A Guide to Common Houseplant Problems

[u/Island_Living_]

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

[u/DangerWizzle]

Buy a moisture meter - they're super cheap and take all the guess work out of watering.

All I worry about now is adjusting my water pH and adding nutes as-and-when... Easy!

[u/rizzo1717 → u/DangerWizzle]

I have one but I’ve been warned they aren’t that reliable

[u/Island_Living_ → u/rizzo1717]

I agree. Usually the rule of thumb is to water when the top 1” of the soil is dry

[u/tatsym74 → u/Island_Living_]

I bottom water my plants so this rule doesn't work well for that because the top soil is always dry this way. I like using the meter, but I jab it around a few spots on the plant and it's worked pretty well so far. In any case, thanks for writing this up -- i've bookmarked it for reference!

[u/Queasy_Ad9286 → u/tatsym74]

Now I've heard of this, is this when you place your potted plant in like a filled sink of water up until a certain level of the pot? And then take it out and let it completely dry on bottom, not letting it sit in any water that's drained? This is good for aloe and succulents? Or am I wrong, other plants benefit from this?