Top Reasons Houseplants Slow Down Growth and What to Do About It

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Today I’m going to talk to you about the top reasons why house plants slow down growth. This Alocasia, an elephant ear, is a good example of one of those reasons, so that’s why I have this guy here right now. These are the top reasons house plants slow down growth, which is of concern if you’ve had a plant for a while, it’s been looking really good, and then all of a sudden it starts to slow down growth. It’s good to look at these various potential reasons why it slowed down growth to see if you need to make some changes so that the plant is open.

The first area that I suggest looking at is watering. Improper watering is often the reason why a house plant will slow down growth. That is either overwatering or underwatering; both of these can cause problems. Underwatering causes the plant to get very droopy and thirsty. If you don’t give a plant sufficient water, obviously it doesn’t have the water it needs to grow, so it’s going to just go into survival mode, especially if you drought the plant on a regular basis. When it goes into that survival mode, it’s just going to conserve any water that you do give it when you finally give it. That’s a reason why underwatering will cause that slowdown in growth.

Overwatering will cause a slowdown in growth because what happens is when you keep the soil too wet too often (and overwatering is not watering a lot at once but watering too often), the soil stays wet. When the soil stays wet, the roots stay wet, they don’t have as much oxygen, and fungal pathogens can get in there because they thrive in these wet conditions. That’s when you get root rot. Even if you don’t get root rot in really wet soil, you’re going to get root die-back. When a plant’s roots die back, there are not enough roots to create a healthy above-ground plant. Remember, the most important part of the plant for the health of the plant is healthy roots. So if you start to have roots that are dying back and withering away and diminishing in that pot down there, you’re going to get a slowdown in growth.

Another reason is having the plant in too big of a pot. This ties in with what I was just talking about with too much wet soil at the roots and root die-back. When you have a plant in too big of a pot (and I have many videos on how you don’t want to do that and what the correct ratio is, which is 2/3 plant to 1/3 pot on the bottom), you’re going to have a lot of root die-back. You’re often going to get root rot as well, so that’s another reason why the plant will slow down in growth.

Nutrient deficiencies, such as NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), the macronutrients, can also cause slowdown. If you’re not giving the plant enough of those nutrients, the plant will slow down growth because it’s not getting what it needs to rebuild cells and to photosynthesize. If you haven’t fertilized the plant in a long time, or maybe you have never fertilized the plant and it’s been in the same soil for a while, the lack of fertilizer could very well be the reason that the plant has slowed down growth. That’s obviously a very easy thing to fix. When you do fertilize, use an organic fertilizer.

On the opposite end, feeding the plant too much can also cause problems. If you’ve been feeding the plant too much, the fertilizer can build up at the soil level. Fertilizers are high in salts, even the organic ones (although the organic ones are much lower in salts than chemical fertilizers). Too much fertilizer at the root zone is going to break down the roots. Breaking down the roots once again means the plant’s going to slow down growth – less roots, less above-ground growth as well. This is known as fertilizer burn.

Pests, especially pests like scale and mealybugs, can cause slowdown in growth. When scale and mealybugs are busily munching away on your plant, they are sucking out the chlorophyll from the plant leaves. This weakens the plant and makes the leaves unable to photosynthesize correctly, which is going to also cause a slowdown in growth. So you want to look for pests if you’ve checked out these other things like watering, lighting, etc.

Improper lighting can also be a factor. Not enough light or too much light can both cause the plant to slow down growth. It’s really important to know what type of lighting your plant needs so that you don’t give the plant too much light, which stresses it and puts it into a shock mode. If you don’t give it enough light, then it doesn’t have enough light to photosynthesize, and that will cause it to slow down in growth.

Time of year is another factor. Depending on where you live, during the colder months of the year, most house plants are going to slow down growth, some of them substantially. This is because even though you’re indoors, your house is still going to get colder in the winter months. The outdoor climate does affect your indoor climate, which will affect your house plants.

If a plant needs to be repotted, this can cause slowdown in growth. This goes along with the lack of nutrients but also with the idea of fertilizer burn and salt buildup. If you haven’t repotted the plant in a long time, it could very well be that the plant is having toxic shock syndrome from the buildup of salts in the soil. That means you need to get it into fresh soil.

Lastly, some plants naturally go dormant. Alocasia does that, and a lot of times this plant will just randomly go dormant. It doesn’t always coincide with the time of year. When a plant is dormant, you just want to cut way back on watering, just keep it slightly moist, and keep it in a warm location where it has some natural light. It will come back for you when it’s ready.

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Frequently Asked Questions About House Plant Growth

Why do house plants slow down growth?

House plants can slow down growth due to various reasons, including improper watering, incorrect pot size, nutrient deficiencies, over-fertilization, pest infestations, improper lighting, seasonal changes, and natural dormancy periods.

How does watering affect house plant growth?

Both overwatering and underwatering can cause growth slowdown. Underwatering leads to droopy plants in survival mode, while overwatering can cause root rot and root die-back, affecting the plant’s overall health.

Can pot size impact plant growth?

Yes, a pot that’s too big can lead to root die-back and root rot, causing a slowdown in growth. The ideal ratio is 2/3 plant to 1/3 pot.

How do nutrient deficiencies affect house plants?

Lack of essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) can slow down growth as the plant doesn’t have what it needs to rebuild cells and photosynthesize effectively.

Can over-fertilizing harm house plants?

Yes, over-fertilizing can lead to fertilizer burn. The buildup of salts in the soil can break down roots, resulting in slower growth.

How do pests affect house plant growth?

Pests like scale and mealybugs can slow down growth by sucking chlorophyll from plant leaves, weakening the plant and hindering photosynthesis.

Does lighting impact house plant growth?

Both insufficient and excessive light can cause growth slowdown. It’s crucial to provide the right amount of light for each specific plant.

Do seasonal changes affect indoor plants?

Yes, many house plants naturally slow down growth during colder months, even when indoors, as the indoor climate is still affected by outdoor temperatures.

When should I repot my house plant?

If your plant has been in the same soil for a long time and shows signs of slowed growth, it may need repotting to address nutrient deficiencies and salt buildup.

What is plant dormancy and how does it affect growth?

Some plants, like Alocasia, naturally go dormant, which appears as a slowdown or pause in growth. During dormancy, reduce watering and maintain a warm location with some natural light.

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