Drooping leaves

Drooping has two opposite causes, so never water a drooping plant before checking the soil.

How to tell which cause it is

• Dry soil, light pot, leaves soft and limp: thirst. The easy one.
• Wet soil, heavy pot, leaves limp or yellowing: overwatering. The roots can't take up water because they're suffocating or rotting.
• Right after repotting or moving: transplant shock. Usually passes in one to two weeks.
• Near a cold window or door in winter, leaves dark or glassy: cold damage.
• Only in the afternoon in strong sun, fine by evening: heat stress. It's losing water faster than it can drink.

How to fix it

Thirst: water slowly until water runs out of the drainage hole. If the soil is so dry it repels water, stand the pot in a bowl of water for 20–30 minutes, then let it drain. Peace lilies and ferns recover within hours.

Overwatering: stop watering, empty any standing water, and let the top of the soil dry out. If it doesn't recover within a few days, or the soil smells sour, unpot it and check the roots for rot.

Shock: keep it out of direct sun, water normally, and don't feed it for a month.

Cold or heat: move it to a steady spot, away from draughty windows in winter and out of the hottest sun in summer. Cut off leaves that stay mushy.

How to prevent it

Check soil moisture every few days rather than watering on a fixed day, use pots with drainage holes, and keep plants away from cold glass, doors and heating vents.