Weak Growth

Weak Growth

Want to learn more about Symptoms: Weak Growth

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Why does my plant have weak growth?

Weak, sparse growth on your plant can be the result of a number of different issues, some more severe than others.

Symptoms

  • Weak, sparse growth

  • Stretched or lopsided growth

  • Growth die back

Weak Growth

Common causes

The most common issue is that your plant isn't getting enough light. This results in your plant being unable to produce enough energy to grow properly.

It can also be a sign of an imbalanced fertilizing - both overfertilizing and underfertilizing can lead to the development of this symptom. If you're unsure which of these is the cause, try to look out for other symptoms and work by a process of elimination, as it's likely your plant's overall health will be affected by this imbalance.

Could also be a sign that your plant needs to get repotted. Sometimes a plant may not be growing well because it simply doesn't have enough space to spread out or enough nutrients in its soil. You can often tell if this is the case by checking the roots - if they're pressed up against the edges of the plant pot, or even poking out of the drainage holes at the bottom, then this is a sure sign that it's time to upgrade to a bigger pot.

Fungal infection, virus and pest infestation can stunt your plants overall growth and cause it to grow slower, deformed new growth and make it weaker and more sparse. Examine your plant frequently to catch these before they get out of hand.

Tropical Plants that require a high level of humidity may also produce weaker growth if the humidity isn't high enough for their needs.

What to think about

Check the fertilizer you're using to ensure it contains all macro and micro nutrients your plant requires and make sure you're following the directions of the product or tasks in Planta. Fertilizing more than recommended is never a good idea as it can cause serious damage to your plant.