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What happened? First, check the leaves to determine what changes they have undergone and make the right diagnosis. Separate plants showing symptoms of disease or pests from healthy ones so the latter will not be infected, and treat the sick ones with the appropriate method. Determine which plants have had problems with watering, either too much or too little. Plants that are thirsty will show the following symptoms: soil that is dry and cracked, with a space between the root ball and the flower pot, withered and droopy upper leaves and lower leaves that are curled up, wrinkled or have simply fallen off, sluggish growth and new flowers and buds that are dried up.
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Plants that have been watered too much are harder to save. The alarm signals are soaked soil covered with mold, rot spots on the leaves, scarce growth, soft and fragile stems, brown tips of leaves, new and old leaves falling off at the same time; moldy flowers, rotten roots that smell bad.
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Saving plants with symptoms of drought As long as the plant has not dried out completely, you can submerge the pot in a basin of water or the bathtub until the soil is soaked and swells back to its normal size (you'll know because bubbles will stop rising from the pot). Later, spray the whole plant often with water.
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Saving plants that drowned In general they are hard to save. They tend to die, so it is important to act quickly.
These are the steps to follow: 1. Remove the plant from the pot, taking care not to harm the roots. 2. Eliminate the excess water from the root ball with a cloth or paper towel that is highly absorbent. 3. Leave it wrapped in this kind of paper so the water will evaporate. 4. When the ball is dry put the plant in another pot with fresh soil. Refrain from watering for a couple of days.
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Other steps Remove dead leaves that have fallen onto the soil Prune dry flowers Remove dust from leaves with a damp cloth Cut away brown tips of dried leaves but leave a thin margin so as not to harm the healthy part Trim damaged parts Stir the surface of the soil so that the roots can breathe a little.
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