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How to Restore Damaged Plants
How to Restore Damaged Plants. Restoring a damaged plant to health provides a challenge for even the most experienced gardeners. Outdoor plants can be damaged from cold, weather or bugs. Indoor plants can suffer damage from disease, children or pets. Many plants will heal themselves if left alone. Perennials, for example, usually snap back in a few...
Restoring a damaged plant to health provides a challenge for even the most experienced gardeners. Outdoor plants can be damaged from cold, weather or bugs. Indoor plants can suffer damage from disease, children or pets. Many plants will heal themselves if left alone. Perennials, for example, usually snap back in a few weeks as new growth emerges -- although if damage is severe enough, it may be the next year before the plant comes back in its full glory. But some damaged or broken plants may require a bit of work and nurturing before they return to good health.
Things You'll Need
Potting soil or good dirt
Tomato stakes or thick, straight sticks
Garbage bag wire ties or twine
Grafting tape
Brown paper tree wrap and household tape
Examine the plant carefully to determine the damage and decide if it is worth saving. If the leaves are black or the root ball appears dried out, the plant will probably not come out of its current damaged state.
Establish what part or parts of the plant sustained damage.If there are numerous stalks and only one is broken, the plant should be fine -- merely remove the damaged stalk with scissors. However, if a one-stalk plant is broken at the base, remove the stalk and allow the plant to attempt regeneration. This works exceptionally well with house plants. Additionally, the broken stalk can be dipped in root stimulator for propagating a second plant.
Splint and tape the plant back together if it has a thicker stalk, such as a tomato plant. Match the broken ends as closely as possible, and wrap the break securely with grafting tape, or the brown paper tree wrap and household tape. Place a stake in the dirt next to the plant. Tie the stalk -- both below and above the break - to the stake with either the garbage bag ties or twine to keep the plant steady while it regenerates.
Repot the plant in fresh dirt if it has been knocked out of its original container as well as broken, but the root ball is not dried out. Follow the appropriate steps above to repair the break.
Water the plant thoroughly over a sink (if a houseplant) or with a hose, saturating the soil and allowing it to just dry out between water applications.
Tips & Warnings
Handle the damaged plant as little as possible, even while repairing, to ensure no further damage.
