How to Save an Injured Houseplant

If you’ve injured or broken a houseplant stem or even the trunk, it is possible to do “emergency surgery” that could save the plant. This video shows a coleus that was injured. I did “triage” surgery on the plant with tape and saved it from dying. The video shows the plant now and how it has grown and is healthy. Also learn how to treat an injured plant with tape to save it.

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Video Transcript

[Music]

Hello and welcome to HealthyHousePlants.com, where we teach you all about gardening in the great indoors. Today’s video is sponsored by our Amazon affiliate link, which you’ll find in the description below.

Have you ever broken a houseplant stem? Maybe the whole top of the plant or perhaps a side branch? But have you ever broken the top of the plant itself? You might have done this, and it may be hanging, just like this plant was about a month ago. You may think, “Well, the plant’s going to die,” or “I need to cut it off down here, leaving me with a little plant that has to regrow.” The good news is, you can try a sort of triage for your plant to mend it. You can give it some gentle support, and it may just heal itself — which is exactly what happened with this plant.

This plant has two stems, and both were hanging sideways. I thought it might not work, but I’ve done this many times before, and it often does. So, I grabbed a pencil to hold the plant up quickly, as it was an emergency! Other things you could use include a wooden skewer or dowel, depending on the plant’s height. Anything that provides support, like a stake, would be helpful.

I not only used the pencil but also tied the plant with green garden tie tape, which stretches as the plant grows. This way, it doesn’t girdle the plant, which would squeeze the stem or trunk and cut off the plant’s flow of nutrients. The garden tape is soft, allowing movement as the plant grows, and I tied it to the pencil. I also had a helper hold the plant up while I applied the tape.

Using regular tape, I wrapped it around the area that was broken. I’m opening it up here so you can see underneath. You can see where the plant has fused itself back together. Although there’s a bit of scarring, the plant has doubled in size since then, so it’s definitely growing and doing well. I’ve kept some tape on another part, which now shows almost no scarring. But I’ll leave all the tape on for a bit longer to ensure the plant is stable.

One way to check if your plant is stable is to remove the pencil after some time. I’m going to leave this support in place for another month as the plant continues to fuse. At that point, I’ll remove the pencil and see if the plant can stand on its own. If needed, I might replace the pencil with a more subtle skewer for extra support.

It’s similar to caring for someone who’s mending a broken leg; you support it while it heals. So, if this happens to your plants, give this a try! I’ve even had success with harder-stemmed plants, so it’s worth the effort. I’ll do a follow-up video in a month where I’ll remove the pencil and tape to see if the plant can stand alone, or if it needs more support.

This is a great way to save your plants, and it’s fascinating to see how they can continue to grow after an injury. When I initially supported this plant, it was about half as tall, bent over right here at the break. So, if you encounter a similar issue, try this out. If it doesn’t work, that’s okay, but if it does, hooray!

Thank you for stopping by! Please leave comments with any indoor gardening tutorials you’d like to see, and remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share this video.

FAQ's Save an Injured Houseplant

FAQ

What should I do if I accidentally break a houseplant stem?

You can try mending it by giving it some gentle support. Use a pencil or stake to hold it up, and tie it with garden tie tape to allow it to heal and fuse back together.

What materials can I use to support a broken plant?

Use items like a pencil, wooden skewer, or dowel for support, depending on the plant’s height. Tie the plant gently with garden tie tape, which allows for movement as the plant grows.

How can I avoid girdling my plant while mending it?

Use green garden tie tape, which stretches as the plant grows. This will avoid squeezing the plant’s stem, which could cut off its nutrient flow.

When can I remove the support and tape from the plant?

Leave the support in place for at least a month to ensure the plant has fused back together. Check if the plant can stand on its own before removing the support.