Diagnosing houseplant problems can be a complicated process. Many of the most common plant problems cause the same symptoms.
This post lists helpful tips you can use to determine what you are doing wrong with your plant.
The most common ailment is a lack of sunlight, which causes the plant to have small leaves and weak stems. Read on to learn more…
Diagnosing Houseplant Problems
Every week we get questions about houseplant diseases and “disorders.”
Some are simply acts of nature, such as the flowering of Dracaena fragrans, an unusual event for many, others are problems that occur when we simply change the environment.
Houseplants are subject to a wide variety of ailments and abuse.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen houseplants hanging from the back of the trunk.
The foliage is flapping at 40 to 50 miles per hour and people are wondering why the leaves are falling. It’s like having a bad hair day.
It is difficult to diagnose a particular houseplant disease or problem or its cause without an accurate record of environmental conditions and changes, fertilizer history, pesticide applications, etc.
Added to this is the fact that several disorders can produce almost the same visual symptoms.
When presented with questions about houseplant diseases, I usually ask the following questions:
- How long have you been with the plant?
- How often do you water?
- Is the floor wet?
- Have you moved the plant from one area to another?
- Did the lighting change?
- Did you have a party? – Yes, plants and alcohol do not mix.
With all that said, here are some quick symptoms and some possible quick remedies. We’ll look at some of these in more depth in the future.
Tall plants, weak growth:
Stretched, weak and thin plants, or with abnormally small leaves, often suffer from a lack of light. Try moving the plant to a brighter area.
Plants do not bloom or bloom infrequently:
Reduced flowering is usually due to inadequate lighting. As a general rule, flowering houseplants require higher light intensity than those grown solely for their foliage. Move the plant to a brighter area.
Defoliation:
There are two types of defoliation: Gradual and Rapid.
Gradual:
Gradual loss of leaves, usually from the bottom up, may indicate inadequate light. Newly developed leaves sometimes reduce the amount of light reaching the lower leaves.
Gradual loss of foliage can also be due to nutrient deficiencies and damage to root systems.
Many houseplants need time to acclimate properly and will lose their inner leaves indoors. Move the pot to a brighter area. If the condition persists, examine the root system for possible lesions.
Fast:
Rapid defoliation is generally a shock response, the protective mechanism of plants.
This can be due to drastic temperature changes, water stress, root problems, or rapid changes in lighting (many of us have seen a ficus).
From the examples above, we can see that plants are reacting to environmental changes. the key is patience. Many plants will produce new leaves and resume growth.
Wilting:
Wilting is a natural response to water stress. It can also occur under other conditions. Check soil moisture. If it is dry add water. The plants should recover within a few hours. If the soil is already wet, stop watering it.
Examine the soil and root system for signs of plant disease, buildup of soluble salts, or poor drainage characteristics.
Leaf tip burn:
Where do we start? The causes of tip burns are very difficult due to the many factors that can cause them. The most common causes are moisture stress (usually too much), highly soluble salts, fertilizer deficiencies or toxicities, and fluoride toxicity (as occurs with dracaenas).
Certain plant varieties are much more prone to tip burn than others. Start by looking at watering practices, too much or too little. If you fertilize, stop fertilizing and flush the plant with water.
Take a look at Dracaenas fluoride problems.
Water droplets on the tip of the leaf or the ground:
Water sometimes comes out of the leaves of plants and usually ends up at the tip. This is called guttation, which is natural and does not harm the plant.
Death of stems and leaves:
Dieback can be caused by nutrient disorders or diseases. It can affect branches and branches or possibly the entire plant. Dieback affecting an isolated stem is most likely due to disease.
That is why it is advisable to prune the plants correctly and not shear them, leaving small stems that cannot transport nutrients and simply rot. Remove affected stems.
