Is your Polka Dot Plant Dying? Polka Dots plants are beautiful indoor plants that are pretty tricky to keep alive in their second year, especially when they start flowering. The lifespan of these plants is two years, but they can be kept alive for a few more months with proper care.
So, if your polka dot plant is dying, this article is for you. Here we will provide you with all the issues and solutions that will help you keep them alive and well. So, let’s get started.
Reasons Why Your Polka Dot Plant is Dying and How To Fix?
Blooming, overwatering, underwatering, lack of sunlight, etc., are a few reasons your polka dot plants die too early. Pinching off the flower and controlling pest infection will help you immediately save a dying polka dot plant.
Here are a few reasons why your polka dot is dying. Make sure to follow the solutions the way they are mentioned.
Blooming Polka Dot Plant
Though the blooming of polka dots plants is natural, it is a reason for your plant to die. The lifespan of a polka dot plant is around two years, and during the second year, they start producing flowers. The flowers are around 6-inches long and appear during late winter when the plant is around a year old. To prolong the life of your polka dot, follow the below solution.
What to do
Keep checking your plant for any flower spikes around the end of the winter, and start pinching them off as soon as you see them. This will delay their ultimate decline by a few months. The goal here is to take out the flowers before they have a chance to grow.
Are you curious whether your Polka dot plant is poisonous or not? Read Is Your Polka Dot Plant Poisonous
Overwatering
Overwatering is one of the common reasons for polka dots dying. These plants are susceptible to root disease and die when they stay in soggy soil or standing water. Overwatering generally happens when people are new to plant care or try to compensate for underwatering.
To fix the issue, what you can do before watering the plant is check whether the top 1-inch of the plant is wet or not. If it feels moist, don’t water it for a day or till it’s dry enough. Make sure to do this every time before watering your polka dot plant.
Underwatering
Similar to overwatering, underwatering is one primary reason for plants dying. The soil of polka dot plants must always stay a little bit moist. If it’s too dry, the plant will start dying.
What to do
The best way to keep your polka dot from staying underwatered is to use a spray bottle filled with lukewarm water and mist spray it daily. Also, check the condition of the top 1-inch of the soil with your fingers before watering. This will help you to not underwater or overwater your polka dot plant.
Lack of Sunlight
Sunlight is vital for the growth of a plant but only in necessary amounts. When polka dot plants don’t receive enough sunlight, their leaves turn brown. When exposed to direct sunlight, they bleach, and the leaves become brittle and slowly wither away.
What to do
To save your polka dots from the lack of sunlight, you can prune the dead or damaged parts. Also, keep the plant in a place that receives a lot of light. The best place would be around 2-3 feet from the south- or west-facing window. If you don’t have access to that, then the front of an east-facing window would be a good idea. This will provide them with enough natural light to stay alive.
Keep The Temperature in Check
Polka Dots are very sensitive to temperature. They cannot withstand temperatures below 18 degrees C and above 26 degrees C. If the plant gets affected by temperature, you will be able to understand it by seeing the color of the leaves. The leaves of the plant turn brown, and they start wilting.
What to do
Changing the position of the plant day and night would be a great idea. This is because the temperature rises during the day, and at night the temperature drops. Keeping a check on the temperature would be the ideal choice here.
If you are looking for companion plants for polka dots, here are 7 Polka Dot Plant Companion Plants.
Pest Infestation
Just like most plants, Polka dot plants are not immune to pests. They can get affected by pests and die within a week. Spider mites, Aphids, Mealybugs, and Vine weevils are some of the common sap suckers that attack these plants and cause them to die.
What to do
The best way is to prune the affected areas as soon as you see them. You can also try to hose down the plant to knock off the pests. Rubbing with a light alcohol mixture might do the trick for small affected areas. Or you can spray the plant with neem oil solution every week to keep off all pests.
Yellow Leaves
The yellowing of the leaves of a polka dots plant is a sign that it will die. Though it’s not definite, there is a chance. There are many reasons, such as nutrient deficiency, direct sunlight, root rot due to overwatering, and pest infestation. This is tricky as it is hard to understand why the leaves turn yellow.
What to do
To fix this, first, you need to prune all the yellow leaves and the leaves that have started to turn yellow. After that, start checking each issue one by one. This way, you will isolate the yellow leaves issue and pinpoint the exact reason behind the yellowing of leaves.
Wrap Up
So, these are some of the reasons for your polka dot plant dying and how you would be able to fix those issues. We hope this will be of help to you. Also, if you have tips about keeping polka dots healthy, feel free to leave them below.
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