Josh's Frogs
Saving A Plant From Incorrect Watering
by Julianna Witt
Alright, how to save a plant you've over or underwatered! For underwatering, it's easy. Just water it! The leaves that have turned yellow or crispy are not going to come back and should be plucked off, but the limp ones that are still green should perk back up.
For some really delicate, humidity-loving plants like an Episcia, certain Begonias, or Selaginella, giving them some humidity can help bring them back from severe underwatering. If the plant is small enough, placing a clear fruit-fly cup over it can often provide some temporary humidity.
Larger plants can be misted, but this doesn't work as well. Saving an overwatered plant is a tidbit more complicated. Many plants will rot at the stem (where they're touching that too-wet soil that they hate) and that's the most promising kind of rot as far as saving the plant goes. Healthy tissue should be snipped off well above the rotted area and propagated and the root ball thrown away.
Other plants can be uprooted completely and laid out to dry on a paper towel before being repotted in very lightly moistened soil. This is most effective when it's early enough in the overwatering symptoms that the plant is drooping but not yet rotted,
You may also enjoy this Josh's Frogs video ""Prepping Plants for Planting""