Leaves curling in #WhiteWizardPhilodendron?
Normal or does my WWP need more water? It had some dry spots when I bought her. Could she be overwatered?
12” pot with drainage
Last watered 4 months ago
3
Best Answer
Hi Jill!
Curling leaves can definitely be a sign of a thirsty plant. Based on the photo on her plant card she looks just a hair droopy but not distressed.
Since she likes to stay moist and is adjusting to your home I would recommend keeping an eye but not trying to "solve" anything yet.
She wants the top couple inches of soil to dry out before she gets water again, so just check that she's not dry beyond that.
Edit to add: I have found its common that nursery plants have hydrophobic soil and needs to be rehydrated when I bring them home. If you want me to go into detail about that I'm happy to!
Curling leaves can definitely be a sign of a thirsty plant. Based on the photo on her plant card she looks just a hair droopy but not distressed.
Since she likes to stay moist and is adjusting to your home I would recommend keeping an eye but not trying to "solve" anything yet.
She wants the top couple inches of soil to dry out before she gets water again, so just check that she's not dry beyond that.
Edit to add: I have found its common that nursery plants have hydrophobic soil and needs to be rehydrated when I bring them home. If you want me to go into detail about that I'm happy to!
Good morning Jill, you're welcome!!
Basically if soil is chronically underwatered it can get to the point where it won't absorb water anymore. This can happen when something is watered regularly but in small amounts, which is why I think I've had it happen with nursery plants.
The best practice is to bottom water or to water until the water runs out of the bottom of the pot.
When hydrophobic the water runs through immediately and the roots aren't able to absorb any. It can lead to dry root rot. Another sign is if the soil is pulling away from the edges of the pot.
You can change the soil, add soil around the old soil, or you can rehydrate it. To do that you want to put the pot in a vessel larger than it, fill the vessel with water almost to the top of the vessel, and let it sit for 30 minutes or more. Eventually you'll see the top of the soil start to darken as it absorbs water again.
Basically if soil is chronically underwatered it can get to the point where it won't absorb water anymore. This can happen when something is watered regularly but in small amounts, which is why I think I've had it happen with nursery plants.
The best practice is to bottom water or to water until the water runs out of the bottom of the pot.
When hydrophobic the water runs through immediately and the roots aren't able to absorb any. It can lead to dry root rot. Another sign is if the soil is pulling away from the edges of the pot.
You can change the soil, add soil around the old soil, or you can rehydrate it. To do that you want to put the pot in a vessel larger than it, fill the vessel with water almost to the top of the vessel, and let it sit for 30 minutes or more. Eventually you'll see the top of the soil start to darken as it absorbs water again.