Why is my umbrella plant wilting – and how to fix it!

Here is a complete guide on why your umbrella plant is wilting – and specific ideas on how to fix each problem!

Have you been away for a longer period? Or have you simply been too busy lately that you haven’t had the time to check on your plants?

Now, when you can finally spare a moment or two, you can see that most of them are wilting, including your umbrella plant.

No need to worry about it, there is always a cure! After all, taking care of plants requires delicate attention.

Finding your umbrella plant wilting is not a nice sight, but it is something you can fix if you start working on the issue right away. You can bring it back to normal in no time.

The umbrella plant is considered one of the best house plants you can own. It adds a touch of tropical feeling wherever it is added.

So, once you start noticing it is slowly losing its charm, you first need to find out why it is happening.

Since this decorative plant is easy to maintain and grow, this should not be difficult for you. Manage the health of this plant and make sure wilting never happens again.

Why is your umbrella plant drooping?

As we mentioned, there are many reasons for your umbrella plant drooping.

Normally, the first part of the recovery process is finding out what the problem is. Retracing your steps and approaching the plant properly will make it thrive again.

The most common reason why your umbrella plant (Schefflera arboricola) is wilting is too much or lack of water.

But there are many other reasons why this is happening too. The most common causes of a wilting umbrella plant are:

• Overwatering
• Over fertilizing
• Pests
• Underwatering
• Transplanting
• Cold

Overwatering

Overwatering is the most common reason for your Schefflera drooping. Now, when we mention overwatering, we mean leaving the soil without proper aeration and with excessive water at all times.

This is the main reason the roots start to rot and become diseased, eventually leading to them dying altogether.

Naturally, once the plant is deprived of its roots, it does not have a basis for living. As a result, this will make it wither away very fast.

Over-Fertilizing

The reason for your umbrella plant wilting may be due to over-fertilization. There is one rule to follow in this case: you can cause an issue by adding too much but never by adding too little.

After all, too much fertilizer can become toxic for the plant.

If you want to check if this is the case, check your plant for brown edges, patches, and tips on the leaves. Additionally, you should also be able to notice fertilizer salt on the surface of the soil.

Pests 

Many pests could make your umbrella plant droop. Starting from spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, scale, and more are only a handful of harmful pests that can disrupt the health of your plant.

They feed off the juice within the leaves and the stems.

This action results in loss of water and too much stress for the plant.

Even though bugs do not always cause major issues, it is important to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Underwatering 

Similarly to overwatering being an issue, underwatering is equally severe too.

Umbrella plant wilting can be caused by not giving your plant enough water in the first place.

As common of a reason as it seems, water may once again be the case for the bad condition of the plant. If the soil is dry and compact, then you have found your cause.

Transplanting 

Another reason for your Umbrella plant wilting might be due to transplanting. You might not be aware, but any plant undergoes a shock period when transplanted from one pot to another.

But this is something that eventually goes away. If it doesn’t, your umbrella plant needs some tending.

Thankfully, this is a resilient plant; all you need to do is show it a little love and extra care to make this issue disappear.

Cold 

Schefflera drooping can happen due to stress from the cold. Even though the plant is resilient, it can become damaged beyond repair if exposed to extremely low temperatures.

Depending on how much it has stayed outside, you can determine the severity of the situation. In extreme cases, you might be unable to bring it back to life.

How to fix a wilting umbrella plant

After we have taken a look at some of the most common causes of Schefflera drooping, we come bearing answers! If this has happened to your plant, here are a few useful tips on bringing it back to its full glory.

• Place it where there is a lot of natural light.
• Make sure to refrain from overwatering it.
• Keep a good drainage system by checking if the pot is clogged and the soil is always airy and moist.
  • Here’s our guide on how to drill drainage holes in ceramic pots!
• Every once in a while, add a little bit of fertilizer.
• During the summer, provide them plenty of water, but watch out – you do not want to overwater them. The best way to do this is to stick half of your finger’s length in the soil. If it’s wet or moist, your plant does not require water.
• Keep them away from extreme temperatures.
• When it is time to transplant them into a bigger pot, make sure to give them some time afterward so they can stabilize.
• If you start noticing some pests, you can remove them by using water and removing the damaged parts of the plant.

There are many things you need to know about taking care of a plant. Reviving a droopy plant can be a challenge on its own, but when it comes to umbrella plant wilting, there is so much that you can do!

Remember that it is always useful to retrace your steps and see what you have done wrong.

With a little bit of help from our end, you can once again enjoy a wonderful, healthy, and strong plant! Give it a second chance it deserves!

We are hoping that this extensive list of tips and tricks can help you keep your plant in optimal shape. If you want more detailed information, you can download our free PDF umbrella plant care guide.

Join the (free!) KeepYourPlantsAlive+ community to access this exclusive printable plant care guide! Once you sign up, you can right click & save the JPG care guide. Or keep scrolling for more!

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