Got a dying plant? These tips could help you save it

As it warms up in Washington, D.C., the patio is calling my name. Heading out with a cool beverage, book in hand, and being surrounded by beautiful plants make for a perfect spring day.

But the moment I step outside, all I see are my brown, shriveled up plants. To be perfectly honest, they were left out all winter long, with no coverings on them. But I at least find comfort in the fact I am not alone. According to a 2024 survey from Tree Triage, 1 in 6 people kills every plant they grow.

The view on my balcony is basically the exact opposite vibe I'm looking for. But they can't all be dead, right?

I reached out to gardening expert John Valentino, who knows a thing or two about bringing plants back to life. Valentino is founder of John + Bob's Corporation out in Fresno, Calif., where they specialize in soil solutions.

As I went outside to survey the damage, I noticed all seven of my plants were far worse than I could ever imagine. But my strawberry plant, an impulse purchase at a hardware story, was the only one that really had any proof of life.

So, what did he have to say about my plant situation?

Not sure if your plant is salvageable? Valentino says look at the leaves. 🍃

Leaves are the best indicator to determine whether or not you can revive a plant, Valentino said. If there are no leaves, that's a big problem.

And if you've got leaves, but they look dry and brown, don't throw out your plant. Valentino said you should look for small signs of life.

"Check to see if there's any green in the branches at all. Any buds that you can see that have life in them," he said.

I showed Valentino my strawberry plant over a video call and luckily enough, it was a perfect candidate for rehabilitation.

My plant can be saved. What now? 

It can feel overwhelming to try and rehabilitate a plant. But you might learn that your local plant shop can help.

I went to PLNTR located in Northwest Washington, D.C., owned by Caitlin Tuttle and her husband, James Beech. They provide various services to customers including re-potting, and creating "treatment plans" on how to rehab plants.

"We want people to come back to the store and buy more plants, not because they're killing plants. But because they're doing so well that they want to add to their collection," she said.

If you are ready to save your plant – they recommend:

Repotting 🌱

If you can't remember the last time you changed a plant's soil, it's probably time to re-pot. Plants need nutrients to survive. They can't thrive on dirt alone. "Eventually that soil becomes dirt. There's no nutrition, especially if you're not fertilizing with any regularity," Tuttle said.

Watering 💧

Make sure you are fully saturating the soil. Don't worry about overwatering.

"Overwatering is not a volume thing. It's a length of time thing. So you cannot, from a volume perspective, overwater your plant. What you can do is have too much moisture sitting in that soil for too long," Beech said.

If the soil does start to smell and look exceptionally wet, repot and add some partially dry soil.

Lighting 🌞

Check if your plants are actually getting sunlight. Tuttle stresses that you will need to bust out that compass and figure out which direction your window or natural source of light is facing.

And, voila! You've breathed new life into the plant. Take it from me. A new fresh pot of soil, brought my strawberry plant back to life.

And for the plants that weren't good candidates? There was still hope.

"Propagation is a great way to grow new plants," Tuttle said. All you need to do is cut off a node, depending on the type of plant, and plop it in water. Pick a sunny spot, and (hope) life begins again.

"Roots will develop, and now, your plant has a new chance at life," Tuttle said.

Copyright 2025, NPR

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