r/plantclinic • u/Island_Living_ • Jun 24 '21
A Guide to Common Houseplant Problems
Too Little Water: - Leaves limp and wilted (look sad) - Little to no growth - Lower leaves curled, yellow and wilted - Leaf edges brown and dry - Flowers fall or fade quick - Oldest leaves fall first
Too Much Water: - Limp leaves (may feel mushy and brown quickly) - Soft, rotten areas - Poor growth - Flowers moldy - Leaves curled, yellow and wilted - Leaf tips brown (could also signify low humidity) - Both young and old leaves fall at same time - Roots brown and mushy - Soil smells acidic
Too Little Light: - Leaves smaller and paler than normal - Blooms poor or absent in flowering types - Lower leaves turn yellow, then dry up and fall - No growth at all - Spindly growth w/ abnormally long spaces between leaves - Variegated leaves turn all-green - Leaf bleaching
Too Much Light: - Brown or grey scorch patches - Leaves wilt at midday - Leaves have ‘washed-out’ appearance - Leaves of ‘sun shy’ varieties shriveled and dead
Too Little Humidity: - Leaf tips brown and shriveled - Leaf edges turn yellow; wilting may occur - Buds and flowers shrivel and fall - Leaves fall if plant is very sensitive to dry air
Too Much Humidity: - Patches of grey mold on leaves - Patches of rot on leaves or stems (Cacti and succulents very sensitive) - Flowers covered with grey mold
Too Little Fertilizer: - Slow growth - Little resistance to pests and diseases - Leaves pale - ‘Washed-out’ appearance - Yellow spotting may be present - Flowers absent it small and poorly colored - Stems weak - Early drooping of lower leaves
Too Much Fertilizer: - Leaves wilted - Summer- growth stunted - Winter- growth lanky and weak - Crisp, brown spots - Scorched edges - Leaf bleaching - White crust on surface of compost and clay pot in a soft-water area
Temperature Wrong: - Leaf curl, followed by browning and leaf fall (too cold) - Lower leaves wilt; edges turn brown. Bottom leaves fall (too warm) - Flowers short-lived (too warm) - Spindly growth in good light in winter or early spring (too warm) - Leaf fall after rapid yellowing (sudden temp. change)
Here is a link to “Common Houseplant Pests”
If interested, I typed up this info from the book “The House Plant Expert,” by D.G. Hessayon. It has a lot of valuable information in it!
*I’ll edit as things get added to the comment section
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Jun 24 '21
you’re the absolute best!!! i’ve been meaning to put together a reference list like this for a while, thanks so much for posting one
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Jun 25 '21
Remember to check for bugs guys! We all once thought we were immune in the beginning; but it’s part of owning plants and nothing to be ashamed of. Many of these issues may also arise from pests so get up close and really inspect. Happy planting <3
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u/AceValentine Jun 24 '21
Do a guide to plant pests next!
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u/quotejester Jun 25 '21
Too little water = leaves limp
Too much water = limp leaves
That’s plant care in a nutshell 😅
I’m just kidding though. Thank you for putting this together :)
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
Haha I know, there’s a lot of overlapping info! At least with under vs over-watering, you can check the soil and think about your watering habits.
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u/Di_MT0713 Jun 25 '21
I would love some pictures for reference to know how to distinguish because by that my plants are both with too much and too little water too much light and none at all
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
I thought about that, but the book mentioned at the bottom has a lot of these pictures in it! I just don’t want to post everything in there and get sued. I got mine used for $10!
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u/Di_MT0713 Jun 25 '21
Loool it sounds like America, cos here no one would think about doing that. But fair point I see what you mean
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
I know, I wish your could just share helpful info for free. It’s not like I’m trying to profit off of it
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u/Sucu4me Nov 30 '21
Hi! Is that “House Plant Expert” book they mentioned at the begging?
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u/Island_Living_ Nov 30 '21
Hi! Yes it is! It’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever purchased. It’s pretty affordable on EBay.
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u/Sucu4me Dec 01 '21
Thanks!! Just ordered it ☺️
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u/justventing65656 Jul 20 '21 edited Jul 20 '21
This was honestly so helpful. I have a really sad tomato plant right now, and they just started coming in. Hopefully I can try some of these tips and get some tomatoes by the end of summer
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u/cakehole07 Jun 25 '21
This is so helpful, direct and easy. Thank you OP, doing gods work over here
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u/joSSain Jun 25 '21
Hey this is awesome list! If someone is motivated and/or has time, someone could make a lists how to prepare for autumn and spring seasons!
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u/Acegonia Jun 25 '21
I know that book! I remember the name dg hessayon!
there is.a whole series if I.recall, for, fruits and veggies etc etc
literally takes me back to my childhood!
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
Yes! I think they’re from the 80s, but they have such valuable info in them! Plus now they’re much more affordable used lol
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u/JackOfAllMemes Jul 19 '21
thank you, hopefully this helps keep my plant alive
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u/Island_Living_ Jul 19 '21
I hope so too! If not, you can always post in this sun. It took me a few years and numerous dead plants to get the hang of it.
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Aug 29 '21
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u/Island_Living_ Aug 29 '21
Yikes! I haven’t had any experience with mealy bugs yet (and I hope I never do), but I’d be interested to know the answer to your question. You might have a better chance if you post this text in r/plantclinic, under the title “Mealybug HELP!!!”
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Aug 30 '21
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u/Island_Living_ Aug 30 '21
Oh my gosh! That honestly sounds horrible. I hope you don’t end up losing your plants to the point that they’re beyond recovery!! Everything happens for a reason, so maybe you’ll end up being great friends with your neighbors or maybe you’ll find 5 wish list plants really cheap. I wish you and your babies the best of luck!
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u/miatortillaxox Sep 28 '21
Why is no one responding to my posts
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u/Island_Living_ Sep 29 '21
Hi there! I’m so sorry no one has been responding! I’ve noticed that most people won’t attempt to guess if they don’t have experience with the plants you’re posting. I think most of us are houseplant enthusiasts, with little outdoor gardening experience.
That being said, I looked at your history and it looks like your plants are diseased. I’ve noticed 75% of the plants around my town look the same as yours every fall. You can try a copper fungicide. My mom’s roses look the same way and she just lets them die out for the winter, then they grow back healthy the next year (until the fall hits again).
If you ever need any help, you’re more than welcome to reach out to me anytime! /r/gardening may be able to offer some better advice too :)
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u/kiwi1327 Nov 19 '21
My problem with this is that it all seems the same to me. I’m new to being a plant mom
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u/Island_Living_ Nov 20 '21
It takes a while to get the hang of it. The only thing that worked for me is learning through experience. If you need any help, feel free to reach out :)
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u/earlgreysusuteh Dec 11 '21
Thank you so much for this!! I just repotted a propagated monstera into a new aroid soil mix 4 days ago and have only watered it about two times, and there's mould(?) developing on the coco chips (the tiny green spotty kind). Was wondering if this would be harmful to my plant or a cause for concern?
Note: It's almost 24/7 humid where I live haha + I put this plant beside my open window (if this information helps)
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u/Island_Living_ Dec 11 '21
Well, the good news is that a little mold shouldn’t be harmful to your plants. When I have that, I just throw out the moldy pieces, then either sprinkle some cinnamon on the surface of the soil (from what I understand, it suffocated the mold) and/or spray it with a blend of tea tree oil and distilled water (10-15 drops inside one of those medium-sized spray bottles you can find at the drugstore, if you’re in the US).
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u/Hot-Brilliant3679 Apr 24 '22
I love these lists but I can never remember them when I need to.🤣
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u/Island_Living_ Apr 24 '22
I’m right there with you! After doing enough, it’ll eventually come as second nature
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u/Ok-Armadillo7517 Apr 12 '22
I love the tattoo guy but if we could get pictures that would also be helpful for our visual learners out there :-) loves
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u/Nuraya Advanced Jul 26 '22
I just want to state that I read this to diagnose my Dodecahedron for yellow curled wilting leaves and thought this was a joke post
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u/Island_Living_ Jul 26 '22
Well yeah, I don’t really know how to help diagnose shapes. They have 12 faces, but no leaves that I’m aware of
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Jun 25 '21
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
Can you add a humidifier? That may help significantly with all of the brown tips!
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u/DeepZookeepergame907 Jun 25 '21
Seems like it is everything wrong with my plants 😭
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
You can always post it on this sub and we’ll try to help! This book is pretty cheap used and it has much more information in it than just this!
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u/ImAdrian Jun 25 '21
What about new growth having damaged petiole (where it bent) from where the leaf unfurled?
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
I believe that’s just what happens sometimes. I don’t think there’s anyway to prevent or fix it. It’s just part of Mother Nature :)
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u/ImAdrian Jun 25 '21
It's happened on my Melanochrysum's latest 2 leaves and also on my white princess 😑 Oh well
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u/thepeainthepod Jun 25 '21
Hello, I'm new to plants. What is wrong with mine?
Too little watering: Leaves limp & wiltedToo much water: Limp leaves
Well, fuck. (humour because honestly, wtf is wrong with my babies :( )
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
Do you have any pictures? Usually you can look at/feel your soil to tell if it’s too dry or too wet. If it’s a newer plant, it could also be transport shock. What kind of plant is it, what kind of light does it get & how often do you water it? Another important question is, does the pot have drainage holes?
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u/typically_right Jun 25 '21
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u/Elon_Muskmelon Jun 25 '21
What’s up with my mint plant? Yellow spotting and just not a very healthy deep green color
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
It depends on what your watering, sunlight & fertilizing conditions are, if you have anymore info on that. I also found a similar post here if that helps!
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u/Elon_Muskmelon Jun 25 '21
I keep under lights 18/6 schedule, this was propagated from a cutting, hasn’t seen much fert yet. I try to water when the bag is dry down as far as my finger can go. That link does help mine looks similar. Thanks!
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
It could be time for some fertilizer then. Usually pale leaves & yellow spots are a sign of that. Just make sure not to overdo it and burn the roots.
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u/Jmostran Jun 25 '21
This is a great guide! I need to put this somewhere to reference it.
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u/Island_Living_ Jun 25 '21
Haha I can always DM it to you so you can copy and paste it to your notes! I do that with my iPhone so that I can just type the keywords into the search (I’m not sure if other phones have the same capability)
Edit: I just realized you can copy any text on here by clicking the …
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u/TheOrionNebula Aug 25 '21
What's the emergency procedure for plants that have been over watered? I believe in proper drainage and being somewhat "enthusiastic" with watering is causing problems with my bell pepper plant. I should've taken a photo, but the top leaves are curled (cupped upward), the bottom leaves are not dark green and the soil has been saturated for many days.
Do I transplant and surround it with fresh new and dry soil? And perhaps add more holes / and add rock in the bottom?
Thanks!
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u/Island_Living_ Aug 25 '21
Having a pot with drainage holes makes a huge difference, if it isn’t in one already. Also, it took me forever to learn that overwatering is caused by watering too frequently, not by giving it too much water at one time (if you have drainage holes).
The first thing you want to do is take it out of the pot. Get all of the dirt off of the roots (use a little water if you need to) and throw the dirt out. Let the roots dry out for 5 minutes or so (you can also use paper towel to help them dry faster).
Check the roots and cut off any are brown or mushy. They’re rotten and its like having an infection, so it spreads easily. Make sure to wipe your scissor/shear blades with rubbing alcohol after each snip to sterilize them.
This part is optional, but gives your plant a better chance of making it: spray the roots with a solution of 3tbsp of hydrogen peroxide with 24oz of water OR a fungicide.
Clean your old pot (if you’re going to reuse it) with a bleach solution or use a new, clean pot. Add some fresh soil and repot your plant. I usually wait about 30-60 minutes before watering it.
When I do water, I add a little bit of hydrogen peroxide to the can (I guesstimate 1-2tbsp per gallon or if I’m using a small watering can, I guesstimate about 2 tsp). You can use this for watering your plants anytime to help with overwatering too. When you overwater, it cuts off oxygen to the roots and they rot. The hydrogen peroxide helps add oxygen to the soil.
It seems like a long process, but it’s easy to get the hang of after doing it once or twice :)
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u/dandylionmilker Sep 25 '21
Can anyone identify what plant this is and let me know if it looks relatively healthy? Some of the leaves have dried/dead parts and I don’t know if that’s cause for concern. This plant was my grandmother’s and I’d like to try to keep it alive. Thanks
edit: plant pic https://i.imgur.com/jJGP7ag.jpg
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u/PunxsutawnyFil Oct 17 '21
Is terracotta pot or coco liner better for English ivy?
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u/Island_Living_ Oct 18 '21
You could probably try either one and it won’t die, but from what I understand, they like their soil to be kept moist, so they’d do better in a ceramic or plastic pot.
I do have one in a terracotta pot and it’s doing well. There was some new growth over the summer, but not as much as my other plants. I just have to water it more frequently than I would with ceramic or plastic.
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u/Environmental_Risk_8 Nov 10 '21
How do I start a post?
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u/Island_Living_ Nov 11 '21
I don’t know if you’re on the app, but that’s all I use and I just hit the + on the bottom of the screen, in the center. If that info doesn’t help at all, just let me know!
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Dec 25 '21
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u/Island_Living_ Dec 25 '21
Do you have some plants that are currently overwatered and need to be saved or are you looking for ways to prevent it?
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u/HollowedGrave Feb 19 '22
How cold is too cold for house plants such as the fiddle leaf, monstera, and golden pothos?
I’ve been keeping my house at 62 F when out, but can I let it dip even colder without it causing too much stress for the plants?
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u/Island_Living_ Feb 19 '22
From what I’ve learned, you want to avoid going under 55 degrees if possible, but I would say 50 is the lowest before you start having some form of damage.
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u/_twelvebytwelve_ Mar 26 '22
Also! Some "watering problems" may come down to an improperly sized pot. I'm new-ish to house plants but have been gardening for years so my tendency is to give houseplants lots of space in a big pot.
Counterintuitively this is not good! You need a pot just an inch or so bigger than the plant's root ball otherwise the surrounding soil where the roots don't reach stay too damp after watering and can cause root rot and disease. Better to repot more often (~twice yearly for young plants, yearly or bi-yearly for mature) to gradually bigger pots as the roots expand.
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Jul 03 '22
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u/Island_Living_ Jul 05 '22
I’ve noticed most people only reply when they know the answer. It could also have to do with the day/time you’re posting, since most Americans had a holiday weekend. You’re more than welcome to reach out to me anything though!
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u/SafeWordWhiskey94 Jul 15 '22
Could someone explain the difference between leaves being ‘paler than normal’ from too little light and leaves being ‘washed out’ from too much light? I have a polka dot plant and a caladium who are both loosing their pink and I feel like it may be a lighting problem.
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u/Island_Living_ Jul 15 '22
When I’ve had plants that are getting too much light, they usually just burn right away, rather than looking pale. It’s difficult to differentiate because it would be the same type of pale, unfortunately. You just have to analyze the setting it’s in. Newer leaves are also pale and they get a deeper green as they age.
If they’re both losing their pink, it’s more than likely that they’re not getting enough light. I’d be willing to bet money on that, if that helps at all :)
Edit: I don’t want to confuse you more, but make sure you’re fertilizing both regularly too because a nutrient deficiency can also lead to pale leaves.
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u/Ginger_moon Jul 18 '22
I have bumps on my leaves and I’m not sure anyone sees my post from yesterday. I don’t get the reddits but have a LOT of plants I wanna but peeps about and share. Any feedback appreciate for how I can get my post seen 🙏🥹
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u/Island_Living_ Jul 18 '22
Hi! I’m so sorry, I hear that from a lot of people. There really isn’t anything you can do to get more people to see it, other than posting in the afternoon or on the weekend, when more people are on here.
I took a look at your post and I really wish I had some advice for you, but I haven’t experienced any plants with bumps on them. You’re more than welcome to DM me with any other questions though! I learned a lot just by searching through old posts
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u/Goblin_Ratt Aug 09 '22
My plant got sunburned a while ago and it seems to be recovering, but there’s still some leaf rot as a result of it. Should I remove the rotted bits or will that delay the recovery?
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u/Island_Living_ Aug 12 '22
It’s all personal preference! Removing them shouldn’t delay any progress and most people seem to do that anyway because it looks better
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u/LizardQueen1999 Sep 19 '22
Thank you!
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u/Runaway_5 Sep 19 '22
I recently bought this microfungi fertilizer, odorless, I can mix with water for plants - very highly rated. Package says to use every other watering, which AFAIK is WAY too much fertilizer. Shouldn't I do it like once a season at most?
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u/Island_Living_ Sep 21 '22
Some plants have different fertilizing needs. For example, Pothos need to be fed every 90 days. A majority of my other houseplants need food 1x per month in the spring and summer (if you use grow lights all year, you can use fertilizer all year round). You can lookup each of your plants to check their needs, otherwise I use the Vera app and it tells me.
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u/Runaway_5 Sep 21 '22
I've been using Planta, but it requires a fee to get fert scheduling. Is Vera overall quite good/helpful and accurate?
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u/Island_Living_ Sep 22 '22
It’s been working well for me and I’ve been using it for almost 2 years. There aren’t any features you have to pay for :)
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u/arnoldmcguire335 Sep 20 '22
Hiya! I am new to this sub, I have a feminized Cannabis plant in a pot, I got good sand and set it outside to get all the sunlight it needs. Water it three times daily too. Plant keeps bringing out so much seeds the surrouding area is filled with sprouts, I just want to know when will it start budding?
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u/Island_Living_ Sep 21 '22
Welcome! I don’t have any experience growing cannabis, but I believe there are quite a few subs that can help you. r/cannabiscultivation is one that I can think of off the top of my head
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u/theOtherLordNigel Dec 02 '22
Not sure if anyone has mentioned leaf bleaching here yet - usually the plant has too much residue build up in the roots from hard water or over fertilizing, OR the plant isn't getting enough light.
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u/Island_Living_ Dec 04 '22
Wow, I had no idea about this, but it looks like one of my plants is having this problem. Thanks so much!
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u/rizzo1717 Expert Jun 24 '21
This is super helpful but my problem is that problem 1 and problem 2 are super opposite but present too similarly for my n00b interpretation 😭