What to do if your plant suddenly drops flowers and foliage

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It can be alarming to see your plant suddenly loose leaves, buds or flowers! It could be a sign of stress, which some plants are more susceptible to than others.

WHY IS MY PLANT LOOSING FLOWERS, BUDS OR FOLIAGE?

If you've brought home a new plant, or recently moved your plant to a new environment, it may start to exhibit signs of stress.

Some plants can be particularly sensitive to change, as it can be overwhelming for them to adjust to different light, temperature and humidity conditions (among other factors). This can especially be the case when you bring an outdoor plant inside for the winter. One of the most common ways that a plant will show that it is stressed is by dropping flowers, buds and leaves.

Note that it is very common for plants to get a bit stressed when they are put in new growing conditions. A few spots, dropped leaves or lost flowers buds is sometimes inevitable and usually harmless.

WHAT TO DO NOW

Your plant just needs to take some time to rest - have patience and keep an eye on it as it settles into its new surroundings and recovers from the stress. Just make sure it isn't placed in an area that's too dark since this can cause similar symptoms. Eventually, it should start to produce buds and flowers again. Once it has settled in, avoid stressing it by moving it again.

While your plant is stressed it might also be drinking less water, so you need to be careful when watering. Always make, sure that you check the soil first.

BRINGING HOME NEW PLANTS DURING A DARKER SEASON

If you live in a climate that has shorter days during fall and winter, your newly acquired plants can easily get stressed when bringing them home. That is because they've been used to growing in a green house with plenty of light, and other beneficial factors such as higher humidity and regular watering. By providing them with extra light the first couple of weeks you can help reduce leaf drop.

HIGH HUMIDITY PLANTS

If your tropical plant was previously grown in very humid conditions, you might need to slowly acclimate it to the less humid environment. Temporarily increasing the humidity around your plant during the first couple of weeks is a good way to help it out.

Note that some plants require high humidity and will be better growing in a terrarium or green house.