Uh oh, what's happened?
Finally get around to repotting your plant? Fresh potting mix. A bigger pot for roots to spread out. But a few days later... panic stations.
Or maybe you’ve just bought a new plant home. You’re in love. The feeling is NOT mutual. Yellowing and browning leaves, wilting and curling, leaves dropping off… what’s going on?!
Even if you did everything right, plants can go into transplant shock after change.
Repotting, shipping, moving house, or for some of our more sensitive green friends, it can happen after a simple move from one room to another… and even if the new conditions are better for them!
In my 30+ years in the houseplant hobby (and having owned far too many plants to admit to), I’ve lost my fair share of plants to transplant shock.
If it’s happening to you right now, it does NOT mean you stuffed up.
And transport shock does NOT mean a death sentence.
But what you do next could make ALL the difference between your plant bouncing back, happier and healthier than before, or dying a sad death caused by best intentions.
What are the signs of transplant stress in plants?
SHORT-TERM SYMPTOMS
- Leaves turning softer, wilting or wrinkling and stems drooping, even when the substrate is wet,
(or soft / wilting / drooping / wrinkling that doesn’t improve after watering) - Leaves rolling, curling or cupping inwards,
- Yellowing leaves, usually starting with the older leaves closest to the roots,
- Leaves turning brown, often starting at the tips and edges, moving inwards,
- The dreaded leaf drop, often in quick succession,
- If the plant was in flower, flowers and buds being aborted, dying and dropping off.
LONG-TERM SYMPTOMS
Even if a plant shows no signs of transplant shock in the short-term, or appears to have recovered, longer-term signs to watch out for include small or stunted, deformed new growth, slow or no new leaf growth.
How long do plants take to recover?
There isn’t a set time due to a few factors coming into play, but for most houseplants, I’ve found 1 to 4 weeks is pretty standard.
After a quick rehab treatment (coming up), continue the recovery care (also coming up), for about a month after a big change just to be safe.
And if the signs of shock are minor, you could find just the combo of giving them good conditions along with a bit of patience may be all that’s needed.
What causes transplant shock in plants?
Transplant stress – also called transplant shock – usually happens following a big change.
Being repotted or being moved to a new location (such as bringing a new plant home from the store or moving house), are the two of the most common triggers.
But other common causes that tend to be underestimated for making plants unhappy include: after shipping, repotting into a pot that’s too large, and big or sudden changes in conditions the plant was used to.
That could be sudden temperature changes, exposure to cold draughts or in the path of hot air, cold temperatures in general, low humidity or dry air, changes in substrate, changes in water parameters, changes in light and more.
Even a perfectly healthy plant can suddenly go downhill when dealing with change.
Why does repotting cause transplant shock?
From the outside, repotting seems like the ultimate favour you can do for your plants.
Fresh new substrate, more room for roots to spread out… but it can be a very different experience for our plants.
Think of repotting for our plants, like surgery is for us.
Even if you did everything right…
- Your plant was healthy before repotting,
- you prepped the roots with a nutrient soak a day or two before repotting,
- you took care to handle roots gently,
- you picked the right substrate to match the plant,
- you only went up a small amount in pot size,
- you watered everything in thoroughly afterwards.
…the reality is root damage is almost impossible to avoid when repotting.
Not just damage to the primary roots, but to the even more delicate root hairs. And it’s those tiny root hairs that are actually responsible for most of the water and nutrient uptake.
What you do before and during repotting is only half of the story. It’s what you do after repotting that can make sure your plant’s story has a happy ending.
Will the plant recover?
Maybe. It depends on the reason why your plants in shock, how soon you catch it, how severe the symptoms are, and what you do next.
Sometimes, no matter what you do, a plant doesn’t recover. Some that do may still show problems in the long-term.
In my experience, most recover perfectly fine with only mild symptoms of transplant shock within a few weeks, and show no long-term ill effects.
(although their next leaf or two might be a bit wonky before they fully come right)
Of course, there are always some show-off plants that just bounce back even happier and healthier than before, immediately after a big change, with no recovery time!
And at the other end of the scale, some plants are prone to drama queen reactions even after very small changes (I’m looking at you Fiddle Leaf Fig).
Are some houseplants more prone to transplant shock?
Absolutely yes. Some plants are far more prone to transplant shock than others when it comes to dealing with change.
That includes variegated plants in general, especially highly variegated plants with less green on their leaves.
If they are both variegated and have thinner leaves, the risk is even higher (Calathea White Fusion comes to mind first).
Thinner-leafed plants in general are also more at risk, like Maranta, Stromanthe, Calathea and Peace Lilies.
Not forgetting the notorious leaf droppers, like Croton and Ficus (that includes Ficus lyrata, better known as the Fiddle Leaf Fig).
So yes, for some plants, it’s simply to be expected. It’s not you, it’s them!
I remember hopelessly watching my gorgeous Super White Marble Queen Pothos, quickly turn into one long bald stem, as leaf-after-leaf turned brown then died within weeks of bring it home.
(which is also how I discovered the magic of Crazy Keiki for growing new leaves from bare stems)
Emergency rehab for plants in shock
First things first, work out what changed so you can pinpoint the cause of the symptoms to help you decide what to do next.
And if you suspect root rot, focus on that as your top priority first. Slide out the plant and check the roots asap.
If you do discover root rot, after removing the rotting roots, have a look at No.6 RootDoctor by NurtureSystem, or Grosafe Buxus Blight. Both are formulated to treat root rot.
Another option after trimming off the dead and rotting roots, is a soak in Forsana Plant Care Plus (a unique formula with hydrogen peroxide and more in the mix). Forsana has been tested to kill 99% of fungi and bacteria
(root rot in houseplants is typically caused by fungus, more often it’s Pythium or Phytophthora)
Once root rot is ruled out, move on to one or more of these rehab solutions to get your plant on the path to a full recovery…
1. Rehab treatments for plants in shock
Being such a common problem for plants, there are quite a few products available made to treat transplant shock.
My top 3 picks are below, but the key here at this early stage is something that focuses on supporting the roots - and does it fast - as recovery from shock starts from the roots up.
I’ve just started using No.3 RapidRecovery by NurtureSystem, so can’t tell you much from my own experience yet. If that’s out of budget however, have a look at the very excellent GT Rootzone.
GT Rootzone has been my go-to for some time now and has saved my plants multiple times. I can’t say enough about how good it is, so from my experience, GT Rootzone is my #1 pick.
A third more basic and usually cheaper option is good old seaweed. Known as Nature’s Superfood. One of the many benefits of seaweed is both reducing the risk of transplant shock and helping roots recover.
Seaweed extract is an ingredient in GT Rootzone too, along with lots of other root health and growth goodies, but for a high-quality source of pure seaweed which is cheaper, my go-to is Grosafe BioPower.
(I use BioPower on my outdoor plants and save GT Rootzone for my indoor plants)
2. Reverse the change and take it slowly
If the change that caused the shock is something reversible, either change it back, or if the change has to happen (and the shock symptoms are mild), give your plant time to adjust to the new conditions.
Either way, I’d still give the plant a rehab treatment (like one of those three options above), to help speed up recovery.
Of course, if symptoms are really mild, you absolutely can also just be patient. Watch and wait to see if your plants recovers given a bit of time.
If it’s not better in two weeks, or symptoms get worse (check that list at the start for symptoms to watch out for), you can be ready to act.
If you decide to return your plant to where it was last happy, once it has recovered, you can try the change again, but this time take it more slowly.
Avoid sudden changes and also aim to change only one big thing at a time. Doing both will help avoid transplant shock happening again.
Keep in mind even typically hardier plants can temporarily become more temperature sensitive following repotting, so watch out for temperature swings and changes in airflow (such as open doors and windows), turning on heaters, or being in the path of air conditioning.
Some changes you can’t easily avoid or reverse, like changes in substrate after repotting. When you repot, it’s not just root damage a plant has to deal with. It can also be a simple change in substrate that can cause shock.
When you change their substrate, roots need time to adjust to things like the new pH, new texture, and new balance of water and air available in the soil.
If the cause was repotting or you're seeing rather dramatic yellowing of multiple leaves at once or quickly one-after-the-other, rule out root rot first, then use one of the rehab options above.
3. Add warmth
Even if repotting is not the cause, warmth is part of the cure…
If temperatures are regularly dropping below about 15 degrees Celsius (that’s around 59 degrees Fahrenheit), I'd err on te side of caution and say it’s best NOT to repot, unless you give your plants an artificial heat source to help with recovery.
That’s because warmth is a HUGE factor when it comes to recovery and can help whether the cause of shock is from repotting or not.
A warmer rootzone boosts root activity. It increases nutrient absorption, improves water intake and triggers the production of plant hormones like auxin which tell roots to grow.
Warmth also helps protect from root rot. If you’re worried you’ve overwatered, a warmer rootzone helps plants use up that extra water faster and helps excess water evaporate also.
But how warm? Aim for a rootzone temperature of the mid 20’s (23 to 25 degrees Celsius), or mid to high 70’s (around 73 to 77 Fahrenheit). Avoid anything 30 degrees or higher (about 86 degrees Fahrenheit or higher).
The easiest and most affordable way is to get your plants a heat mat. I like the Inkbird heat mats that come with a thermostat to set the temperature.
You can also use a soil thermometer to check you’re achieving the ideal temperature range.
4. Water well
If you repotted because of root rot, or because the old substrate was holding too much water, you might be tempted to under-water, or not water at all following repotting.
Don’t do that!
You DO want to water thoroughly after repotting to make sure all the substrate gets evenly, fully saturated and no roots miss out.
Some substrates can even suck moisture out of roots if not watered well once potted up. I prefer to wet those substrates before potting up (leca and pon are two examples).
Once repotted, and initially watered well, don't let wilting fool you. Wilting and drooping can be a sign of transplant shock so if the substrate is still nice and wet but your plant is wilting, I'd check for root rot instead of risking watering again too soon.
5. Skip fertiliser (maybe)
If a plant is going through transplant shock right now, I’d skip fertiliser, either for 3 to 4 weeks or when I see it’s recovering.
I’d definitely still use something to help roots recover though, like GT Rootzone or Grosafe BioPower.
There’s also a new-to-NZ product I haven’t tried myself yet, but the reviews overseas are amazing, which is No.3 RapidRecovery from NurtureSystem.
Once it’s out of the danger zone and on the mend, you can absolutely start fertilising again.
Good luck!
Don’t skip that step of ruling out root rot first, but by following those rehab steps above, hopefully your plant will be recovered and back to full health very soon.
Happy growing,
Anna 💚
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anna is the owner of plant store Love That Leaf which specialises in products and advice for indoor plants. She is also the resident indoor plants writer for NZ Gardener magazine. Her houseplant care articles appear in print in magazines in-stores NZ-wide, and online on Stuff, The Post, NineHoney and more.