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Why are the leaves on my Scindapsus drooping or curled?

It can be alarming to notice sudden dramatic leaf drooping on your plant. If your Scindapsus looked great yesterday, but today looks sad and limp, don’t be alarmed! This is usually easy to fix.

Underwatering

Your Scindapsus prefers to dry out a little between waterings, but if it gets too dry it will start to droop and leaves will curl inward. Water when 50-75% of the soil volume is dry. Always check the soil moisture before watering. Water thoroughly until you see water flow from the drainage hole. Discard any excess water in the saucer to avoid root rot.

If you accidentally let your plant’s soil dry out completely, you may see leaves go limp, droop, and possibly start to brown. If the soil is bone dry all the way through the pot, a thorough soak is in order.

Here’s how to soak-water your Scindapsus:

  1. Place your plant in your sink or tub without the saucer. Fill your basin up with about 3-4″ of room temperature water.
  2. Allow your plant to soak up water through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot for at least 45 min.
    Feel the top of the soil after your plant has been soaking–has the water reached the top 2-3” of soil?
  3. If not all the soil feels saturated, water your Scindapsus slightly from the top of the soil to help speed up the saturation.
  4. When your plant’s soil is evenly damp, drain the sink/tub and allow the plant to rest while it drains thoroughly. Place the plant back on its saucer and back in its proper spot.

Try not to let it get too dry too often, as alternating between bone dry and wet soil can create stress and cause your plant to have discolored leaves. If the plant gets too dry for too long, the roots start to shrivel and die back. Then, once the plant is thoroughly watered, its damaged roots cannot take up the moisture properly.

Not enough humidity

Your Scindapsus will thrive in a more humid environment but can live in normal household humidity. If the air in your home is dry, especially in the winter, try using a pebble tray or placing a humidifier nearby.

Need more help?

We're confident your Scindapsus will be back to normal in no-time, but if you've followed the steps above and things just aren't improving you can contact us here.