Indoor firs are quite robust and not very susceptible to disease, but they are still considered difficult to maintain, and not without good reason. They react to incorrect care not only with brown or yellow needles, but also often with drooping branches. Incorrect location or too much moisture are almost always responsible.
Why does my indoor fir tree let its branches hang?
Indoor firs often let their branches hang due to the air in the room being too warm, the root ball being too moist or frequent bumping into them. For a he althy indoor fir, place it in a cool, bright place in winter and reduce water supply.
Causes of drooping branches of indoor firs
- Room air too warm
- too moist root ball
- frequent bumping against the branches
The fact that the indoor fir leaves its branches hanging almost always only happens during the winter. During this time, the room air is too warm for indoor fir trees due to the heaters.
The plant is often watered too often, so that the root ball is simply too wet.
Another problem when caring for an indoor fir is that the plant is very sensitive to touch. She doesn't like it at all when her branches are constantly bumped, for example because you bump into them while walking or the cat tampers with them.
A good location for your indoor fir
To prevent the indoor fir from drooping its branches, you have to keep it significantly cooler in winter than in summer. The temperatures at the wintering location should be between five and ten degrees - not higher. Place the indoor fir in a bright but protected, cool place.
Watering significantly less in winter than in summer. The root ball should always be very moderately moist - but it should not dry out completely.
Can the indoor fir still be saved?
Once the branches of the indoor fir start hanging down, there is nothing you can do about it. Even with a better location and proper care, they will not stand up again.
However, you should ensure that a root ball that is too wet becomes drier as quickly as possible.
Place the indoor fir so that it doesn't get in the way and you don't touch the branches when you walk past.
Tip
If the branches not only hang down, but fall off completely, the air is too dry or a dried out root ball is responsible. Maintain higher humidity by placing trays and spraying the needles.
