The Resurrection Of Dead Plants

The Resurrection of Dead Plants

By Joseph Parish

Ever since I learned how to clone plants, I have felt like the God of the Living Plant Life. Incidentally, the proper name for plant cloning is Micropropagation. This involves a process where a plant cutting is taken from a section of the stem or a single leaf of the plant to encourage the growth of a new and independent plant.

With such success in propagating new plants by means of cloning, I next turned my attention to resurrecting dead plants. The old saying about what looks dead may not actually be dead is very true since appearances can often be deceiving. I remember a time when my wife killed her recently purchased banana tree. It was potted so that we could easily move it from one place to another according to the season. The poor plant had turned brown and had dropped most of its leaves. As the winter began to approach, I moved the pot and as I did so I noted the abundance of roots trying desperately to escape and dig their way into our concrete floor on the porch urgently seeking out a supply of water. The roots were easily separated from the plant with little effort so all one could do is conclude that the plant was dead. There simply was no life left in the tree or was there?

Killing a plant is easily accomplished during this time of the year. You may inadvertently not water the plant as you should or perhaps the weather might change drastically causing instant death to your beloved plant. Either way, in the end you discover the cherished thing has gone to the plant heaven in the sky. However, there is hope on the horizon as what may at first appear to be dead may not actually be so. There is hope in reviving a dead plant, especially if it has any green leaves left or the stem is still pliable. If you see any bud then that’s a sure sign that you can save your plant. With that said, once again we act as the god of the plant world and attempt to resurrect our deceased plant. Remember, reviving a dead plant can take a considerable amount of patience and time, often running several years.

When you first see your dead tree or plant, stop immediately, and don’t jump up to dig your dead plant up and toss it in the compost bin. Many garden enthusiasts automatically assume that when the leaves fall off that plant death is the ultimate judgment call. This however is far from the truth. Plants have a special way of turning into a zombie when conditions became harsh.

There are two water conditions which affect plants. The first is over-watering the plant. Under this condition the leaves will appear wilted and may be brown or yellow making the plant appear to be dead, but submerged in very moist soil may save your beloved plant. By contrast, the second condition concerning water is if you forget to water the plant. In this case the leaves will be brown, but extremely dried around the edges or may even curl up. If you suspect you plant has been over-watering merely repot the plant in some dry dirt. If your plant is thirsty then simply water the poor thing. Hold off on adding any fertilizer until the plant has developed a more robust health condition. Fertilizing a stressed plant often injures its root system while it is recovering.

When the stress from lack of water affects the plant, its first reaction is to drop its leaves in an effort to deploy the remaining water to its root system and stems. Logically thinking, if there is no water to work with the plant views the situation as critical and therefore sees no reason to try and produce photosynthesis. Therefore, your first act as plant god would be to restore the water supply to the dead plant.

Don’t just water your plant with a hose, but soak them well. Take a bucket and fill it with water and submerge your potted plant in it for a few hours. Let it drink as much as it can. Your larger potted plants can be placed in the tub awaiting a badly needed cold water soaking for a couple of hours. Let them soak and enjoy their bath without being disturbed. Your outdoor plants need a similar treatment, take the hose and soak them for a good ten minutes getting the water well into their root systems. Keep this watering method up for a couple of weeks ensuring that when you are done the soil is completely wet. Don’t just wet the surface soil but give it a complete soaking.

When working with the hard wood, shrubby plants, cut one of the lesser branches to see if there is any sort of green growth inside. If there is, that is an indication that your plant still has a bit of life left in it. With the softer growing cousins such as geraniums look for any possible new leaves taking place.

Granted, plants like any other living things need food and they often get malnourished. Discolored leaves or slow growth is typical indications of this malnourishment. Depending upon the deficiency, providing the nutrition needed can frequently assist the plant recover process within a matter of days. Some deficiencies may take longer, perhaps involving weeks towards complete recovery. In either case, the plants appreciate being fed a little water-soluble liquid food such as Miracle-Grow. To an ailing plant this is like a badly needed IV treatment where the fertilizer is slowly released similar to the drip of the hospital IV units. This slower process is less likely to burn the roots of the plant. Add it to the water bottle prior to watering the plants. Only apply fertilizer to the plants during their normal growing season of March through September. Be careful as applying too much fertilizer or the wrong kind will burn the plant's roots.

It is important to keep in mind that minerals play a major role in the rejuvenation process, especially when dealing with water-stressed plants. Unfortunately, water stressed plants are highly accessible to disease so watch out for creeping fungus infections, pests, and predators. Keep in mind that plants absorb water in both their leaves and their roots. Keep the plant in a humid location that is not too sunny and not too dry in order to help it recover. The first aid measures to follow after you have completed the water therapy are as follows:

If your grass is experiencing dry and yellow shades a good regiment of water should correct the condition within ten days. Roses have a tendency to enter a period of suspended animation and then suddenly sprout up with a vengeance. If you note any green what-so-ever on your roses merely keep on the water therapy and they will come back alive. I have several fruit trees which did not get planted last year but I do not give up easily. These trees will receive a lot of water and hopefully, I will revive them for next summer. It is possible that your plant is not getting enough light. This is especially true if you have recently relocated it to a different location. Try moving the plant to a sunnier location if it needs more light.

So, as it stands you can take your dead pants and play doctor to them or pretend to be the plant god. The point is you don’t give up on your plants until you have tried all manner of techniques to bring them back to life.

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