By Plant
Snake Plant Falling Over: Rot at the Base, Too Little Light, or a Pot That Cannot Hold It
A snake plant that stands up on its own is doing fine. One that leans or falls is either rotting, stretching, or badly potted.
4 min read
Sections
- Leaf ProblemsYellow, brown, curling, spotted — what each leaf symptom points to.
- Water & RootsOverwatering, root rot, drainage and how to read a wet pot.
- Pests & DiseaseGnats, mites, mealybugs and the damage each leaves behind.
- By PlantMonstera, pothos, snake plant, orchid — problems specific to each.
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Leaf ProblemsFiddle Leaf Fig Leaves Curling: Thirst, Dry Air, Root Damage, or a New Leaf UnfurlingCurling on a fiddle leaf fig is a water signal, and water can be short because there is none in the pot or because the roots can no longer take it up.
Water & RootsPhilodendron Drooping: Thirst, Root Rot, Shock, or Cold, and Which One Fixes in an HourA philodendron droops when its leaves cannot get water, and the soil under it says whether that is because the pot is dry or because the roots are dead.
Leaf ProblemsMonstera Brown Edges: Dry Air, Underwatering, Salts, or Sun, Read From the Edge ItselfA monstera leaf browns at the edge when the edge dries out, and the four things that dry it leave four different marks.
Leaf ProblemsPothos Brown Tips: Dry Air, Underwatering, Salts, or Tap Water, and What the Tip Looks LikeA pothos with brown tips is not dying. It is telling you about the air, the water, or the feeding, and the tip itself says which.
Leaf ProblemsPeace Lily Brown Tips: Tap Water, Dry Air, Salts, or Watering Stress, and How to TellPeace lily leaf tips brown for the same reasons as most houseplants, but this plant is more sensitive to what is in the water than most.
By PlantAloe Leaves Drooping and Bending: Too Little Light, Too Much Water, or a Root-Bound PotAloe leaves should stand up and feel firm. When they lean and bend, the plant is telling you about its light or its roots.
Leaf ProblemsCalathea Leaves Curling: Thirst, Dry Air, Cold, or Just Night-Time, and How to TellCalatheas move their leaves every day, so the first question about a curled leaf is whether it is still curled at noon.
Leaf ProblemsZZ Plant Leaves Turning Yellow: Almost Always Water, and How to Confirm It at the RhizomeA ZZ plant is built for drought. When it yellows, the first question is how much water it has been getting, and the rhizome answers.
Water & RootsOrchid Leaves Wrinkled: Thirst or Dead Roots, and Why the Fix Is OppositeWrinkled orchid leaves look like drought and often are not. The roots decide, and they are easy to see through a clear pot.
By PlantRubber Plant Dropping Leaves: Water, Light, Cold, or a Move, and Which Leaves Fall FirstRubber plants drop leaves in protest, and the protest is usually about water or light. The lowest leaves go first either way, so look at their colour before they fall.
Leaf ProblemsMoney Tree Leaves Turning Yellow: Overwatering First, Then Light, Then FeedingA money tree stores water in its trunk and pays for it when the soil stays wet. The yellow leaf is the bill.
Leaf ProblemsPothos Leaves Turning Yellow: Which Leaves, How Fast, and What the Roots SayA pothos yellows for the same handful of reasons as every other houseplant, but it tells you which one by where the yellow appears. Lower leaves, whole plant, or new growth are three different diagnoses.