Symptom differential
Wilting
Wilting indicates insufficient tissue turgor but can occur when the root zone is too dry, too wet, oxygen-limited, damaged, saline, hot, cold, or unable to meet atmospheric demand.
Pattern questions
- Is the substrate dry, saturated, or apparently normal?
- Does the plant recover during lower-demand periods?
- Are roots intact?
- Is wilting whole-plant or limited to one branch?
Plausible cause categories
- Water deficit
- Root-zone hypoxia
- Root disease
- High salinity
- Excessive atmospheric demand
- Stem or vascular injury
Discriminating checks
- Measure substrate moisture
- Inspect roots
- Check EC and root-zone temperature
- Compare leaf temperature and VPD context
- Inspect stem injury when only one branch wilts
Red flags
- Wilting despite saturated media
- One-sided vascular decline
- Rapid collapse
- Severe root decay
Visual study guide
- Dry-versus-wet wilt comparison
- Root oxygen diagram
- Branch-specific wilt locator
- Atmospheric-demand flow