My Philodendron birkin is one of the prettiest ornamental tropical plants I have in my study.
The stunning green leaves with white stripes as it matures helps the plant stand out among my few heartleaf philodendrons.
I left my plants in my cousin’s care when I went away for a few weeks. When I got back, my Philodendron birkin was drooping!
I didn’t know what my cousin did to have caused this, but I called my local garden center expert to find out what I could do to fix the droopiness and what caused the plant to droop.
Here’s why your Philodendron birkin might be drooping and how you can get your plant looking oh-so-pretty again.
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Why Is My Philodendron birkin Drooping?
Your Philodendron birkin may be drooping because the plant has been given too much or too little water. Another reason for a drooping Philodendron birkin is that the tropical plant is living in a cold area in your house or a common Philodendron disease called fire blight or Erwinia blight has struck.
4 Reasons Your Philodendron birkin Is Drooping
Here’s more detail about why your Philodendron birkin is drooping and how you can get your plant’s growth back on track:
Reason 1: Overwatering
One of the most common reasons your Philodendron birkin is drooping is that the plant has been given too much water.
When you touch the leaves, you’ll also find that they are quite soft and don’t have the same “structure” as a properly watered Philodendron birkin.
When you overwater your Philodendron birkin, the soil becomes waterlogged or too saturated with water.
Since the soil can’t drain the excess water, the whole root system of the plant starts rotting. And then it’s all downhill from here.
A damaged root system means the nutrients the plant needs can’t be absorbed. As such, the roots can’t support the plant’s growth, and the stems and leaves start drooping or hanging downward.
Fixing an Overwatered Philodendron birkin
If your Philodendron birkin is overwatered and is in the starting stages of drooping, then don’t water the plant again until the soil is dry.
Stick your index finger into the soil close to where the Philodendron birkin is planted. The top 2 inches (until your second knuckle) of the soil should be dry before you water the Philodendron birkin.
If the root rot and droopiness are severe, remove your Philodendron birkin from its pot. Examine the root system and prune the rotting roots using pruning shears that have been sanitized.
Then repot your Philodendron birkin, watering only when the soil’s top 2 inches are dry.
I touched my Philodendron birkin’s leaves, and they weren’t soft. Plus I also stuck a finger into the soil to feel if it was waterlogged.
It wasn’t—something else was wrong.
Reason 2: Underwatering
If your Philodendron birkin doesn’t get enough water, the leaves and stems of the tropical plant can also start to sag. When touching an underwatered Philodendron birkin’s leaves, they will feel dried out.
When I touched my Philodendron birkin’s leaves, they were quite dried out, and I could see they had started to curl.
It seems my cousin didn’t water my plants and probably got lost in Friends reruns on Netflix!
I also dug around the potting mix with some fingers to make sure the soil was dry. And it was!
I knew what caused the drooping of my Philodendron birkin: underwatering.
Fixing an Underwatered Philodendron birkin
If the leaves and soil are dry, you must start watering your Philodendron birkin again.
I wanted to drown my plant in water to make sure it has enough water, but the expert I spoke to advised me to slowly reintroduce water to the Philodendron birkin.
If you suddenly give an underwatered Philodendron birkin too much water, the leaves will brown, and the plant may be shocked.
So I started reintroducing water to the Philodendron birkin by watering it a little every day for about a week.
Then I went back to my normal watering routine where I check the topsoil level (the top 2 inches) every day and only water my Philodendron birkin when that soil is dry.
Guess I’ll invest in self-watering pots when I go away again since my cousin clearly can’t be trusted.
Reason 3: Cold Temperatures
Another reason why your Philodendron birkin can be drooping is because of cold temperatures.
A Philodendron birkin is a tropical plant, so it’s humid and warm in its natural habitat.
If the plant is exposed to cold drafts or cold temperatures, the change from what the plant needs to what it’s getting may cause shock, and the leaves and stems of the Philodendron birkin droop.
Also, if your Philodendron birkin is placed in a cold area or room in your home, it’s a lot easier to overwater the plant and for the roots to rot.
Fixing a Cold Philodendron birkin
If you suspect that cold temperatures are the reason for your Philodendron birkin drooping, check if a steady stream of cold air comes into the room.
This cold air can enter from under doors, open doors, or windows that aren’t well-sealed when they close.
To provide a warm environment for your Philodendron birkin, move the plant to a warmer area of your house. Also ensure no cold air can enter from doorways, and draft-proof the windows.
Reason 4: Fire Blight
If your Philodendron birkin’s stems are drooping, then another cause might be a disease called fire blight (or Erwinia blight).
The disease spreads fast, and it attacks your plant from the soil. If you catch fire blight early, there’s a small opportunity to save your Philodendron birkin.
With the drooping leaves and stems, the Philodendron birkin’s leaves will also discolor. Plus, your plant will smell foul and strange lesions on the stem.
Fixing a Philodendron birkin Infected With Fire Blight
If you’re lucky and catch fire blight early, then dip your pruning shears into isopropyl alcohol, and cut off any branches that are infected. The soil also needs to be sterilized with heat.
You can also treat the disease with streptomycin when it first appears.
Frequently Asked Questions about Why is My Philodendron birkin Drooping
What is wrong with my Philodendron birkin?
If your Philodendron birkin gets too much water, the stems and leaves will droop. The leaves will fall off if the plant gets too much sunlight. Too much shade isn’t ideal either, as there’ll be too much space between the stems and leaves, with the stems starting to sag after a while.
Why are my Philodendron birkin leaves curling?
Your Philodendron birkin leaves will start curling if the plant is dry or cold. Philodendron birkin needs humidity to thrive. So mist the leaves of the Philodendron birkin regularly, place a humidifier close to the plant, or use a pebble tray to increase the humidity levels around the plant.
Why is my Philodendron birkin droopy?
Your Philodendron birkin can be droopy because you’ve overwatered or underwatered the tropical plant. However, your Philodendron birkin can also be droopy because of cold drafts, fertilizer burn, repotting shock, nutrient deficiency, too little humidity, or heat.
Conclusion
I was really lucky that I could save my underwatered Philodendron birkin by simply starting to water the plant again, even if it was just a little water for a week to prevent plant shock.
My Philodendron birkin has fully recovered, and I even got a plant water meter to prevent over- and underwatering.
Did you figure out why your Philodendron birkin is drooping?
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.