Dumb Canes are very adaptable plants and will thrive in most homes. However, just because they aren’t as fussy as some plant types, doesn’t mean they don’t develop issues when something in their environment or care isn’t as they’d like it. Brown leaves can be quite common on Dumb Cane plants as there are several factors that cause it. In this post, we will be taking a detailed look at each individual cause to help you figure out why your Dumb Cane has brown leaves or brown leaf tips.

Watering issues is the most common cause of brown leaves

Watering issues is the best place to start off when looking at why Dumb Cane plants have brown leaves. As a plant parent, all we want to do is give our plants all the care in the world. But too much water can cause a whole range of issues, brown leaves being one of them. A lack of water over several weeks and months can also be the cause of the brown leaves on your Dumb Cane.

Luckily for you, Dumb Cane plants are quite hardy which means they won’t die suddenly if you over or underwater them once in a while. However, consistent watering issues will mean your plant will either start to develop root rot or the roots will crisp up. Either issue will mean your plant won’t get the needed nutrients and the leaves will start to turn brown and fall off.

If you think that you may have over or underwatered your Dumb Cane, check the moisture levels straight away using a moisture meter. If waterlogged, replace the soil straight away with fresh potting mix. If underwatered, start to slowly reintroduce water by giving your Dumb Cane a little once a day for a week.

Intense direct sunshine can also cause brown leaves

Lighting is always important to your houseplants but there is such thing as too much sunlight. If your Dumb Cane is getting too much intense bright light you’ll start to notice the tips of the fronds turning brown, this is because Dumb Canes can be pretty prone to burning as their leaves are fairly thin. Try moving your Dumb Cane into a slightly shadier place, and if there’s no improvement and you are still seeing new brown leaves, move it a little further again until you find its perfect spot.

If you aren’t sure how much light your Dumb Cane is getting in its current spot (or any alternative spots in your home) then we highly recommend using a light meter. They’ll tell you what level of light is in your home throughout the day and you’ll be able to monitor how it varies across the year.

Brown leaves can indicate too much fertiliser

Another cause of brown leaf tips on a Dumb Cane plant is over fertilisation. Dumb Canes really don’t need to be fertilised often and you can leave it out altogether if you prefer. If you do want to fertilise your Dumb Cane then use a water-soluble fertiliser at lower than recommended strength every 2-3 months during spring and summer and not at all during the colder winter months. This is because your Dumb Cane will go dormant and not produce any new leaves.

If you are fertilising your Dumb Cane more often than this, then it may be the cause of the brown leaf tips. Overfertilisation can also be seen through the brown leaves curling at the edges.

Low humidity levels can cause brown Dumb Cane leaves

If the edges and leaf tips of your Dumb Cane are turning brown, then dry air may also be the culprit. During winter, our homes can be drier than in summer as the heating is on and the windows are closed which leaves the air quite dry and stagnant. To help avoid more brown tips on your Dumb Cane you’ll need to increase the humidity level a little. Although it would be impossible and unbearable to reach tropical levels of humidity in our home, there are a few things we can do to help raise the humidity just enough to stop the brown leaf tips from developing on your Dumb Cane.

Spray the leaves regularly

This is a great habit to get into to for a lot of your plants as it is great for their overall health as well as for the humidity level. Mist the leaves using a spray bottle a few times a week. Mist the leaves in the morning so this leaves several hours for the water droplets to evaporate as the cold air at night will mean the leaves are a lot more likely to rot if damp.

Shower your Dumb Cane

Another really easy way to boost the humidity is by giving your plant a shower. It is also a good way to get rid of any pests that may be secretly living on your plant.

Here are a few things to look out for when showering your plant:

• Keep the water pressure low to avoid damaging your Dumb Cane
• The water should be lukewarm so you don’t shock or burn your plant
• Leave the plant in the shower for 30 minutes after washing to allow for excess water to run off

Pick the right room for your plant

Some rooms in your home will have a naturally higher humidity level than others. The kitchen and bathroom are usually great for your humidity loving plants due to the steam let off from showering and cooking. If you have good lighting in those rooms then we recommend moving your Dumb Cane in there. This should help to avoid any further brown leaf tips!

Buy a humidifier

If you’re after a more long-term solution for your houseplants and don’t want to have to remember to mist them every few days, then buying a humidifier is the perfect option. They are also known to help with getting better sleep so it’s not just a good investment for your houseplants.

This is the humidifier we use from Amazon and our plants love it!

Chemical sensitivity may also be the cause

Over time excess fertiliser, chlorine or fluoride from tap water can build up in your plant’s pot which can cause issues such as the leaves starting to turn brown or black. This isn’t a major issue to fix which will come as a relief. The first method you can do is to run water through the pot for a little while to flush out all of the chemical buildup. If that doesn’t seem to fix the problem then you can do the second method which is re-potting with fresh soil.

Brown leaves can be caused by a pest infestation

Another cause of brown Dumb Cane leaves is a pest infestation. Luckily these are rare if your plant spends all of the year inside, but it can happen. Insects such as mealybugs, aphids or spider mites can latch onto your plant and suck on their nutrients. This will cause the leaves to turn brown and sometimes develop small holes and fall off the plant.

If you suspect that pests are the cause of the brown leaves on your Dumb Cane, isolate your plant immediately to make sure the insects don’t jump onto any of your other beloved houseplants. Use a magnifying glass to try and spot the pests on the plant. They like to hang out on the undersides of leaves or near the leaf and stem joints so look closely there. If you do spot pests then look over each of your other plants to make sure they aren’t also infected. Then remove the most affected leaves, shower your plant and treat with an insecticide.

Those are the most common causes of brown leaves on a Dumb Cane plant. This can be one of the most difficult problems to diagnose simply because it is caused by such a range of different factors. We recommend going through each one in detail to see if the symptoms fit what’s going on with your plant. If you have caught the issue early, and there are only a few brown leaves or brown leaf tips on your Dumb Cane then you shouldn’t have too much of an issue bringing your plant back to full health. If a lot of the plant has turned brown then propagating the healthy part might be the best option.

For more information on how to best care for your plant, as well as detect and treat other common problems, check out our detailed Dumb Cane care guide.

If you have noticed that your Dragon Tree has started to develop curling leaves, then this means that something is definitely off. However, you’ll be pleased to know that this can be an early warning sign so if there aren’t any other issues with your plant, then hopefully it means that solving the issue won’t be too difficult.

Below we will go over each of the factors that can commonly cause curling leaves on a Dragon Tree so that you can properly diagnose the issue as well as treat it and prevent it from happening again in future.

Underwatering is a common cause of curling Dragon Tree leaves

A consistent lack of moisture is one of the most common causes of curling leaves on a Dragon Tree. Although they don’t like super soggy or waterlogged soil, the other extreme can still be pretty damaging. A lack of moisture can cause your plant to develop crispy leaves and go into shock and its leaves will start curling up as a result of that.

It’s important to check the soil moisture before adjusting anything about your Dragon Tree’s care or watering schedule. The last thing you want to do is increase how much you water your plant when it’s not actually the cause of the issue.

Take your plant out of its pot to inspect the soil and root system or use a moisture meter. If you find that your Dragon Tree’s soil is bone dry, then underwatering is probably what is causing the curling leaves. The best thing to do is soak your plant for about 20-30 minutes. This allows the potting mix to take up as much water as it needs, without risking overwatering, shock or having the water just run straight out of the drainage holes.

Low humidity levels could also be to blame

Although slightly dry air won’t immediately kill your Dragon Tree, it can cause curling leaves and brown leaf tips. This is because curling leaves is one of the mechanisms plants use to prevent moisture loss.

You’ll be pleased to know that there are several different methods you can use to easily and quickly increase the humidity for your Dragon Tree.

1. Mist the leaves regularly

   This is something you should build into your regular Dragon Tree plant care routine as it’s really great for their overall health and can prevent brown leaf tips as well as curling leaves. Mist the leaves a few times each week with a spray bottle, ideally in the morning in winter so there is enough time for the water droplets to evaporate before nightfall. Damp and cold leaves is the perfect combination for leaf rot.

2. Shower your Dragon Tree

   This is a more short-term solution but is great for overall plant health as it gets rid of dust as well as boosts the humidity – a win-win! Just make sure not to have the shower on full water pressure as this can damage the leaves or stems.

3. Buy a humidifier for a long-term solution

   Humidifiers are a must-have for any plant parent and are a great investment in the long-term health of your plant! They will raise the humidity around your plant to a nice stable level without you having to do anything. They really go a long way to fixing and preventing curling leaves and other issues.

Cold temperatures are also a common cause of curling leaves

As they are native to tropical areas, Dragon Trees thrive in warm temperatures. Whilst they can adapt well to normal room temperatures, extreme drafts and cold rooms can really start to impact your plant’s health, causing their leaves to start curling. If the issue persists for a long time it can also cause issues such as brown leaves and leaves falling off your plant.

Luckily diagnosing the issue is quite simple. The best thing to do is use a digital thermometer to check the temperature around your plant. This will help you keep track of any fluctuations and see if you need to move your plant to another spot or draft proof some windows for example.

Curling Dragon Tree leaves can suggest over-fertilisation

Another cause of curling leaves on a Dragon Tree is over-fertilisation. We recommend fertilising using a water-soluble fertiliser at a lower than recommended strength every month or so during spring and summer. Hold off giving any fertiliser during the winter months as your Dragon Tree will not be producing any new growth.

If you are fertilising more often, then it may be the cause of the curling leaves. It can be a difficult one to diagnose in comparison to some of the other factors but as a start, we recommend holding off fertilising and replacing the potting mix. This ensures that there won’t be any extra fertiliser that could still damage your plant’s future.

Moving forward, hold off fertilising your Dragon Tree for about a year. You can even leave it out completely if you want to – it’s sort of an added extra and you will still see plenty of new healthy growth without it (as long as the care and environment are right of course).

Chemical sensitivity can also lead to curling leaves

If none of the above issues really fit with what is happening with your plant then it might be a reaction to the tap water. If you live in a particularly hard water area, there is more fluoride and chlorine in the water which might be making your Dragon Tree unhappy. Not only can it cause leaves to curl but it can also cause brown leaf tips on plants with long thin leaves such as the Dragon Tree.

Whilst this won’t cause drastic issues from one day to the next, over time fluoride might have built up around the roots causing your plant to slowly develop these issues.

To solve this problem, you can either replace the current potting mix or flush it through with purified water. Then to prevent the issue from happening again in future we recommend using rainwater or purified water as the levels of chemicals such as fluoride are a lot lower.

Those are the most common reasons why Dragon Trees develop curling leaves. Once you have made any chances to the care or environment, keep a close eye on yourplant to ensure things are moving in the right direction. Depending on the issue and how severe it was, sometimes the leaves can uncurl but other times it just means the new leaves won’t curl up.

To learn more about how to keep your plant happy, read through our Dragon Tree care guide.

Hailed as one of the most popular houseplants in the world, the Devil’s Ivy (Pothos) definitely has a soft spot in our hearts. This can make it extra devastating to see that your plant is struggling and has started to develop curling leaves.

However, don’t worry as you have come to the right place. Below we will go through each of the causes of curling leaves on your Devil’s Ivy plant to ensure that you can successfully diagnose the treat the issue.

Underwatering can kill your Devil’s Ivy

One common reason why Devil’s Ivy plants can start curling their leaves is due to a lack of moisture in the soil. This is one of the earlier signs so should hopefully mean you’ve caught the issue before it has caused more serious issues. However, other more serious symptoms of underwatering include dry brown leaves and leaf tips, droopy stems and leaves falling off your plant.

You want to be sure that this is causing the issue as increasing how much you water a plant that doesn’t need it can be pretty damaging.

To confirm the issue, take the plant out of its pot and check the moisture in the potting mix. If the soil feels very dry then underwatering may be the issue as there is just not enough water getting up to the plant. You also want to check over the root system to see if it has turned crispy as this indicates the issue has been going on for some time.

It’s really important with underwatering that you don’t just pour a bucket full of water over your plant and move on. This can cause shock if the soil moisture goes from one extreme to another. Instead, water your Devil’s Ivy a little bit each day for one week. This will slowly moisten the soil and won’t cause any shock.

To prevent underwatering causing curling leaves or other problems on your Devil’s Ivy, you want to make sure that you water a little more than you were previously to stop the problem from happening again. This can mean watering more deeply each time or increasing the frequency of watering. Whichever you decide to do, it’s crucial that you monitor the moisture levels continuously to ensure you are watering correctly.

Curling Devil’s Ivy leaves can also suggest overwatering

What’s strange about curling leaves is that both too much and too little moisture can often have the same impact. This is because both extremes damage the root system which means the plant is starved and dehydrated, even if the potting mix is waterlogged.

To diagnose the issue, check the moisture levels in the soil and see if the roots have started to rot. If so, they will be soft to touch and very dark in colour. If your Devil’s Ivy plant is suffering from root rot and has waterlogged soil then it’s very important that you act quickly to fix it. Replace any soggy soil and trim rotten roots to encourage new healthy growth.

Moving forward, ensure that you cut back on how deeply or how frequently you water your plant. During the growth months, you should be watering your Devil’s Ivy on average once a week, during the colder months, once every two weeks is definitely enough. As well as checking the moisture at the top of the soil before watering, we also recommend picking up your Devil’s Ivy before and after watering so you get an idea of much your plant will weigh when it needs water.

Low humidity could be to blame

Although slightly dry air won’t immediately kill your Devil’s Ivy it can cause curling leaves and over time it’s not uncommon for these plants to develop brown leaf tips as a result. This is because curling leaves is one of the mechanisms plants often use to prevent moisture loss.

There are several different easy and cheap methods you can use to increase the humidity for your Devil’s Ivy:

1. Mist the leaves regularly

   This is something you should build into your regular Devil’s Ivy plant care routine as it’s really great for their overall health and can prevent permanent brown leaf tips as well as curling leaves. We recommend misting the leaves a few times per week to boost the humidity.

2. Give your Devil’s Ivy a shower

   This is a more short-term solution but is great for overall plant health as it gets rid of dust and pests that might be secretly living on your plant as well as providing a nice humidity boost for your plant. Whilst they don’t have the most delicate vines, we still recommend having a slightly lower shower pressure to avoid damaging your plant.

3. Invest in a humidifier

   Humidifiers are a must-have for any plant parent and are a great investment in the long-term health of your plant! They will do all the work for you and your low humidity worries will be a thing of the past!

Curling leaves can also mean high temperatures

Hotspots and consequent heat stress can also cause your Devil’s Ivy to curl its leaves. This happens because your plant is trying to reduce moisture loss through its leaves.

Hotspots can occur when your plant is too close to a window that receives a high level of direct light. But it’s not just sunlight that can cause heat stress to damage your plant. Check that your Devil’s Ivy isn’t too close to a radiator, heating vent or cooker.

The best thing to do to diagnose this issue is to pick up a digital thermometer to check that your Devil’s Ivy is sitting in its ideal temperature. If necessary, move your plant to a new slightly cooler spot and you should start to see the leaves uncurl.

Those are the most common factors that can lead to your Devil’s Ivy plant starting to curl its leaves. We strongly recommend that from now on you conduct regular plant check-ups if you aren’t already. This will help you spot any early warning signs of issues and unhappiness on your plant. Your number one weapon against all of these issues is catching them early!

Check out our Devil’s Ivy care guide to learn more about how to keep your plant happy and healthy for years to come

If you’ve started to notice that the leaves on your Croton Plant have started curling, then this definitely means something isn’t quite right. However, you’ll be pleased to know that curling leaves are often actually one of the earlier signs of unhappiness so hopefully, this means you’ve caught the issue early before it’s really taken over your plant.

Below we will go through each of the main causes of curling leaves on a Croton Plant so that you can treat the issue properly and prevent it from causing even more damage to your plant.

Curling leaves on a Croton Plant can indicate underwatering

The most common factor that can lead to curling leaves on a Croton Plant is underwatering. Whilst it won’t cause issues from one day to the next, a consistent lack of moisture in the soil can really start to damage your plant’s health.

If you have caught the issue early then curling leaves may be the only sign of trouble but other symptoms of underwatering include brown spots or patches on the leaves, a drooping plant or entire leaves turning brown and crispy.

Before you go and drown your Croton Plant with water to hopefully fix the issue, you need to be sure that this is the cause. Watering a plant when it really doesn’t need it will cause a whole range of other issues. To confirm the diagnosis, take your Croton Plant out of the pot to inspect how the potting mix feels. If underwatered, the potting mix will fall apart and feel very sandy. You will also see that some of the roots on your Croton Plant have started to crisp up if you have been underwatering for a while.

Once you have determined that your Croton Plant is suffering from a lack of water, slowly reintroduce water to your plant rather than drowning it. Any dramatic and sudden changes in their environment can cause them to go into shock and become quite stressed. The best way to avoid this is to water your plant a little bit once a day for a week so that the soil can become moist but not waterlogged.

In future, to avoid overwatering from causing curling leaves and other issues in future, use a moisture meter to check how moist the soil is. This prevents you from having to take your plant out of its pot every time you might want to water it.

Low humidity could also be to blame

A lack of humidity in the air can cause your Croton Plant’s leaves to curl, and eventually maybe even fall off if the issue persists for a long time. This happens because curling the leaves is a mechanism plants use to retain as much water as possible.

The only way to really diagnose this issue is by using a humidity monitor to confirm that dry air is causing the curling leaves.

To treat the issue, start by misting your Croton Plant every few days with a spray bottle. If you want an even easier solution to humidity issues, consider investing in a humidifier. They will keep a nice steady humidity level and your humidity-loving plants will thank you for it!

Environmental stress can also cause curling leaves

Houseplants are just like humans in a way as they can become quite stressed out. Things like repotting, propagating or moving your plant to a new spot in your home can cause your Croton Plant to get a little shocked and the leaves may start curling as a result. It is nothing to worry about and it will just take some time for your plant to return to normal and for the leaves to naturally uncurl.

One thing to make sure of if you have moved your Croton Plant to a new spot is that the conditions are the same, if not better than the one it was previously in. Your Croton Plant will probably survive if the conditions are less suited to its requirements but it may just grow a little slower and leggier than before.

The best way to determine if the environment is right is by using a light meter, as well as a thermometer and humidity gauge to check over the different factors.

Curling Croton Plant leaves can suggest overfertilization

Croton Plants aren’t heavy feeders and you can still actually see plenty of new healthy growth without using any fertiliser at all.

However, if you have been feeding your Croton Plant too frequently then this can start to cause some issues to slowly develop. You won’t suddenly see the leaves all start curling from one day to the next but over time you’ll start to notice something is wrong.

To fix the issue, remove any fertiliser spikes or replace the soil if you are using pellets or water-soluble fertiliser and hold off feeding for at least a year to let your Croton Plant recover.

Moving forward it’s actually a choice whether you return to feeding your Croton Plant at all as if the environment is right, your plant will thrive without it!

Pests can be a worrying cause of curling leaves

Whilst pests are a rarer issue compared to some of the problems listed above, they can be a very worrying problem so it’s important you rule them out straight away. If your plant spends any time outdoors during the year, then this can increase the likelihood that pests are causing the curling leaves on your plant.

The first thing to do to diagnose this issue is to inspect your Croton Plant thoroughly by looking at the undersides of the leaves, the stems but also in the potting mix. You want to look out for any of the following signs: holes in the leaves, brown or yellow spots, white webbing, white powder and of course visible pests on the plant or in the potting mix. Using a magnifying glass can really help here.

If you do find pests (or signs of them) isolate your Croton Plant immediately to stop the spread across your other plants and make sure to inspect all of your houseplants.

We recommend giving your infected plants a shower and then treating them with neem oil to fight the infestation.

Those are the most common factors that can lead to curling leaves on a Croton Plant. Once you’ve made any changes to the care or environment, it’s important that you keep a close eye on your plant over the next few weeks to make sure that things are progressing in the right direction.

Take a look through our Croton Plant care guide to learn more about how to best keep your plant happy, healthy and thriving for years to come!

Although Chinese Evergreen plants tend to be easy to care for, this doesn’t mean they won’t ever develop brown leaves. In fact, it can be more common than you think as there are quite a few factors that cause brown leaves on these plants. But don’t think that brown leaves mean the end of your Chinese Evergreen as there are quite a few things you can do to solve the problem and stop any more brown leaves from developing.

In this post, we will be going through the different reasons why brown leaves occur on Chinese Evergreen to help you figure out which fits with your plant.

Too much water can often cause brown leaves

If you notice that your Chinese Evergreen is developing dark brown spots on its leaves, the most common cause of this tends to be overwatering. We recommend a little and often approach towards watering as Chinese Evergreen hate being sat in puddles of water or being bone dry for weeks and weeks so it’s important to get the right balance.

Overwatering can very quickly lead to root rot which is very harmful to your Chinese Evergreen. Alongside brown leaves, it can also cause your Chinese Evergreen to become unstable and not pick up any nutrients. If not solved soon, this can mean your plant won’t survive. If you think you might have overwatered your Chinese Evergreen it’s important to check the soil right away and change it out completely if necessary. Don’t wait for it to naturally dry out as this just risks more damage to your Chinese Evergreen.

Make sure to check the moisture in the soil before you water your Chinese Evergreen to help avoid watering issues causing brown leaves. The easiest way to do this is by digging your finger into the top two centimetres of the soil to see how damp it is. We also recommend picking up your Chinese Evergreen before and after watering as this will help you get a feel for when your Chinese Evergreen might need a little more water.

If you aren’t really sure about how to know if your Chinese Evergreen needs watering, we recommend picking up a moisture meter. They are super affordable and tell you how much moisture is in the soil. We love this one from Amazon!

Too little water can also cause brown leaves

Chinese Evergreens can forgive you for the odd time where you forget to water as they are quite hardy plants, but consistent underwatering can lead to a variety of issues if not sorted; the most common of which is brown leaves that will quite quickly fall off the plant. These will be quite light brown in colour compared to other issues.

Before you start pouring loads of water over your Chinese Evergreen, you need to make sure that this is really the cause of the brown leaves on your plant. As with overwatering, we recommend checking the moisture in the soil before watering, either using the finger method to test how moist the potting mix is or by removing the plant from the pot. If the soil is dry and feels quite sandy to touch, and the roots look a little crispy and shrivelled, then underwatering is likely the cause.

How to fix an underwatered Chinese Evergreen that has brown leaves:

1. Give your plant a soak.

   Fill up a container with fresh temperate water and place your plant in there for about 10 minutes. Avoid hot or really cold water as this can shock and burn your plant and cause more issues than the initial brown leaves that you’re trying to fix. This method allows the water to soak into the potting mix and your Chinese Evergreen will only take up as much as it needs which helps to avoid overwatering. Often when watering really dry soil, it flows right through and out the bottom of the pot which doesn’t help solve the issue.

2. Slowly reintroduce watering.

   Sudden changes in the environment can be quite stressful for your Chinese Evergreen and if the potting mix goes from really dry to super soggy quickly, it can cause your plant to go into shock and cause more issues beyond brown leaves (this is why we recommend only soaking for 10 minutes). For the next week or so, slowly reintroduce watering by giving your Chinese Evergreen a little every day before returning to a more normal schedule.

3. Adjust your watering schedule.

   If you had simply forgotten to water your Chinese Evergreen and that’s why the brown leaves appeared, the fix is easy – just make sure to remember, make a note of it or ask a friend to help you out when you’re away. However, if your watering routine just wasn’t enough for your Chinese Evergreen then going forward make sure you are keeping an eye on when the potting mix is dry so you know when it’s time to water your Chinese Evergreen. Using a moisture meter is a great way to avoid any more brown leaves caused by a lack of water in future.

Extremely dry air can cause brown spots and leaf edges

Chinese Evergreens don’t mind the average humidity level in most homes but will struggle to thrive in homes that have really dry air. If there is a consistent lack of humidity, over time the leaves will start to turn brown. This usually starts from the tips and edges before moving throughout the whole leaf.

You should be extra cautious of dry air in winter as central heating and less ventilation will decrease the humidity levels which can cause brown dry crispy leaves.

If it is only the leaf tips that are brown then it means you have caught the problem pretty early on so it’s a lot simpler and quicker to fix which is great! A good way to get ahead of humidity problems is to get yourself a humidity monitor, this will let you see what’s going on in your room and react before you run into problems!

Here are some of the easiest methods to increase humidity in your home and avoid any further dry brown leaves on your Chinese Evergreen.

1. Misting the leaves

   One of the simplest ways to increase the humidity for your Chinese Evergreen and avoid brown leaf tips is to mist the leaves with a spray bottle. We recommend doing this a few times a week if the air is really dry. It’s also important that you only mist in the morning to leave enough time for the water to evaporate before it gets dark and cold. If the temperature drops and the leaves are still wet then they can rot pretty quickly and the leaves will turn dark brown and soggy. We love these spray bottles from Amazon because they’re super affordable and look great!

2. Pebble tray

   Place your Chinese Evergreen over a tray of small pebbles and fill it up halfway with fresh water. You want to make sure that the water level never reaches the pot as the roots on your Chinese Evergreen will rot if they are sitting in a puddle of water all day. Over time the water in the tray will slowly evaporate, lifting up the humidity level. Replace the water every few days to stop it from stagnating. Otherwise, it’ll start to smell pretty bad.

3. Give your Chinese Evergreen a shower

   To quickly raise the humidity and wash down your Chinese Evergreen of any dust on the leaves, you can give them a shower. Make sure to use lukewarm water as you don’t want to shock or burn your plant. Try to keep the water pressure fairly low as you don’t want to damage the stems or leaves.

4. Find a better place for your Chinese Evergreen

   Kitchens and bathrooms have naturally higher humidity levels than other rooms in your home. This is because of the steam from showering and cooking. If you have good lighting in these rooms, we recommend moving your Chinese Evergreen in there and you won’t need to remember to mist or shower the plant and this can help to prevent any more brown leaves.

5. Buy a humidifier

   If you want a long term solution to raising the humidity in your home and preventing dry brown leaves on your Chinese Evergreen, then buy a humidifier. They aren’t super expensive and are great at maintaining a good humidity level in your home. They also have other benefits such as better sleep and clearer skin, so think of it as an investment for yourself, not just your houseplants. This is our favourite humidifier from Amazon, it does a great job of keeping some humidity in through the colder/dryer months and avoiding brown leaf tips and edges.

Brown leaves can indicate exposure to direct sunlight

Lighting is always important to your houseplants and Chinese Evergreens are no different, even though they are quite hardy plants. If your Chinese Evergreen is getting too much intense bright light you’ll start to notice the tips of the leaves turning brown as well as yellowy patches throughout the leaf.

This is due to the sunlight burning the leaves which is unfortunately irreversible. Try moving your Chinese Evergreen into a slightly shadier place, and if the leaves continue to turn brown, move it a little further again until you find the ideal location for your plant.

Pests can result in browning of the leaves

A slightly less common reason why your Chinese Evergreen may have brown leaves is a pest infestation. It can happen that pests such as mealybugs, spider mites and scale insects take hold of your beloved plant.

You can spot pests by either using a magnifying glass to actually see them or by spotting signs such as holes in the leaves, brown dots or white webbing across the stems. If you do spot pests on your plant we recommend giving the whole plant a shower. Keep the shower pressure so as not to damage the leaves, but Chinese Evergreens are pretty sturdy so this shouldn’t be too much of an issue as long as you’re careful. Alternatively, wash down each leaf with soapy warm water and replace all of the soil to get rid of the pests. Alongside these methods, we also recommend that you treat your Chinese Evergreen with an organic insecticide to fight the infestation.

As soon as you spot pests on your plant, isolate them from your other houseplants as pests can jump across the leaves. You also want to check over all of your other plants to see if any others have pests.

Those are the five most common reasons why Chinese Evergreen plants develop brown leaves. It’s important to look over your plants regularly to spot any warning signs early as this makes reviving your plant and bringing it back to full health a lot easier. If the problem persists and is getting worse, you might want to think about propagating a healthy part of your Chinese Evergreen in case your mother plant doesn’t survive.

To find out more about how to best care for your plant, as well as spot and treat other issues, check out our Chinese Evergreen care guide.

Whilst it’s true that Cast Iron Plants are quite adaptable to various environments, they are still alive and if things aren’t right, they will still display much of the same signs, such as yellow leaves. It’s important that you take yellow leaves on Cast Iron Plants seriously as this usually means that something isn’t right. If you have caught the problem early, then fixing the issue should be relatively easy and you have a good chance of getting your plant back to its usual self. Although you can’t reverse any yellow leaves, you can definitely prevent any more from appearing if you know the right course of action.

In this post, we will go through each of the different causes of yellow leaves on Cast Iron Plants, starting with the most common cause of overwatering before delving into light and pest issues. We will also guide you through the process of treating the issue and how to prevent it from returning and causing more yellow leaves on your Cast Iron Plant.

Waterlogged soil can lead to yellow leaves

One common reason why Cast Iron Plants develop yellow leaves or even just yellow spots or small patches is overwatering and subsequent root rot.

To figure out if this is the cause of the yellow leaves on your Cast Iron Plant, the best thing to do is to take your plant out of its pot immediately and inspect the health of the root system. Carefully trim away any rotten, soft or black roots as these won’t be able to deliver needed nutrients and moisture to the plant anymore. By trimming these away you allow your Cast Iron Plant to generate new healthy roots.

If the potting mix is still soggy and waterlogged when you take your plant out of its pot, replace it immediately with dry mix. Don’t wait for it to naturally dry out as this risks causing more harm to your Cast Iron Plant and could cause more yellow leaves.

Over the next few weeks, you need to water your Cast Iron Plant less than you were doing before so that it can start to recover. This can either be cutting down how frequently you water your plant or simply giving it less water each time you do.

Using a moisture meter is a great way to know when your plant needs water and they have helped us avoid plenty of yellow leaves! You will also want to adjust your watering schedule depending on the seasons, making sure that you are cutting down on watering over the colder, darker months of autumn and winter where plants are more dormant.

Too much sunlight can also cause yellow leaves

If the yellowing on your Cast Iron Plant’s leaves is quite patchy and looks scorched then it may be due to too much direct sunlight. If your plant is receiving a lot of intense direct sunlight, it can burn the leaves.

Cast Iron Plants like areas with bright light, but it needs to be indirect (especially in summer where the sun is stronger and out for more of the day) so try to avoid placing your plant right next to a window. During winter you can get away with moving your plant so it gets more sunlight so it’s all about creating a good balance.

Pests are a rarer but worrying cause of yellow foliage

Whilst rarer than the two other causes we outlined above, your Cast Iron Plant’s leaves may be turning yellow due to a pest infestation. Insects such as the dreaded spider mites, suck on the leaves of oyour plants, damaging and exhausting them. These unwanted pests leave behind yellow patches or holes in the leaves so it’s important you keep your eye out for any signs of pests. Get up close to your plants using a magnifying glass and inspect the tops and undersides of the leaves to see if you can spot any insects.

There are a few ways to get rid of spider mites and other pests, including showering, neem oil and insecticide sprays. If you have caught the infestation in its early stages then you should have a good chance at reviving your plant. You might also want to consider propagating a healthy section of it incase you aren’t able to get rid of the pests.

Should I cut away the yellow leaves?

After hopefully rectifying and solving the problem of your yellow Cast Iron Plant leaves, you may be wondering if it is best to keep them on the plant or trim them off. We always recommend pruning the yellow leaves off the plant. Not only will it make your Cast Iron Plant look better and healthier but it will also mean it doesn’t waste any energy trying to keep the dying (or already dead) leaves and stems alive. It can focus its energy and nutrients on new healthy leaves!

To find out more about how to care for your plant, and treat other common issues that might arise, take a look at our Cast Iron Plant care guide.

Calatheas are a great family of houseplants with incredible leaves. So it’s even more of a shame when we notice that these beautiful leaves are turning brown. Whether it is just the tip or edge of the leaf, or actually the entire leaf, this is an indication that something isn’t ideal in either the care or environment of your plant. This post will help you figure out what the main causes of brown Calathea leaves are, as well as how you can address the issue and prevent them from occurring.

Underwatering often causes brown Calathea leaves

This is the most common cause of brown leaves on a Calathea plant. They don’t like to have super dry soil for weeks and weeks so consistent underwatering will harm your plant.

When underwatered, the leaves on your Calathea will not only turn brown but will be dry to touch and a little limp. If you fear that not enough water is causing the brown leaves then take the plant out of its pot and inspect the soil. If the potting mix is very dry (and almost like powder) then this is definitely the problem.

Your initial thought might be to drown the plant in water immediately to compensate for the lack of it. However, plants get shocked by rapid and sudden changes in their environment. Therefore drowning them in water is actually the wrong this to do. Instead, you want to slowly reintroduce regular watering by giving the plant a little bit once a day for a week. This will slowly add moisture to the soil but avoid any shock or root rot.

To prevent underwatering from causing brown leaves on your Calathea in future, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, ensure that you adjust your watering schedule throughout the year as your Calathea will need more water during the warmer months, and can dry out more when you’re using the central heating for several hours each day. Using a moisture meter can help to figure out once the soil has dried out and your Calathea needs more water.

You might also choose to use a self-watering pot or self-watering globes which means you don’t even have to remember to water your Calathea on a regular basis as these will do all the work for you.

Brown Calathea leaf tips can indicate water sensitivity

Another cause of brown leaf tips is fluoride sensitivity. If you live in a hard water area, the chlorine and fluoride in the tap water can cause brown tips. This is because over time the chemicals will build up in the soil and prevent the roots from picking up the needed nutrients. There are a few ways to stop this from happening that don’t involve investing in a really expensive water purification system for your home.

Firstly, you can collect rainwater and water your plants with that as the levels of fluoride and other chemicals will be much lower than the treated water out of your tap. Secondly, you can leave a watering can full of water out for around 24 hours. Over that time a lot of the chemicals will evaporate from the water.

This isn’t an instant fix and there may be a few brown leaf tips that develop every now and again but it should stop the problem from developing rapidly.

Dry air can cause brown leaf tips on your Calathea

Low humidity levels can also cause brown Calathea leaves. This tends to start off as brown leaf tips, but can gradually take over more of the leaf if the problem persists. Calatheas like a little higher humidity than the average home so you need to take some steps to increase this. Here are our top tips:

Mist your Calathea’s leaves

Using a spray bottle, mist your plant a few times each week. Make sure to do it in the mid-morning though as you want to leave enough time for the water to evaporate before it gets dark as the cold air at night will cause damp leaves to rot.

Use a pebble tray

Fill up a tray of pebbles add water to about the halfway point. Place your plant on top and the water will evaporate around the plant slowly. You want to make sure the water level does not reach the pot as the roots will rot if they are sitting in a pool of water.

Wash down your Calathea

Wash down the leaves of your Calathea in the sink or shower. This is a great quick fix but it’s a fairly short-term solution so you’ll want to be doing other things too to prevent more brown leaves. Make sure to leave your plant in the shower for about half an hour after washing so the excess water can run off. Otherwise, this may waterlog the soil!

Invest in a humidifier

This is the best long term solution in terms of preventing any more brown leaves but it does need a little bit of upfront spending (although they are very affordable). They can keep quite a consistent level of humidity around your plants so you don’t need to remember to mist or change out the water in the pebble tray.

We recommend this humidifier from Amazon – our Calatheas love it!

If you aren’t sure of the humidity level in your home then it is a good idea to pick up a digital humidity monitor. They are very affordable little devices that will monitor the level in the room and help you to figure out if dry air is causing your Calathea (and other houseplants) to develop brown leaf tips. They are a must-have for every plant parent and have saved us from a lot of brown leaves in the past.

Brown leaves can also indicate temperature shock

Hotspots or cold drafts can also cause your Calathea to develop brown leaves. Hotspots can occur when your plant is too close to the window and is receiving a lot of direct light or if it is near a radiator or heating vent. It can be difficult to notice hotspots because the heat disperses around the room and it’ll feel like a normal temperature to you. Make sure you are ventilating the room well and avoid putting your Calathea within 1 metre of any radiators.

Cold drafts are also your Calathea’s worst enemy. A consistent stream of cold air coming in from outside through cracks in doors and windows can be quite harmful to your plant. This is especially dangerous during winter when temperatures can really drop. Make sure you draft proof any doors or windows that your houseplants are close to.

Like with humidity, it can be pretty difficult to figure out if the temperature is right for your Calathea. Whilst it may feel comfortable for you, there might be hidden little drafts or small hotspots forming in the room without you noticing. Use a digital thermometer to keep track of any fluctuations so you can be assured that your Calathea is in the right spot. Often, you can get one device that will measure both humidity and temperature and these are a real win for plant parents.

Causes of brown spots on a Calathea

If you have noticed that your Calathea has started to develop brown spots, but it’s not turning the entire leaf brown yet, then this is also definitely a sign of unhappiness.

Whilst some of the same factors can cause brown leaves as well as brown spots (such as water sensitivity, dry air and cold temperatures), there are some other factors to consider.

Brown spots can be caused by pests

These are a plant parents’ worst nightmare as they can very quickly start exhausting your plant and turning it brown. Pests such as spider mites will start to cause small brown spots across the leaves of your Calathea. Because spider mites love thin leaves, Calathea plants are the perfect spot for them to live.

The best way to identify Spider Mites as the culprits of your Calathea’s brown spots is by looking under the leaves for white webbing. Spider Mites are web spinners so there’s one telltale sign that they are present on your houseplant.

As soon as you’ve identified Spider Mites on your Calathea you should isolate it from any other plants nearby and you should check those over for any signs too. Pests can easily jump between leaves that are close.

There are a few ways to get rid of spider mites. Firstly, they hate high humidity so make sure to mist your plant frequently, wash it down in the shower and use a humidifier to get rid of them.

You also want to remove as many of the infected leaves as possible to curb the growth of the infestation.

You should also pick up an insecticidal spray and give your plant a spray down to kill any that are left on your Calathea.

Brown spots on a Calathea can also indicate sunburn

Whilst they need lots of light to thrive and photosynthesise, there is such thing as too much light. As Calathea plants have quite thin leaves, they can burn pretty easily when exposed to bright intense direct sunlight. This will show up as dry brown or yellow spots across the leaves of your Calathea.

The brown spots will also usually be on the side of the plant that is getting hit and dried out by the sunlight so that’s something to look out for when diagnosing the issue.

Although the brown spots are irreversible, preventing the problem from causing any more damage to your Calathea is pretty simple. All you need to do is find a new spot that suits your Calathea’s needs a little better. Find somewhere that doesn’t receive any direct light and move your Calathea there during summer. In winter, brown spots caused by sunburn are less of a concern as the sun is weaker and the days are shorter. This means you can get away with placing your Calathea a little closer to the window during the winter months.

You might also choose to pick up a light meter to monitor how much sunshine your Calathea is getting and figure out if you might want to move it to a slightly shadier location.

Should I cut the brown leaves off my Calathea?

Once your Calathea has developed brown leaves there is, unfortunately, no reversing this. The leaves will not return to their original colour or pattern. This might leave you wondering if you should leave the leaf on your plant or cut it off.

If it is just the leaf tips that have turned brown then we encourage you to keep those leaves untouched as this will not harm the plant. Although it might not look good aesthetically, we recommend keeping the leaf. Sometimes cutting off the leaf tip can look a little strange.

If the leaf has developed a few brown spots, then again we would recommend keeping the leaves on your Calathea as long as the majority of it is healthy.

However, if the whole leaf has turned brown then it is probably best to cut it off! You don’t want your Calathea to waste nutrients and energy trying to revive the dying or dead leaves. Instead, you want to encourage new healthy growth.

When removing the brown leaves on your Calathea, always cut them off with a sharp blade. Never rip the leaf off as this can damage the stem tissue of your plant.

To learn more about how to care for your Calathea plant, check out our Plant Index page which includes all the different Calathea varieties and their care guide. You’ll find detailed information about how to care for each one and prevent common issues from occurring again in future.

If you are struggling to keep your Calathea alive, and the issue keeps getting worse, then you might want to think about propagating your Calathea to save at least some of it.

Loved for their dark leaves and pink brushstrokes, the Calathea Dottie (Calathea Roseopicta Dottie) is nothing if not unique. However, this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t get the same problems that other houseplants, and Calathea varieties, develop if things aren’t right. If brown leaves have developed on your plant, then this is your plant’s way of showing that it is unhappy with something in either its environment or the care that it’s receiving.

Below we will go through each of the factors that cause brown leaves so you can begin treating the issue and stopping it from causing any more of your Calathea Dottie’s leaves to turn brown.

Underwatering is a common cause of brown leaves

If the leaves on your Calathea Dottie have turned light brown in colour as well as being quite dry to touch, then you may not be watering your plant enough. Although (like most other plant types) Calathea Dotties don’t like having super soggy potting mix, they do need a bit of moisture in the soil to really thrive. Whilst they will forget the occasional missed watering, a consistent lack of water will start to show through brown leaves.

With any watering issues, it’s important to be sure that this is the cause before changing anything about your care routine. Giving a plant more water when it doesn’t need it will only cause more serious problems.

To determine whether or not the brown leaves on your Calathea Dottie are a result of underwatering, take your plant out of its pot to inspect both the soil and the root system. If the soil feels very dry and doesn’t stick to your hands at all then is the probable cause of the brown leaves. You should also inspect the root system as if any of the roots are crispy and shrivelled, then the issue has been going on for a while.

Once you have established that underwatering is the cause of the brown leaves on your Calathea Dottie, it’s important that you treat it properly. Bathe your plant for about 10 minutes to allow it to soak up some moisture. Don’t leave it in there for much longer as you don’t want to fully waterlog the soil. Instead, continue with small daily waterings for one week to ensure the potting mix is moistened.

If your Calathea Dottie has turned brown because you have just forgotten to water it, then the fix it easy – don’t forget! However, if you have been watering your Calathea Dottie, then you might need to think about either increasing the amount of water you give it each time or watering your plant a little more frequently.

Dry air can cause brown leaf tips and edges

Like all Calathea types, the Calathea Dotties likes a little boost to the humidity and will struggle to thrive in homes that have dry air. This issue can get a lot worse during winter as central heating and less ventilation will decrease the humidity levels and Calathea Dotties will find it difficult.

If there is a consistent lack of humidity, over time the leaves will start to turn brown. This usually starts from the tips and edges before moving throughout the whole leaf if the issue isn’t properly solved.

If it is only the leaf tips that are brown then it means you should have caught the problem pretty early on and it can then be a lot simpler to fix. A good way to get ahead of humidity problems is to get yourself a humidity monitor, this will let you see what’s going on in your room and react before you run into problems!

However, there are also a few other ways you can lift the humidity level and prevent any more brown leaf tips on your Calathea Dottie.

1. Misting the leaves

   One of the simplest ways to increase the humidity for your Calathea Dottie is to mist the leaves with a spray bottle. We recommend doing this several times each week to prevent more brown leaves from developing on your Calathea Dottie. We love these spray bottles from Amazon because they’re super affordable and look great too!

2. Give your Calathea Dottie a shower

   To quickly raise the humidity and wash down your Calathea Dottie of any dust on the leaves, you can give them a shower. There are two main things to watch out for when showering your Calathea Dottie. Firstly, keep the water temperature fairly lukewarm as you don’t want to shock or burn the plant. Secondly, keep the water pressure quite low so you don’t damage the stems. The great thing about showering your Calathea Dottie is that it will also remove all the dust from the leaves, leaving your plant looking shiny!

    

3. Plant placement is super important

   Kitchens and bathrooms have naturally higher humidity levels than other rooms in your home as steam is released when you’re showering and cooking. As long as you have good lighting in these rooms, we recommend moving your Calathea Dottie in there as you’ll need to do less work to boost the humidity level.

Fertiliser burn can turn the leaves brown

Calathea Dottie plants don’t need regular fertilisation so if you are overfeeding your plant, or using fertiliser at a strong concentration, then it can lead to your plant developing brown leaves. This tends to be quite a slow-progressing problem, so you will start off by seeing small brown spots, or brown leaf tips and then if the problem gets worse larger parts of the leaves will turn brown.

As well as reducing the frequency of fertilisation, try to use a diluted water-soluble fertiliser on your Calathea Dottie to ensure that it does not cause any shock or damage to the plant. Remember you can also skip the fertiliser part altogether if you prefer, we don’t tend to add anything to the water for our Calathea Dottie plants and they still produce a lot of healthy growth.

Chemical sensitivity can also cause brown leaves

Most of the time, watering your Calathea Dottie with tap water will be fine, but if you live in a really hard water area, it may be that your Calathea Dottie is reacting to high levels of chemicals in the water and this is what is causing the brown leaves.

This happens because excess chemicals and salt from the water build-up in the potting mix and around the root system which suffocates your plant and prevents it from getting the nutrients it needs.

To avoid this, use purified, distilled or collected rainwater on your Calathea Dottie and replace the current potting mix with fresh mix and this should prevent more brown leaf tips or edges from appearing on your plant.

Brown leaves are also caused by cold temperature

Drafts that come through cracks in windows or doors, or cold air that comes through AC vents can be really harmful to your Calathea Dottie. Not only does it mean the potting mix takes longer to dry out (which increases the risk of root rot) but it also slows down enzyme activity and in severe cases can freeze and kill the cells in your plant.

Make sure to draft-proof any windows or doors that are near your plant, and move your Calathea Dottie at least one meter away from any AC vents. We also recommend buying a thermometer to measure how the temperature fluctuates throughout the day and across the year.

A more worrying cause of brown leaves is a pest infestation

A slightly less common reason why your Calathea Dottie’s leaves are turning brown is a pest infestation. It can happen that pests such as mealybugs, spider mites and scale insects take hold of your plant. This is quite uncommon for plants that don’t ever spend any time outdoors, but it can still happen.

Get up close to your plant and inspect the leaves using a magnifying glass to help you spot visible pests on your Calathea Dottie. We recommend inspecting the undersides of the leaves closely as this is where they like to chill out.

If you find pests on your Calathea Dottie isolate it from your other plants immediately and check any plants that were close for signs of pests. They can jump around plants if the leaves are close or touching.

Then the next step is to remove the worst affected leaves to cut the number of pests on your plant. Then wash your Calathea Dottie down with as much water pressure as it can withstand. You should also treat your Calathea Dottie with an organic insecticide to fight the infestation.

Those are the main reasons why your Calathea Dottie has developed brown leaves. There are quite a few factors that can lead to very similar consequences so it’s important that you closely inspect your plant and monitor its environment to make sure you diagnose the issue correctly. Keeping track of factors such as temperature, light, moisture and humidity mean that you can often stop the problems before they have even had time to harm your plant.

Check out our Calathea Dottie care guide to learn more about how to care for your plant!

Bird’s Nest Ferns are a pretty unique houseplant as they are known for being able to actually grow on top of other plants (hence the name). They definitely aren’t totally low-maintenance houseplants and one of the most common problems that can develop is curling leaves. This is often one of the earliest signs that something isn’t quite right so hopefully, you’ve caught the problem early which makes it a lot easier to fix.

Below we will go through each of the most common causes of curling leaves on a Bird’s Nest Fern as well as detail how to fix and prevent the issue.

Underwatering can cause curling leaves on a Bird’s Nest Fern

Too little water is often the number one cause of curling leaves on a Bird’s Nest Fern. Although they need their soil to dry out between waterings, if left without water for several weeks it will start to damage the health of your Fern.

Confirm the issue by removing your plant from its pot and inspecting the soil and root system. If you find that your plant’s soil is bone dry and the roots have started to crisp up, then underwatering is probably what is causing the curling leaves.

To fix the issue, you want to avoid drowning your plant in water as this can either cause shock (if the environment goes from one extreme to the other) or the water will just run out of the drainage holes without actually soaking into the root system.

Instead, you want to soak your Bird’s Nest Fern for about 10 minutes so that the plant can take in as much water as it wants without the risk of waterlogged soil. Let it drip dry and then water a little bit every other day for a week. This will ensure the soil and roots become gradually moistened.

Going forward, adjust your watering schedule so that you are either not forgetting to water, or adjusting your schedule so that you are watering more deeply or more often than before.

Overwatering could also be to blame

Whilst overwatering can have some severe effects on Bird’s Nest Ferns and other houseplants, curling leaves are often an early warning sign that things aren’t going well. This can appear alongside leaf loss and yellow leaves as the issue progresses so look out for these symptoms as well.

As we mentioned above, Bird’s Nest Ferns like their soil to dry out and don’t deal so well with waterlogged potting mix. They need a well-draining mix and you should only water them if the top few inches of the soil are dry to touch (if you are top watering). If you water from the bottom up then you want to monitor the soil moisture using the lifting method, chopstick method or by using a moisture meter.

It’s important that you diagnose the issue of overwatering quickly as it’s quite a fast-spreading issue and if it progresses too far, it can cause plant death. So to confirm that is what is causing the curling leaves on your Bird’s Nest Fern, you need to check the soil moisture.

Remove your plant from its pot and check for root rot and waterlogged soggy soil. If the roots have started to rot they will be mushy and appear very dark in colour. Healthy roots however are pale (when the potting mix is removed) and firm to touch. If you find the root system has started to rot, trim away the infected parts and add fresh potting mix.

Moving forward, to prevent the curling leaves and other problems arising from overwatering, adjust your watering schedule so that you are either watering less frequently or less deeply. Either will help give your Bird’s Nest Fern enough time to dry out.

Low humidity levels could be to blame

Bird’s Nest Ferns like quite humid environments as they are native to tropical areas. This means they can struggle in homes with dry air. Whilst this won’t cause a serious problem to appear from one day to the next, if the issue is ongoing you’ll start to notice the issue slowly progressing. Alongside curling leaves, you will also often see brown dry leaf tips and edges.

Use a humidity monitor to confirm that dry air is causing the curling leaves. Then to treat the issue, start off by misting your Bird’s Nest Fern every few days (or every day if the issue is quite severe) with a spray bottle.

We also recommend every plant parent should own a humidifier as these are the most reliable way to tackle issues caused by dry air. They are affordable little devices that make it super easy to keep a more consistent increased humidity level.

Curling leaves can also suggest cold temperatures

Native to tropical regions, Bird’s Nest Ferns love warmth and can really struggle is exposed to cold air and cold drafts. In winter, make sure that your Bird’s Nest Fern isn’t near any drafty windows or external doors as the cold air flow from outside can slowly cause real issues for your plant without you realising it. But it’s not just the cold months that you need to watch out for as AC vents can be quite harmful to your plant if it is sitting close to the stream of cold air.

Luckily diagnosing the issue couldn’t be simpler as you just need to pick up a digital thermometer to help you monitor the temperature and spot any fluctuations. Then if necessary move your Bird’s Nest Fern to a more suitable spot in your home.

Those are the most common factors that can lead to curling leaves developing on your Bird’s Nest Fern. Once you have successfully diagnosed the cause and started to make changes to either the environment around your plant or your care routine, it’s important that you keep a close eye on your plant. This will ensure that you can check things are moving in the right direction and that there aren’t any other issues or signs of unhappiness that are cropping up.

Check out our Bird’s Nest Fern care guide to discover more about how to keep your plant thriving and happy.

Hands down the plant with some of the coolest leaves, the Begonia Maculata (or Polka Dot Begonia as otherwise called) is pretty famous for its stunning dotted leaves. However, if your Polka Dot Begonia has started to develop brown foliage, then there is definitely an issue that needs to be resolved. Unhappiness can display itself as entire leaves turning brown, but it can also crop up as brown leaf tips, edges or patches across the plant. To diagnose the issue and figure out what is causing the brown leaves on your Polka Dot Begonia, we will guide you through each of the causes below.

Dry soil is a common cause of brown leaves

Although it won’t die on you suddenly if you forget to water it every once in a while, consistent underwatering can begin to cause brown leaves on a Polka Dot Begonia plant. The leaves will look quite light brown in colour, and be dry and crispy to touch.

It’s important that you are sure underwatering is the cause of the brown leaves on your Polka Dot Begonia, as giving your plant more water when it doesn’t need it, will only cause more problems. To be sure that a lack of water is the issue, check the moisture levels in the soil. You can either do this by taking your Polka Dot Begonia out of its pot and inspecting the potting mix. This will also allow you to see if there is any damage to the root system. However, if your plant is quite brittle and you don’t want to risk damaging it more by removing it from the pot, you can simply using a moisture meter or the chopstick/finger methods to check the moisture levels.

If you find that your Polka Dot Begonia’s soil is very dry, water it a little every other day for a week. Your first instinct might be to drown it in water but this can actually be harmful to your Polka Dot Begonia if the soil goes from one extreme to the other. Instead, you want to reintroduce frequent watering for a week or two and this should revive your Begonia.

Although the brown leaves won’t miraculously switch back to their usual colours, adjusting your watering schedule going forward to ensure your Polka Dot Begonia gets more moisture, should prevent more from turning brown.

If you’re still struggling to remember to water your Polka Dot Begonia enough, then maybe you should invest in an affordable self-watering pot, these handy pots take all of guess work out of watering and make everything so much easier!

Low humidity levels can cause brown leaf tips

If the leaves on your Polka Dot Begonia are turning brown from the tips and edges inwards, then dry air may be the culprit. This can be especially bad during winter, as we have the heating on and the windows closed so it’s something we need to more conscious of during that time.

Although we could never reach tropical levels of humidity in our home, there are a few things we can do to help raise the humidity and stop the brown leaf tips.

1. Mist the leaves on your Polka Dot Begonia regularly

   This is a great habit to get into to for a lot of your plants as it is great for their overall health as well as for the humidity level. Mist the leaves using a spray bottle a few times a week. One thing to be cautious of though is to never mist in the evening as the cold air at night will mean the leaves are a lot more likely to rot if damp.

2. Shower your Polka Dot Begonia

   A really easy way to boost the humidity is giving your plant a shower. Although this isn’t a long-term solution, it’s a great way to instantly boost the humidity. It’s also a great way to get rid of any pests that may be secretly living on your plant. Pop your Polka Dot Begonia in the shower and wash down the leaves with very very low water pressure.

3. It might be best to move your plant to a new room

   Some rooms in your home will have a naturally higher humidity level than others. For example, the kitchen and bathroom tend to be higher as the steam released from showers and through cooking increase the level of water vapour in the air. If you have good lighting in those rooms then move your plant in there if it is suffering from a lack of humidity. This should avoid any further brown leaf tips!

4. Invest in a humidifier

   If you are looking for a more long-term solution for your Polka Dot Begonia then buying a humidifier is a great option for you.. They are also thought to help with getting better sleep and clearer skin so it’s not just a good investment for your plants. This is the humidifier we use from Amazon and our plants love it!

Intense direct sunlight can burn the leaves

Your Polka Dot Begonia could be in an area where it’s getting a little too much light and this is why you are seeing brown patches forming on the leaves. Polka Dot Begonia plants have VERY delicate leaves, so are easily scorched if they receive too much intense light. If this is the cause, you’ll notice the side facing the sun developing more brown patches and spots.

This one is quite an easy fix however, as you just need to find a spot for your Polka Dot Begonia that doesn’t receive any direct sunlight. These plants don’t like to be moved around a lot though, so make sure to track how the light changes throughout the day before placing your Polka Dot Begonia there.

Your Polka Dot Begonia might be stressed

As we mentioned above, Polka Dot Begonia plants are very sensitive when it comes to a change in their environment. They hate being moved to a new spot and will more often than not show some signs of unhappiness. This can come in many forms, one of which being brown leaves. If you have recently moved house, moved your plant to a new spot, repotted your plant or if there has been a sudden change in any other environmental factors, then this might be the cause of the brown leaves.

As long as the care your plant is receiving and the environment in which its living are suitable for your Polka Dot Begonia, then this stress/shock shouldnt last long. If after a week you are still seeing new brown patches or spots develop, then this is a sign there might be another cause.

Low temperatures can also cause brown leaves

Cold temperatures and drafts can also be very harmful to your Polka Dot Begonia. Not only do cold temperatures mean the potting mix will be slower to dry out, but it can kill your plant’s cells and cause brown foliage.

Make sure your Polka Dot Begonia is not placed near doors or windows that may be drafty. Even though the temperature of your home may be perfect for your Polka Dot Begonia and it is receiving a lot of sunlight, the drafts coming in from outside may be colder and harm your Polka Dot Begonia’s health and cause the leaves to turn slightly brown. Also watch out for AC vents that can cause this issue in summer. We recommend buying a digital thermometer to keep track of the different temperatures in your home to ensure things are right for your Polka Dot Begonia.

Those are the most common causes of brown leaves on Polka Dot Begonia/ Begona Maculata plants. As these plants have such delicate leaves, it’s important that you solve any issues quickly to prevent them from affecting your entire plant. If the issue persists, then you might want to think about propagating a healthy part of your plant, in incase your mother plant doesn’t make it. This makes sure that you will still have a beautiful Polka Dot Begonia to care for.

Check out our Polka Dot Begonia care guide to learn more about how to keep your plant happy and healthy.