Thursday, May 20, 2010

House plant experts! A few of my house plants are?

getting a bit brown on the tips of their leaves. They look very healthy other than that, and I try not to over or under water them. I also use a mild solution of Miracle Grow fertilizer on them every so often. Any ideas why the brown leaf tips?

House plant experts! A few of my house plants are?
Rule of thumb--do not water plant unless it is dry for about an inch when you stick your finger in the soil. Over-fertilizing can cause tip burn. Do not fertilize plants through the winter, but only during the active growing season. And, yes, lack of humidity in house can cause brown leaves, but more likely cause is overwatering or overfertilizing.
Reply:mist em they need humidity
Reply:If you are not overwatering, then, due to winter conditions-keeping the house warm, may have caused lack of humidity. I boil water on the stove and put my plants on the counter every 3 to 5 days.
Reply:I do not think the fertilizer has anything to do with your problem. Yes...over and under watering symptoms are very similar. I would water less often for awhile. If that does not work I would now water more often. And see what happens.


Of course this requires lots of time and patience.





You could also have a root problem, take out of container and check for insects, larvae and or fungus.





It is also possible you may have to go to a slightly larger container. This usually works for me.
Reply:sunlight can also do it. they can "burn" very easy. just cut the tips off, or if the whole leaf ,cut the whole thing off, and the plant will be ok.
Reply:If they are otherwise healthy looking they should be fine. One note though. Most plant shops recommend that you don't fertilize live plants from October to March. They don't do much growing through these months and you could burn them a little and that could be why the tips are turning brown.
Reply:Some plants require that you pluck the "dead" leaves off. But it really depends on what type of plants you have.
Reply:This sounds like lack of moisture in the air. You can mist the leaves in the morning so that they don't stay damp overnight and rot. Also you can hang your wet clothing over racks rather than putting it into a clothes dryer. This humidity will be good for you too. :)
Reply:The most common reason for tip burn is the chlorine in city water. Let your plant water sit out overnight or collect and use rain water. RScott


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