Plants can be fickle things, and sometimes their behavior doesn’t make sense.
Drooping can be a sign of many things, and it isn’t always easy to determine what is wrong with your plant when it starts going limp.
If you’ve been wondering why your Wandering Jew plant has begun to look a bit sad, we’re going to cover some potential causes and solutions.
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Why Is My Wandering Jew Plant Drooping?
Your Wandering Jew plant is most likely drooping because it is being underwatered or overwatered.
Wandering Jew plants do not need a lot of care, so if you can get this balance right, your plant should be healthy with little other input.
It’s also worth noting that these plants naturally become a bit droopy after a couple of years.
Many people that keep them take cuttings from them in the early springtime and start a new plant each year.
You can root the cutting in water for a bit until you see roots, then plant it into the soil.
Also Read: Will Violas Flower All Summer? (And How To Keep Them Blooming)
Not Enough Water
If your Wandering Jew isn’t getting enough to drink, it will droop, sometimes quite dramatically.
You may find that those amazing painted leaves simply flop into limp foliage, and your plant looks like it’s on the verge of dying.
These tropical plants are native to the humid climates of South America and don’t like to dry out completely.
When the soil is slightly moist, it’s time to water before it gets too dry.
The first thing to do is test whether it’s thirsty.
To do this, you should insert your finger about an inch into the plant’s soil.
If it feels very dry, your plant is definitely suffering from a lack of water.
Water with lukewarm water so as not to shock your Wandering Jew plant and let tap water sit out overnight in an open container so that some of the harsh chemicals have a chance to evaporate.
Use this to inform how often you water the plant.
It shouldn’t be getting so dry that it wilts before you give it more to drink, so increase your watering schedule slightly.
Remember that in the summer, your plant will need more water than in the winter, so your schedule should alter with the changing seasons and conditions in your home.
Let your plant dry out a bit between waterings, but not so much that it becomes droopy.
Provide Humidity
Wandering Jew plants are tropical and a higher humidity level will help to stop them from drying out and drooping.
To provide extra humidity, you can fill the bottom of a tray with pebbles, fill it up with water to just below the level of the pebbles and sit your plant’s pot on it.
You can also get a humidifier or group it close together with other plants to raise moisture levels.
Too Much Water
More commonly, people water their Wandering Jew plant too much, and this is a sure way to kill it.
If it has been overwatered but not to the extreme, you may get away with letting it dry out before giving more water.
Then, going forward, only water when the soil feels slightly moist.
However, If your plant’s roots are constantly wet, they will rot, and if this happens, the plant will no longer be able to absorb nutrients and water properly.
Root rot kills plants fast, so watch out for this.
Check Drainage
If your plant’s pot has no drainage holes, it might even drown from over-watering, because no oxygen will be able to get at the roots.
Ensure you use a pot with drainage holes so that water can drain out and the roots have a chance to dry a little between watering times.
Again, check how damp the soil feels.
If you push your finger in and it is noticeably wet (and you haven’t just watered the plant), you are probably watering it too much.
What To Do With Your Overwatered Wandering Jew Plant
This often kills plants and can be harder to fix than underwatering.
First, spread out some newspaper, and then gently tip the plant out onto it.
Remove Wet Soil And Rotten Roots
Brush off the excess wet soil and expose the plant’s roots.
Mushy roots are rotting; check how they look and feel.
If your plant is suffering from root rot, you may not be able to save it, but you can try.
Firstly, brush as much wet soil away as possible, and then use a pair of sharp scissors to gently cut off the roots that are discolored and rotten.
These will not recover and are draining valuable energy from the plant.
Roots that are still firm and solid should be left.
Hopefully, your plant can use these healthy roots to recover.
Allow Roots To Dry Off
You should allow your plant’s roots to dry off next.
This should be done in a reasonably warm spot, but not in any direct sunlight.
The direct sun could burn the roots and might kill off the plant.
You can try patting roots dry with a kitchen towel, but be gentle and avoid causing more damage.
It may be easier to let the plant dry naturally.
Replant And Wait For Recovery
If the pot had no drainage holes, either make some or get a new pot.
Fill it with fresh, dry soil, and then plant your Wandering Jew again.
Cut back on watering, and only water very lightly for a while.
Your plant should still have plenty of moisture and may not need a drink for a week or so, depending on the conditions.
Now it’s time to wait and see if your plant can make a full recovery or not.
Final Thoughts
Wandering Jew plants turning droopy are almost always having a water problem, but you’ll have to determine whether it’s too much or too little.
Test how the soil feels to your finger.
It should never be saturated and should never be bone dry; you’re looking for a happy medium in between these two.
Always check before watering; if the top layer of the soil is damp, the plant isn’t ready for a drink yet!
