Worried about the damage caused to your houseplant’s stems? Fret no more! Read on to find out How to Fix Bent Stems of Any Houseplant!
The tender stems of any plant indoors or outdoors can get easily damaged, crushed, or broken for a variety of reasons. It can interfere with the plant’s nutrient flow, leading to its death. To make sure your green friends survive that ordeal, here’s how to Fix Bent Stems of Any Houseplant.
Check out our article on how to fix leggy succulents here
How to Fix Bent Stems of Any Houseplant?
1. Use Tape
Wrap a florist or any other tape on the broken or bent stem to help it heal faster. You can also use a popsicle stick around it to give it additional support.
Note: Avoid using an electrician’s tape if the broken stem is too thin and soft, as the adhesive would be too strong on that one.
2. Make the Stem Light
Point number two is most important–If there is a slight bend in the stem, then it can be due to the weight of flowers, fruits, or dense foliage. In that case, snip off the blooms or fruits to get the additional load off.
3. Make a Splint
If the plant is bigger with heavier stems, then use a pencil, skewer, small stem from the other plant, chopsticks, or anything you find sufficient to give it robust support. Tape one or two splints to the bottom of the plant to provide strength. You can also use plastic ties.
How to Make a Splint:
- First, measure the stem. Take skewers or any other support of the same length.
- Place one skewer against the plant’s bent stem and gently push the end of your support into the soil to secure it.
- Make sure the skewer stands perpendicular to the plant, erect, and not bending in any way. Otherwise, it can cause more damage than good.
- In 2-3 weeks, the stem will heal itself.
4. Tie with Thin Rope or Wire
Another trick you can follow is to tie the top of a bent stem with a piece of thin rope or a wire to suspend it straight in the air. This will give additional support to the weak part, and it will be good in a few weeks’ time.
5. Give Support
If the stem has a light bend, then you can simply add the support of a pencil, bamboo pole, plastic, or a wooden stick, letting the stem lean on it. Additionally, you can then use a pair of shoelaces, tape, or a piece of cloth to secure the plant.
Some Quick Tips
- Avoid wrapping the tape too tightly around the stem.
- Ensure the skewers are in place securely and do not have much scope of leaning and bending.
- Only remove the splint or tape when you know the stem is healed, which is usually around 3-4 weeks.
- Stems with or more than 90 degrees of bend cannot be healed successfully. It would be better to snip them off the plant.
- Sometimes a plant becomes top-heavy if grown in a small container, repotting it into a bigger pot may help.
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Check out our article Growing Astragalus | How to Grow Astragalus here
