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If plants are grown well, watered regularly, and given the correct amount of food and light, they should flourish, but setbacks can still occur. Most problems can be remedied easily by changing the position of the plant or watering frequency.
- Wilting is often due to a lack of water.
- Scorched leaf is caused by overfeeding.
 Lack of Water
When a plant collapses and drops its flowers and leaves, it may be suffering from a lack of water. The simple solution is to water it, but if the soil has dried out completely, it may shrink away from the side of the pot, leaving a gap. To prevent water from running straight through the gap when you give the plant a drink, plunge it into a bucket of water and submerge it up to the stem. Hold down the pot until there are no more air bubbles. If there's still a gap at the side of the pot, push the potting mix out with your fingers, or fill in the gap with fresh soil.
Overwatering
Wilting stems and yellowing leaves, poor growth, and moss growing on the soil surface are often signs of overwatering. To help remedy this situation, remove the plant from its pot and allow the moisture to evaporate. When it feels slightly moist but not wet, put it back in the pot.
To prevent this from happening again, allow the top layer of soil to dry out before giving another drink, and make sure the pot is not sitting in a saucer of water. Also check that the pot is not too large for the plant, which can result in moisture being retained in the excess potting mix. If this is the case, remove the plant from the container, gently tap off some of the soil from around the root ball, and replace it in a smaller pot.
Overfeeding and Underfeeding
Weak, thin, spindly growth, aphid and whitefly infestations, and yellowing leaves may indicate overfeeding. Stop feeding for a few weeks to give the plant a chance to rest, but water as usual to flush out any chemicals; then adopt the appropriate regimen.
Plants that have not been fed while in full growth may grow poorly or develop yellow areas between the leaf veins. This is known as chlorosis and indicates a lack of iron or magnesium. Rectify this by applying houseplant fertilizer (or chelated iron for acid lovers).
Caring for Plants
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