Who doesn’t love lipstick plants! This beautiful plant with a unique flower that looks like lipstick. But now your lipstick plant is wilting and dropping its leaves. Don’t worry I got your back. In this article, I will tell you the reasons behind your plant wilting and leaves lost.
Plus I will tell you what you should do in order to have your plant back.
But before diving deep into the details I will put the answer for our main question as simple as this: why the lipstick plant wilting and dropping its leaves? The leaves of lipstick plant wilt and drops because of either underwatering, or overwatering, or lack of adequate light, or low-temperature level, or lack of humidity.
Keep reading to know what causing your plant to wilt and losing its leaves.
Reasons why lipstick plant wilting and dropping leaves
The below are the reasons behind the wilting and leaves lost. Your job is to know which one is the cause for your plant struggle. In order to take the right action.
Underwatering
This is the most common reason behind the wilting and leaves drop. Water is what makes the plant alive and standing upright.
When the last time you watered your lipstick plant! The lipstick plant needs moist but not waterlogged soil.
The right watering schedule for a lipstick plant is the one that allows the top two inches of soil to dry between the waterings.
You can check the soil by inserting your finger in it. If the top two inches are dry then water it. If this is the case simply follow my watering tip and your plant through time will be ok.
Overwatering
Most people when they found that their houseplant wilting or losing its leaves will decide that the plant needs more water.
But be careful the signs of overwatering will look like the signs of underwatering.
Although the leaves will yellowing more in the overwatering before they fall off.
But this can happen in the underwatering scenario too. Therefore review your watering schedule.
If you water your lipstick plant too often without allowing the top two inches of the soil to dry then most probably your plant is suffering from overwatering.
Overwatering is more dangerous than underwatering. It is always better to underwater your lipstick plant than to overwater it.
If the overwatering is the problem, simply allow the top two inches to dry then water it.
If The problem is not severe your plant will recover in few weeks. Although some wilted leaves may not recover. You can cut such leaves.
Sometimes, If you have been practicing overwatering for a long period, the roots may rot.
In such a case there is a chance that your lipstick plant will die eventually.
But I have written an article about how to deal with root rot, The article will give you the best odds while you trying to save your beloved plant.
Lack of humidity
The lipstick plant is native to the rainforests. The weather in the rainforest is warm and very humid. Humidity is what lipstick plants tolerate and like.
If your lipstick plant exposed to a whether that has a humidity level below 50% it may wilt and lose its leaves.
The humidity level in most homes is between 40% to 50%. While the optimal humidity level for the lipstick plant is above 60%.
Make sure that your lipstick plant is away from the heating system as the heating system dries the air.
Also, you can increase the humidity level for your plant by following one of the below tips
Install a humidifier
This is the most convenient way that you can follow in order to give your plant the humidity it loves.
Not only your lipstick plant will love you for the humidifier. But most of your other houseplants will do.
Because most houseplants like humidity because they native to the rainforests.
Also, the humidifier has no risk on your plant unlike some of the other methods.
Mist your lipstick plant
Misting your lipstick plant will increase the humidity level around your plant. Such a thing may stop the wilting and leaves lost.
But make sure that the misted water does not set in the stem and leaves for a long period of time.
Because such a thing may cause stem rot. And definitely, it is something you don’t want to deal with.
So it is a balance between humidity and not letting the water sit for long a period of time. You can achieve such a balance by understanding your weather.
For example, if your plant is exposed to dry air then it is ok to mist it and let the water sit in the plant as the dry air will dry the misted water.
On the other hand, if there is no enough air circulation around your plant you may let the misted water set in the foliage and stem for 10 minutes then remove the water.
Move your plant to the bathroom
Your bathroom is the most humid place in your home. Therefore by moving your plant to the bathroom you are doing something about the wilting and leaves lost.
But you can only do so if there is enough bright indirect light in the bathroom.
Group Your houseplants together
Plants lose the water that absorbed from the soil through tiny holes in their leaves ( stomata) in form of evaporation.
This evaporated water makes the environment next to the plant humid. Therefore when you put your plants very close to each other they benefit from each other water evaporation in terms of more humidity.
But be careful that the plants that you intending to put close to your lipstick plant are healthy and diseases free. Because if one has an infection it will infect the whole group.
Put the pot in a gravel tray
Another method to increase the humidity level for your lipstick plant that losing its leaves and wilting is to put the pot in a tray that has gravel.
bring a tray and put gravels on it. Then fill the tray with water to the level that the upper surface of the gravels is dry.
Then put the pot in the gravels. It is important that the water does not reach the drainage holes.
Because if it did the plant will root rot. This method is great because the water will evaporate throughout the day. And the evaporation will make the weather humid for your beloved lipstick plant.
Cold temperature
Lipstick plants thrive in temperature levels between 65 F and 85 F. And they will die in temperatures below 50 F.
As I mentioned earlier lipstick plant is native to the rainforest. And the weather in the rainforest is warm.
If the lipstick plant is not getting the warmth it needs it may wilt and loses its leaves. Simply give your plant warmth and love.
Lack of light
The lack of adequate light may cause your lipstick plant to wilt and drop its leaves. lipstick plant loves bright but indirect sunlight.
If your lipstick plant located in a dark place the cause of wilting and leaves drop may be the lighting.
Put your plant in a location that gets bright indirect sunlight. If you cant think about investing in grow light it will solve the problem.
In conclusion
In this article, I hope I answered the question of why the lipstick plant wilting and losing its leaves. Such a thing can be caused by different factors such as underwatering or overwatering or lack of humidity or lack of light or by cold temperatures. Knowing the real cause is the first step toward the solution. Finally, potted plants need special care so you don’t reach the point where your plant is dying, this is why I wrote the book Container Gardening: A Step-by-Step Practical Guide. Get your copy today through this link.