10 Reasons Why Baby Bunny Belly Plant is Dying and How to Revive It
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Baby Bunny Belly Plant is dying due to too little light, nutrients deficiency, temperature stress, root-rot, pest infestations, inconsistent watering, low humidity among others.
Baby Bunny Bellies Plant also called Baby Bunny Bellies Tradescantia or Speedy Jenny Baby Bellies is among the popular, trailing Tradescantia varieties, and bears fuzzy foliage which feels like the under belly of a baby bunny, hence the common name.
Baby Bunny Belly Plant which goes by the botanical name, Tradescantia chrysophylla, grows best in bright indirect light, warmth of 18-240C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, rich, well-drained potting soil coupled with monthly feeding in the growing season. Learn how to grow and care for Tradescantia chrysophylla indoors.
If the growing conditions are not right, your plant may begin to die. Herebelow are 10 reasons why a Baby Bunny Belly Plant may die and how to fix it.
10 Reasons Baby Bunny Belly Plant is Dying and Fixes
1. Nutrients deficiency
Lack of adequate nutrients means that the plant is not making enough food for growth and energy. Therefore, it begins to die due to lack of food.
How to fix it
Feed Baby Bunny Belly Plant with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every 4 weeks in spring and summer to promote a lush growth. Do not feed in fall and winter since growth is reduced at this time.
2. Pest infestations
Baby Bunny Belly Plant is prone to aphids, scale insects and mealybugs which prevalent in dry conditions. These sap-sucking pests cause the plant to become dehydrated, stunted and to begin to die.
How to fix it
- Isolate the affected plant to prevent spread to the other plants and treat it with insecticidal soap and neem oil. Ensure to follow the manufacturers' instructions.
- Ensure Baby Bunny Belly Plant is healthy by providing it with the right growing conditions.
- To minimize pest infestations, increase humidity especially when the temperatures are too high. You may grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom or other humid conditions in the home.
- Keep the plant well pruned by removal of dead, yellow and diseased foliage to reduce the hiding places for these pests.
3. Poor quality Soil
Poor quality soil does not drain easily and therefore easily becomes compacted or soggy, which can result in reduced growth and death of the Plant.
How to fix it
Grow Baby Bunny Belly Plant in free-draining potting soil which is rich in organic matter to prevent sogginess. A blend of 2 parts of potting soil and 1 part perlite is ideal for this plant.
4. Root-rot disease
Baby Bunny Belly Plant is prone to root-rot disease which is prevalent in soggy soil. The disease is characterized by yellowing, wilting and leaf drop which is rapidly followed by browning and plant death.
How to fix it
- Carefully, remove the Baby Bunny Belly Plant from 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 as indicated by the manufacturer.
- Disinfect the pot with the fungicidal solution or use a fresh pot to repot the plant.
- Use a pot with a drainage hole and free-draining soil to prevent waterlogging.
- Withhold watering the plant and keep it dry for about 7 days before you resume watering.
- Take care not to overwater the plant especially in the cold season as growth is minimal at this time, therefore, the plant does not need a lot of water.
5. Too little light
Adequate light is necessary for photosynthesis, the process by which plants make the food needed for growth and energy. If the light is too little light, the plant cannot make enough food for growth and development which results in stunted growth and death of the plant.
How to fix it
Position Baby Bunny Belly Plant infront of a brightly-lit, sunless window where it will receive bright indirect light or instal full spectrum grow light if the natural lighting is not enough.
Once monthly, give the pot a quarter turn to ensure that the plant receives light on all sides for healthy growth.
6. Too low humidity
Very low humidity will result in dry and shrivelled leaves, leaf drop and eventual death of the plant.
How to fix it
Baby Bunny Belly Plant grows best in a humidity of 50-55%. To elevate humidity, group several plants together, set the pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier. You may alos grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom, kitchen and other humid areas in the home.
7. Being extremely pot-bound
When extremely pot-bound, the plant begins to wilt, drop leaves and die eventually. This is because the roots have filled the pot, and there is very little soil to hold water when you water the plant. This will cause the plant to wilt, drop leaves and begin to die.
How to fix it
Check the bottom of the pot for roots growing through the drainage hole, and repot the plant into a terracoatta pot one size larger than the current one.
A terracotta pot is perfect as it is porous and allows water to drain out faster. This prevents the soil from holding too much water and being soggy for long periods.
Thereafter, repot Baby Bunny Belly Plant at the beginning of the growing season when it is root-bound. Check out these terracotta pots on Amazon.
8. Temperature stress
Exposure of the plant to sources of drafts will cause sudden temperature changes which can lead to reduced growth and eventual plant death.
How to fix it
To prevent the death of the Baby Bunny Belly Plant, keep it away from sources of drafts like AC units, radiators, windy doors, hot air vents among others, to maintain a warmth of 18-240C and a minimum of 130C.
Water with room temperature water as consistently watering with very cold water will cause sudden temperature flactuations.
9. Inconsistent watering
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, 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
Water Baby Bunny Belly Plant when the top 2-3 inches of soil dry out but do not let the soil dry out completely for too long.
Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is fast-draining to prevent sogginess.
10. Exposure to direct sunlight
Exposing the plant to direct sunlight will result in wilting, leaf drop and eventual death of the plant.
How to fix it
Move the Baby Bunny Belly Plant to a more shaded spot or instal a light curtain to diffuse the sunray to prevent eventual plant death.
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