also allow the soil to dry out somewhat.
Last, but not least, the final problem that can cause an umbrella plant’s leaves to droop is stress. Again, much like people, plants do not handle excessive prolonged and stressful situations all that well either.
Here, the causes of the stress are going to be drastically different, but the burned out demeanor is always going to remain the same.
For your umbrella plant, you are going to want to try and think about whether its location subjects the plant to any drafts of hot or cold air, including air that would come from the heating ducts, air conditioners, or radiators.
If you have just received your umbrella plant in the mail, you can usually expect it to be droopy. Plants do not appreciate the environment of planes.
If your umbrella plant is new to you, you may just want to give it a day or two to see if the symptoms subside as the plant begins to stabilize now that it isn’t on the airplane anymore.
These are just some of the reasons why the umbrella plant can be found with sad, drooping leaves. There’s a good chance that if it is not the environment and you haven’t moved recently, even the smallest situations can feel stressful for the plant.
In a sense, the umbrella plant is very human as it responds to stress.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.