10 Reasons Why Chenille Plant is Dying and their Remedies | Acalypha hispida Dying

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Chenille Plant is dying from wrong growing conditions like incorrect watering, improper feeding, little light, wrong temperatures, poor quality soil, root-rot, pest infestations among others.

Acalypha hispida commonly called Chenile Plant or Red Hot Cat Tail grows best under bright indirect light, average warmth within the range of 18-28⁰C, above average humidity between 55-70% and moderately moist, well drained soil that is rich in organic matter coupled with fortnightly feeding during the growing season. Learn more on how to grow and care for Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida).

If these conditions are not provided, the Chenille Plant may develop some problems like yellow leaves, wilting, stunted growth and may die. Herebelow are 10 reasons why a Chenille Plant may die and how to solve them.

10 Reasons Why Chenille Plant is Dying and How to Fix Them

1. Root-rot disease

Chenille Plant is prone to root-rot disease which is characterized by yellowing, wilting and leaf drop, rapidly followed by browning and plant collapse. The disease is prevalent in soggy soil.

How to fix it

Carefully, take your Acalypha hispida out of its pot and inspect the roots. Brown-black mushy roots indicate root-rot, trim them off and treat the healthy roots with a copper-based fungicidal solution.

Disinfect the pot with the fungicidal solution or use a fresh pot to repot the plant in fresh free-draining soil. Withhold watering the plant and keep it dry for some time before resuming watering.

To prevent root-rot in the future, make sure that the pot has a drainage hole and that the soil is free-draining to prevent it from getting soggy.

Take care not to overwater the plant during the cold season as growth is minimal at this time, therefore, the plant does not need a lot of water.

2. Improper feeding

Overfeeding Chenille Plant Plant will cause the roots to die due to fertilizer burn. When the roots die, they cannot take up nutrients and water required for photosynthesis, thus the plant begins to die due to lack of food.

At the same time, underfeeding the plant implies that the plant is not getting enough nutrients needed for growth, therefore, the plant begins to die.

How to fix it

Feed your Acalypha hispida every 2-3 weeks during the growing period with a phosphorous-rich, water-soluble fertilizer to boost lush growth.

Do not feed the plant during the cold season as growth is minimal and feeding at this time can lead to fertilizer burn and death of the plant. Learn more on how to feed houseplants.

3. Pest infestations

Chenille Plant is prone to sap-sucking insects like mealybugs, whiteflies and spidermites which may cause the plant to become wilted, stunted, drop leaves and eventual death.

How to fix it

Ensure that the Acalypha hispida is healthy by providing it with the proper growing conditions. Pest infestations may be prevalent in dry conditions. Therefore raise humidity or grow the plant in a bathroom or other humid conditions in the home to minimize pest infestations.

In addition, keep the plant well pruned by removal of dead and yellow foliage to discourage pest infestations.

If the pest infestation is heavy, isolate the affected plant to prevent spread to the other plants and treat it appropriately for the pests. Some effective products that you may use to get rid of the pests include insecticidal soap and neem oil. Make sure to cover the entire plant including under the leaves.

4. Extremely pot-bound plant

Though a Chenille Plant grows best when slightly pot-bound, when it becomes extremely pot-bound it begins to wilt, drop leaves and eventually die.

This is because the roots have filled the pot and there is very little soil to hold water when the plant is watered which will cause the plant to wilt, drop leaves and may die.

How to fix it

Check the bottom of the pot for roots growing through the drainage hole and repot the plant into a pot one size larger than the current one.

Thereafter, repot the Acalypha hispida at the beginning of the growing season when it has become pot-bound but avoid frequent repotting as it prefers to be slightly pot-bound. Check out these pots with drainage holes on Amazon.

5. Poor quality Soil

Poor quality soil does not drain easily and therefore it easily becomes compacted or soggy which can result in reduced growth and death of the Acalypha hispida.

How to fix it

Grow your Chenille Plant in well-drained soils which is rich in organic matter to prevent it from getting soggy while providing the required nutrients.

6. Too low humidity

Chenille Plant grows best in above average room humidity of 55-70%. Too low air humidity will cause dry and shrivelled leaves, leaf drop which may cause plant death.

How to fix it

To raise humidity for your Acalypha hispida, group the plants together, grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom and other humid areas in the home. You may also set the pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier to elevate humidity. Read more on how to increase humidity for houseplants.

7. Too little light

Chenille Plant blossoms in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight. Adequate light is necessary for photosynthesis, the process by which plants make food needed for growth and energy.

Too little light for plant means that the plant cannot make enough food for growth and development which results in stunted growth and death of the plant.

How to fix it

Move the Acalypha hispida to a brightly-lit spot where it will receive bright, indirect light or instal a grow light if the natural lighting is not sufficient. Take a look at these full spectrum grow lights on Amazon.

Regularly rotate the pot to ensure that the plant absorbs enough light for photosynthesis on all sides for uniform growth as well as prevent legginess. Check out this guide on understanding light for houseplants.

8. Incorrect watering

Incorrect watering; either overwatering or underwatering your Chenille Plant will result in yellow leaves, leaf drop and eventual death of the plant.

Overwatering will cause the roots to die due to lack of oxygen. When the roots die they cannot take up water which causes the leaves to yellow, drop and eventually the plant dies.

Underwatering implies that there is too little moisture in the soil and therefore, the plant has no water to take up to the leaves. Thus, the leaves begin to drop and eventually the plant may die if the situation is not corrected.

How to fix it

Acalypha hispida requires that the soil be kept moderately moist at all times during the growing season while allowing the top 2-3 inches of soil to dry out between waterings.

Reduce watering in the cold season but do not allow the soil to dry out completely. Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy. Learn more on how to water houseplants the right way.

9. Exposure to hot direct sunlight

If Acalypha hispida is exposed to hot direct sunlight, it will begin to turn brown, wilt, drop leaves and may eventually die. It prefers bright, indirect light (dappled light) but no direct sunlight.

How to fix it

Place your Chenille Plant in a more shaded spot or instal a light curtain to shield the plant from hot direct sunlight to prevent its eventual death.

10. Cold drafts

Cold drafts coupled with soggy soil will cause sudden drops in temperature which will lead to reduced growth in Chenille Plant and eventual death of the plant.

How to fix it

To prevent death of your Chenille Plant, keep the plant away from cold drafts to maintain an average warmth within the range of 18-28⁰C. Check out this guide on understanding temperature for houseplants.

In addition, cut down on watering during the cold season and confirm that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy.

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