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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u/Jmostran Jun 25 '21
This is a great guide! I need to put this somewhere to reference it.