If you’re a nerve plant owner, then you have probably experienced the dreaded drooping of your beautiful leaves. You believe you’re taking care of the plant, but for some reason, the leaves just won’t perk up.

You might think it’s time to throw them out with the trash, but we’re here to tell you that there is hope! Here’s how to save your drooped nerve plants…

How to Save a Drooping Nerve Plant?

To save a drooping nerve plant, you must give it everything it needs to survive, which is:

• Temperatures: Roughly 70 degrees Fahrenheit
• Humidity: 60-70%
• Soil: Moist, well-draining soil that is slightly acidic
• Water: Give more when the top inch of soil is dry
• Lighting: Indirect sunlight

As the main cause of drooping is under-watering, you may have to take extreme action. You can revive drooping plants in a matter of hours by putting their pots in a sink filled with room temperature water.

Leave the pots to soak in the water for a few hours. In fact, some even suggest leaving the pot in the sink overnight with a sprinkle of epsom salts.

Reasons Why Your Nerve Plant is Drooping

There are many reason why your nerve plant is drooping. We will now talk through the main reasons and what you can do to save your nerve plant.

1. Poor watering

I think the most common reason for plants to droop is due to a lack of a proper watering schedule. Plants need water to survive, and when they don’t get enough of it, their leaves will start drooping.

The fittonia is a tropical rainforest plant, which means it requires a lot of moisture to thrive. This means giving your nerve plant moist soil and a humid environment.

It depends on the exact conditions in your home, but I water my nerve plant when the top of the soil feels dry. On average, I give my nerve plant water once every three days during the summer months.

2. Poor humidity

Similar to the watering issue, the nerve plant may droop if it is kept in a dry environment.

Make sure there are no drafts in your home that could dry out your plant. You may also want to use humidifier to raise the humidity level. Nerve plants need at least 60% humidity, which is why a humidifier can help. Here’s the humidifier I use (Amazon link).

Indoor humidity levels tend to drop in the winter, so boost them with a humidifier set at 60%. Up your plant gear with an indoor humidity gauge and use it to keep tabs on the indoor moisture.

3. Lack of nutrients

Nerve plants need the correct mixture of water and nutrients in order to grow.

If you notice that your nerve plant has started to droop, there may still be time to save it. Using a little fertilizer can really help with growth. I love using Miracle Grow (Amazon link) on my plants.

4. Soil and potting

To prevent rot, your nerve plant needs a pot with at least one drainage hole.

Peat potting mix is excellent for most house plants, as it maintains moist soil and helps with drainage.

If your plants are drooping, you can help them by re-potting them into looser soil and switching to a larger container.

Root-bound plants will droop after a while because the roots have filled up the pot and can’t take in any more water.

5. Not enough sun

Nerve plants need a specific amount of sunlight. The plant does not tolerate direct sunlight or being kept in shaded areas. I recommend placing your nerve plant on a window that faces the east or west. This will give plenty of bright, indirect light.

If you live in a low-light environment, consider using LED grow lights to supplement your plants’ growth. I use grow lights on my tropical houseplants during the winter months.

I use these lights from Amazon, which I tend to leave on for 4-6 hours every day.

Conclusion

This article provides a list of the most common reasons for nerve plant drooping, along with solutions to save your precious plant. Please share this article with any green-fingered friends if you think it would be beneficial to them. Here are a few more helpful tips:

– Ensure the plant does not get any airflow from anywhere, as this will cause it to lose moisture from its leaves. Nerve plants like tropical climates, so close nearby windows.

– Another way to stop the drooping is to provide more nutrients, such as nitrogen. To improve its overall health, give it a boost by adding organic material. You may add coffee grounds for an extra energy kick!

– The next tip for keeping your drooping nerve plant alive is to make sure it gets plenty of light – natural and artificial. Here are my favorite lights (Amazon link).

– When caring for a nerve plant, it is important to consider how much water the plant will need. For example, wilted leaves are often one sign that the plant does not have enough water.

– If your nerve plant is showing signs of pest infestation, try removing them with a spray of water and then apply neem oil (Amazon link). You should apply this to all plants nearby.