How to Save a Dying Plant with Horticulturist Ben Hayman 🤒 🌱 | How-to Garden Series | Episode 18

It's no secret we've all had a sick pot plant or two at some point and unfortunately most of us give up on them too early or end up over watering in hopes of saving them, which just kills them quicker. Today I'm going to show you how to resurrect your sick plant with a few simple tips that'll have it bouncing back to life in no time. Pot plants can become unhealthy for many reasons. It can be too much water, not enough water, pests, disease, poor soil, being pot bound and the list goes on. But there's no need to hit the panic button just yet. I've put together five simple steps to bring your plant back to good health. The very first thing we need to do is check the plant is actually alive. If it has healthy looking leaves then it likely is, but if the leaves look poorly or have fallen off, scratch a tiny bit of bark off at the base. If it's green and fleshy underneath then the plant is still alive, but if it's brown and hard then unfortunately it's gone to plant heaven. Now we cut back the plant to remove the dead branches and leaves and to reduce the overall size by one third to a half. This will take some stress off the root system as it has less plant to feed giving it a much higher chance of recovery. A lot of problems can start at the root ball without you even realising. They can be diseased, rotten, pot bound or may have even died. First pull out any weeds that have grown. All they do is steal water and Then turn the plant upside down, holding the trunk between your fingers for support and gently tap the edges and sides of the pot to remove it. Now it's time to tease the roots with your fingers. You might even find it easier to use a chopstick or a pen, just make sure it doesn't have sharp edges. Teasing out the roots is very important if your plant is pot bound, which basically means the plant has been in a pot for too long and the root system has grown all around itself, restricting new growth. Once your root ball is looking nice and hairy, give it a light cut back with some clean sharp secateurs. Now we've given it a prune and given the root some attention, the plant will be under enormous stress on top of its already bad health. So next step is to fill up a bucket with a mix of hose link, seaweed tonic and water. Then soak the entire root system for at least one hour. This will help with stress and recovery. Think of the seaweed tonic kind of like a plant medicine. The first thing to do when potting up is make sure your new pot is clean to prevent the spread of disease. You also need to make sure it's the right size. If the pot is too small, then the plant will just become pot bound again. It won't be able to hold much moisture and you won't be able to get much potting mix down the side. But on the other hand, if the pot is too big, then it will have too much potting mix, which holds moisture and may rot the roots. So if you just aim for around 20 to 40 mils between the root ball and the side of the pot, that should be perfect. Next, we make sure the pot has a drainage hole at the base. If it doesn't, you can drill one yourself. Then cover the hole with bits of broken pot, rocks or even fly screen. This allows the water to flow out and keeps the soil in. When choosing a potting mix, like I always say, make sure you choose a premium one. They've got better fertilizers, better water holding capacity and also have better drainage. Put a little potting mix at the base of the pot to ensure the plant sits at the right height. Aim to have a 30 to 40-millimeter gap between the top of the soil and the lip of the pot. This will help the water pool when watering so it doesn't overflow. Place the plant in the center of the pot and gently backfill with potting mix. Now we give it a good soak with hose-linked seaweed tonic and place in a shaded area with indirect sunlight. This will help it recover much faster as it will be protected from the elements. If your plant did have any pest or disease, now is a perfect time to spray it with an insecticide or a fungicide to give your plant a fresh start to its new life. New shoots should pop up in two weeks to two months, so you do have to show a little bit of patience and just know that you've given your plant the best chance possible for recovery and in most cases, it will. Good luck. If you enjoy getting out in the garden and want some more tips, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel up here or go and watch another video just here.