What’s Causing the Drooping of My Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen)?

The Chinese evergreen is a kind of tropical plant that does not require a great deal of care. Nevertheless, it will show indications of distress if it is not provided with the appropriate living and growing circumstances. If the leaves of your Chinese evergreen begin to droop, you need to examine the plant to determine whether there are any underlying issues.

Aglaonema leaf droop is most commonly caused by insufficient watering and inadequate lighting. Other factors include using the incorrect potting mix, exposing plants to excessively cold temperatures, having plants that are root-bound, having plants attacked by disease pests, or not providing enough food.

In today’s article, I will discuss all of the potential causes of droopy leaves on the Chinese evergreen and explain how you may avoid this problem by providing your Chinese evergreen with the appropriate level of basic care.

Overview: What’s Causing the Drooping of My Aglaonema?

The Aglaonema/Chinese Evergreen plant may be drooping for a number of reasons, some of which are listed here.

1. Sometimes drooping is normal.

It’s possible that what seems to be drooping leaves are actually just the natural habit of the plant. Older leaves decay. They often pass away from the bottom up. Eventually, each leaf will go yellow, will dry out, and will fall off; in the process, they will typically droop. The life cycle of your plant is something that can’t be stopped, thus the drooping of a Chinese Evergreen due to this cause isn’t cause for panic unless numerous leaves are impacted at the same time.

2. Overwatering

The root of many issues is found in over watering. In addition to that, you can’t ignore the drooping leaves or stems as a separate issue from those difficulties.

If you continue to water the plant more than it needs, the leaves will gradually begin to turn brown, and the root will finally rot. Your plant will wither and eventually die as a result of the decaying root.

You still have a chance of saving your Aglaonema if you give it the amount of water it needs to fulfill its optimal requirements. The fact that an Aglaonema is a communicative species is one of its most useful characteristics. The plant is an effective communicator and will tell you what it need.

– Solutions: When it comes to the plant’s optimal watering requirements, it has to be watered relatively frequently throughout the summer and spring, but it needs less water during the winter. You have the responsibility of ensuring that the topsoil surrounding your plant is merely damp and not soggy.
You need to prevent the vast majority of the water from plugging up the soil. If you want to prevent the plant from drooping, you should refrain from giving it too much water because the drainage in the soil is not very good.

Put your finger down into the soil of the container to determine how damp it is. If you discover that the topsoil has become dry, you should water it. Alternately, you can put it off for a while.

RELATED: Is Aglaonema Poisonous to Cats and Dogs?

2. Underwatering

Drought conditions and insufficient watering are two common causes of plant drooping. The leaves on the plant grow dry and crispy, and the plant itself begins to yellow. When the soil finally dries out, it can no longer supply the plant with the necessary amount of water and nutrients. As a direct consequence of this, the leaves begin to wither, and the overall plant begins to droop.

There are a few things you can do to avoid submerging.

1. Regularly using your fingertip, check the moisture content of the potting soil to determine how well it is holding onto soil. If it is absolutely dry, then you should start watering it.
2. You should water the plant until it begins to leak water through the drainage holes in the pot. It is important to make sure that the potting soil is thoroughly saturated.
3. Saturating the soil can also be accomplished by pouring water through the drainage holes in the container. Hold the pot inside a basin or a tub that has between three and four inches of standing water. The water will be absorbed through the perforations in the drainage material.
4. Drain any excess water, and there shouldn’t be any chance of the area becoming waterlogged.
5. Additionally, you may automate the watering process by making use of some self-watering devices that are available.

3. Overfertilization

Even with only a small amount of fertilizer, Aglaonema may grow. However, adding an excessive amount of fertilizer will not cause it to grow more.

People frequently overfertilize their plants in the mistaken belief that doing so will cause the plants to multiply. That is not even remotely accurate. An excessive amount of fertilizer has several negative effects on the plant.

When your Aglaonema is given with a higher dose or is fertilized too regularly, the extra fertilizer is left in the soil since it is not taken up by the plant. This fertilizer has the potential to cause damage to the plant’s leaves as well as the roots.

A plant with sick roots won’t be able to conduct its daily duties as well as it should, which will lead to the plant being dehydrated and feeble. Therefore, you’ll notice the leaves have become drooping, which is an indication of frailty and overfertilization.

During the active growing season, you need to dilute a balanced fertilizer and then feed it to your Chinese evergreen tree. When winter comes, you should refrain from fertilizing the plant.

4. Poorly Performing Lighting

Your Chinese Evergreens may droop as a result of insufficient or improper lighting. Their plant, despite its adaptability to virtually every lighting scenario, may not thrive when exposed to either direct sunlight or complete darkness.

Due to the fact that this plant thrives in warm temperatures, too much shadow can be detrimental to its structure while also preventing it from receiving adequate water and drainage. Additionally, if the plant does not receive enough sunshine, it may cease producing the necessary quantity of chlorophyll, causing it to become yellow and brown. In the same vein, an excessive amount of direct heat may induce sunburn, which will result in the plant losing all of its color and fading.

– Solutions: In the case of the majority of houseplants, they are able to make use of as much light as is provided for them. But in the instance of Aglaonema, this is subject to some degree of flexibility. Both direct sunlight and partial shade are suitable environments for glaonemas. In particular, the green Aglaonemas are able to do quite well even when the light levels are low.

When it comes to the other varieties of the plant, the brilliant and vivid colors tend to flourish in sunlight that is directed toward the north, where the light is dim but present. This aids in providing the plant with the right colored splodges and patterns on its leaves.

5. Infestation caused by pests

Pests are a bother to your houseplants as well as a potential source of countless issues. If you give your Chinese evergreen a careful inspection, you could notice some small insects or other pests resting on the underparts of the leaves.

Even if drooping leaves are not the first indicator of a pest infestation, they might appear at a later stage of the infestation when the pests have begun to populate the plant and take control of it.

If you overwater your Chinese evergreen, many pests including mealybugs, whiteflies, and scales will attack it. When compared, pests like as spider mites may attack the plant if it is allowed to become thirsty and dry.

If you wish to save your Chinese evergreen after discovering that it has been infested by unwanted pests or animals, don’t waste any time in beginning the treatment and go to work right away.

To get rid of the pests, you can either spray a neem oil solution on the afflicted regions or apply rubbing alcohol directly to them.

6. Diseases

The Chinese evergreen becomes more susceptible to pests as well as bacterial and fungal diseases when it receives an excessive amount of water.

Diseases including leaf spot, rot disease, and anthracnose can be brought on by maintaining Chinese evergreen plants in adverse circumstances, despite the fact that Chinese evergreen plants do not often suffer from diseases. Because of this, the plant may become weak and drooping as a result.

Curvularia is another illness that is renowned for generating drooping and other symptoms. Since of this, the plant looks to be sagging because it is forced to stretch downward. Your Chinese evergreen will not show any diseases of disease if it is kept in good shape and if the appropriate environmental conditions are provided for it.

7. Temperature

The plant known as aglaonema thrives in warm environments. In the case of plants with colorful foliage, the optimal circumstances for growth are indirect strong sunlight and high humidity; in the case of plants with green foliage, the optimal conditions for growth are low light and high humidity.

The temperature must be around 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the night, and it should be between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the morning. These plants are more susceptible to drooping in colder climates and have a higher risk of having their roots rot and being waterlogged.

Now that we’ve covered some of the most important factors, let’s have a look at why the aglaonema is drooping. Infected plants may suffer further damage, including wilting and ultimately death, in addition to the symptoms described above.

8. Acclimation

When you bring a brand-new Aglaonema into your house, it may take some time for the plant to become used to its new surroundings and the circumstances in which it will be living. Therefore, you shouldn’t be too astonished if the leaves of your Aglaonema are drooping shortly after you bring it into your home.

When it is being grown on its home land, the Aglaonema is not transferred from one location to another. It does not move to a new location and so does not have to readjust to its surroundings.

That is not the case, however, when you put a Aglaonema inside your home. When it arrives at your home from the nursery or the store, it needs some time to acclimate to its new environment.

Maintain your patience and continue to provide the plant with proper care so that the transition will be less difficult. You shouldn’t move it about too much because doing so might add to its stress.

9. Shock caused by repotting

After being moved to a new container, every repotting goes through a period of shock or stress. A plant that has become accustomed to its pot will need some time to become acclimated to its new container before it may flourish.

Give your Aglaonema some time to acclimate to its new environment if you discover that its leaves or stems have drooped after you have repotted it. You should provide it favorable conditions, and you shouldn’t make any further modifications that may stress it out.

Because it has a thin root system, your Aglaonema only has to be repotted when it becomes rootbound, therefore you should avoid doing it too frequently. The plant will go through unneeded stress if you repot it more frequently than required.

Repotting a Aglaonema once every three to four years is sufficient, as a general rule. The springtime is ideal for repotting it into a larger container. Repotting a plant during the winter, when temperatures are often low and the plant is in a dormant state, might shock the plant even more stress than usual.

10. Rootbound state

A lot of people think that the best way to get their houseplants to blossom is to maintain them in the rootbound state. However, if you keep a plant rootbound for an excessively lengthy period of time, it can develop various issues, such as its leaves becoming drooping.

If you find that your Aglaonema is beginning to exhibit indications of being rootbound, you should repot it as soon as possible into a little larger container. Aglaonema really enjoys being somewhat rootbound.

Remove the Aglaonema from its pot, and then clip any roots that appear to be in poor condition. To start, get some new potting mix and a clean pot with drainage holes. To lessen the effects of the repotting stress on the Aglaonema, plant it in the pot then water it.

RELATED: How to Propagate Aglaonema? (6 Best Method)

How to Revive Aglaonema?

• Take away any leaves that are damaged, but try not to remove more than a third of the overall foliage.
  Place the plant in a warm spot that has a window that faces north and gets low, indirect light throughout the day.
• Keep the heat above 65 ℉ at all times.
• If you want to save an aglaonema that has root rot, follow the procedures up above.
• After repotting in new soil, removing scale insects with insecticidal soap, treating with a micronutrients spray if necessary, and providing consistent feeding with a balanced houseplant fertilizer, the plant should be in good health.

In little time at all, your aglaonema plant will be back to its robust self. If all of the plant’s foliage has perished or turned brown, or if there is a major infestation of insects, it is the only time when it may be too late to preserve your plant. The majority of the other issues are straightforward to resolve. There is a rationale behind why the aglaonema or Chinese Evergreen is one of the most common houseplants.

Is Aglaonema Air Purifier?

Plants of the genus Aglaonema, more generally known as Chinese Evergreen, have a long history of cultivation in Asia as lucky decorative plants. It has been demonstrated that the Aglaonema plant, which is considered to be the best air purifier, can remove formaldehyde , benzene from air in your house in addition to other pollutants.

Can Aglaonema Live in Water?

Yes, An easy-to-care-for houseplant, the Chinese evergreen does well when cultivated in a container with water, such as a vase or jar.

READ: How to Grow and Care Paulownia?

How Fast Do Aglaonema Grow?

Aglaonema are typically slow-growing plants that develop more foliage in the summer and fewer (if any) during the winter months, however there are certain varieties that grow more quickly than others. Because of this, you will only have to repot the plant around once every 3 years at the most.

Conclusion

If you notice that your Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen) is drooping, it is imperative that you examine the conditions that your plant is growing in, in addition to taking into consideration all of the other symptoms that your plant has, in order to assist you in determining the cause of the problem and putting a solution into action. Growing houseplants has a number of challenges, one of which is the necessity of problem-solving, which is an excellent educational tool.

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