Pocket Botanist
Check these first
- Touch the soil to see if it is bone dry.
- Lift the pot to see if it feels very light.
- Check if the soil is waterlogged.
Likely causes
Underwatering
Most likelyHow to tell: The blades look limp and feel dry or crispy to the touch.
What to do: Give the plant a thorough watering until water runs out of the drainage holes. Check the soil every 3 days to ensure it stays slightly moist.
Root rot
PossibleHow to tell: The plant droops even when the soil is wet, and the roots may look dark or smell bad.
What to do: Remove the plant from its pot and trim away any black or slimy roots. Repot into fresh, well draining soil and reduce your watering frequency.
Find out what's wrong with your early hair-grass
The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.
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When to worry
If the plant does not perk up within a few hours of watering, the roots might be damaged. Drooping is serious if the stems feel soft or mushy.
Stopping it coming back
Maintain a regular 3 to 7 day watering cycle based on the dryness of the top inch of soil.
Early hair-grass: drooping? Check yours with a photo
Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your early hair-grass and Pocket Botanist tells you which cause is most likely, how serious it is, and what to try first. A few checks a day are free. Save the plant and you get care reminders timed for it.
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
Get the app · Or check it from a photo now, free
Questions people ask
- Does this grass need high humidity?
- No, it is a grass that prefers standard air conditions. Drooping is rarely caused by low humidity.
- How do I know if I watered enough?
- Water until you see it coming out of the bottom of the pot. This ensures the entire root ball is hydrated.
Guides to these causes
More problems with early hair-grass
Back to the early hair-grass guide
This article was generated with AI on from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.