What should I do if my plant has brown tips on its leaves?

Brown tips on houseplants can be scary for many beginning plant owners. In this plant care guide we'll look at how to identify, prevent, and treat brown tips and edges on houseplants. We'll learn why brown tips show up on your plant and how you can help your plant in the future.

Written by Roelof Jan Elsinga

Posted on: 05-04-2023

Last updated on: 14-04-2023

Brown tips on houseplants can be scary for many beginning plant owners because it's not always clear why this happened and how you can help your plant. In this plant care guide, we'll look at why brown tips happen on your plant, how to identify and treat them, and how to prevent future problems with your plants.

What are possible causes of brown tips on houseplants?

The first step in treating brown tips on plants is to understand why these brown tips are showing up on your plant. There are a few reasons that these brown tips or edges might show up on your plant:

• Low humidity: When the air is too dry the tips of your houseplant's leaves will start to dry out and turn brown. These brown edges will be crispy.
• Overwatering: If you water too often or too much at once it can cause the edges of your plant's leaves to become discolored. These brown edges will be soft and mushy.
• Insect infestation: A bug infestation makes the leaves of your plant look unhealthy and could cause brown edges to show up.
• Poor nutrition: If a plant doesn't get enough nutrients from its fertilizer or soil, this could cause unhealthy-looking leaves that include brown edging around the perimeter of the leaves.
• Too much sunlight exposure: Too much direct sunlight can cause sunburns on many houseplants, which can dry out the leaves and turn them crispy and brown.

Now it's up to you to figure out which of these is the main cause of the crispy edges on your plant. This will help you to follow along in the next section where we'll look at how you can treat your plant.

How do you identify and treat brown tips on your houseplants?

Once you understand why your plant's leaves have started turning brown at the edges, it's important to take action quickly to fix the situation and limit the damage to your houseplant. Here are some tips on how you can tackle each type of issue:

Low humidity

Increase humidity levels in the air around your houseplants by using a humidifier or misting them with a spray bottle every few days. This won't turn the already-damaged leaves back to their beautiful self, but it will help to prevent damage to other leaves.

Overwatering

If you think this might be an issue for your plants, water your plant less often and make sure to check whether the top of the soil is dry before you water your plant again. Most plants prevent to grow in slightly moist, not wet, soil. Some plants, like cacti and succulents, even prefer to grow in dry soil. Make sure to check what your plant prefers.

Insect infestation

Treat insect infestations right away by spraying with neem oil or an insecticidal spray every few days until they are gone (usually takes several applications). You should also check every new plant before you bring them indoors. These new plants could bring pests into your house and spread them onto your healthy plants.

Poor nutrition

Feeding your plants regularly with fertilizer or liquid nutrient supplements helps to prevent nutrient deficiencies that lead to leaf discoloration such as brown tips. Every plant has its specific feeding needs, so be sure to check what your plant prefers.

Too much sunlight exposure

To avoid sunburned leaves place houseplants away from direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. You can make sure your plants aren't in direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day in the summer by partially closing the blinds.

How can I prevent brown tips on my houseplants in the future?

Once you've found the cause of the brown tips and edges on your plant's leaves and you've taken action to help fix the problem, you can think about preventing the issues in the future. Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce the chances of future issues popping up again:

• Humidifier: Adding some extra moisture to the air around your plants helps maintain healthy foliage. Consider investing in a humidifier to give your green friends an extra boost during the winter months when your central heating system tends to lower the humidity levels in your house quite a lot.
• Water carefully: Only water your plants when the top inch or two of the soil is dry. You can do this by feeling the soil with your finger or a moisture meter. By checking the soil regularly, you can help to prevent overwatering your plant or letting it grow in dry soil for too long.
• Pay attention to signs: All plants are different and will tell you when they're not feeling well. By looking at the signs closely and frequently, you can see changes early on, such as suffocating, drooping, wilting, spots, yellowish areas, wilted stems, dark blotches, etc. It's a great idea to make checking on your plants a habit so you can catch issues early on.

Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! If you're looking for more guides on specific plants, you can always request a plant guide to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with.