'I added two ingredients to my dying plant and it came back to life'
A gardening influencer shared how to revive a dying plant just by adding two common ingredients to its soil.
Keeping houseplants alive can be harder than it looks. From inconsistent watering and poor light to the wrong kind of soil, even well-meaning plant parents often find themselves facing wilting leaves and browning stems. For many, reviving a struggling plant feels like a losing battle.
But one social media creator has gone viral after sharing a simple and affordable trick that he claims brought his dying plant back to life using just two household ingredients. In a popular Instagram video, creator Creative_Explained broke down the step-by-step process he says worked for him, offering hope to anyone feeling like they’ve lost their green thumb.
“If you want to save a dying plant, here’s what you should do,” he began.
The first step, he explains, is to trim off any dead leaves.
Then, gently remove the plant from its pot and use your fingers to loosen the soil around the roots. This helps check for rot and allows the plant to better absorb nutrients in fresh soil.
Then mix the new soil with two tablespoons of oats and one tablespoon of Epsom salt.
The creator says oats help enrich the soil with nutrients, while Epsom salt provides magnesium, a key mineral that promotes healthy growth and helps prevent transplant shock when repotting.
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“Grab a pot, fill it up with half the mixture, place your plant in its new home, and fill it up with the rest,” he instructed viewers. For an extra boost, he also recommended watering with homemade banana peel water, which is thought to add potassium and other minerals.
The video has received thousands of likes and shares, with many users commenting that they plan to try the method themselves.
While there’s limited scientific research on using oats in potting soil, Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is commonly used in gardening to support leaf and root health, especially in magnesium-deficient soil.
Whether you're dealing with a dying fern or a fading fiddle-leaf fig, this easy DIY method could be worth a try before giving up on your plant altogether.
