Skip to content
growing.guide
Menu

Symptom

Drooping or wilting

Wilting means water is not reaching the leaves. The plant may simply be dry, but drowned roots, damaged roots, heat and wilt diseases produce the same droop. The soil tells you which.

Push a finger into the soil first. Dry means water; wet means roots. Then watch whether the plant recovers overnight.

Likely causes

Ordered from the usual answer to the less likely one. Each links to the full problem.

Recorded on Chili peppers

  1. A tomato plant wilting in a hot, dry bed Light & temperature Common

    Heat stress

    Wilts in afternoon heat, recovers by morning.
  2. A plant lifted from its pot with brown, rotting roots Fungal disease Possible

    Root rot

    Wet soil, brown mushy roots, no recovery.
  3. A newly planted seedling drooping in fresh soil Damage Possible

    Transplant shock

    Starts right after planting or repotting.
  4. A tomato plant yellowing and wilting on one side Fungal disease Possible

    Fusarium wilt

    Wilting with one-sided yellowing; brown streaks in the stem.

Less likely on Chili peppers

  1. A drooping plant in dry, cracked soil Watering Common

    Underwatering

    Dry soil; plant recovers within hours of watering.
  2. A snake plant with soft, yellowing leaves collapsing in soggy compost Watering Common

    Overwatering

    Wet soil; leaves soft and yellow.
  3. Forked and misshapen carrots on the soil Damage Possible

    Root damage

    After digging, wind rock or pests at the roots.
  4. A strawberry plant with wilting, browning outer leaves Fungal disease Possible

    Verticillium wilt

    Afternoon wilting of older leaves, brown staining inside.
  5. A cucumber vine wilting suddenly from bacterial wilt Bacterial disease Possible

    Bacterial wilt

    Sudden wilt of whole cucurbit runners that never recovers.
  6. White vine weevil grubs among strawberry roots Pest Less likely

    Vine weevil

    Pot plants collapse; white grubs at the roots.
  7. A wilting brassica transplant with maggot-eaten roots Pest Less likely

    Cabbage root fly

    Young brassicas wilt; maggots on the roots.
  8. A cabbage root swollen into knobbly clubs Fungal disease Less likely

    Clubroot

    Brassicas wilt on warm days; roots swollen.