This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through these links.
Owning plants does not always mean Instagram-worthy moments full of bright-green-leafed perfection. Unfortunately, part of being a plant parent is having to diagnose and deal with issues like overwatering, houseplant pests, sunburn, and more. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most common indoor plant problems and their solutions. And don’t worry, most of the time the problem is very fixable!
What’s Wrong with My Houseplant? In order to figure out how to treat your problem you need to first figure out what the problem is, right? It’s time to put on your detective hat and investigate the following:
- Take a look at your plant: Does anything look off? Are the leaves droopy, yellow, crispy, etc.?
- Look at the plant’s environment: Is the soil bone dry or sopping wet? Do you see any bugs? Is the location very dark or is there a lot of direct sun? Are other plants experiencing the same problem?
- Think about other factors: When was the last time you repotted your plant? Did you have it close to other plants that have a similar problem?
Now that you’ve assessed the situation, let’s review some of the most common indoor plant problems and how you can fix them.
The Problem: Slow or No Growth
This problem is probably the most complicated to figure out as there are a variety of factors that could be responsible for slow or no growth. First, it’s important to know that:
- Plants are not in the active growing stage during the winter
- Some plants stop growing when they reach a certain size
- Plants might stop growing if it’s confined to a certain space. For example, I have plants in a bay window that won’t grow any larger because they’re blocked by the top of the bay window. Slow or no growth does not always mean your plant is doomed.
The Solution:
All that being said, sometimes there IS a problem. Your plant may be potbound or rootbound. Potbound essentially means your plant has outgrown its pot, so it’s time to replace it with one that’s the next size up. It’s best to do your repotting in the spring.
Rootbound means the roots are completely taking up all of the space in the pot. Now, some plants prefer to be rootbound, so do a quick check to see if your plant is one of them. If your plant doesn’t like to be rootbound you can repot it or gently divide it and put it in two separate pots.
Your plant might be in need of a fresh dose of nutrients through fertilizer or fresh soil. Try the latter if it’s time for your plant to be repotted anyway. If not, check the plant’s fertilization requirements and make sure the fertilizer you choose specifies that it’s meant for indoor plants.
Each fertilizer has an NPK ratio (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). Sometimes those numbers will be different while other times the fertilizer will be “balanced” meaning all the numbers are the same. Once you find the fertilizer you need, follow the instructions on when to fertilize your plant.
If you have your plant in a dark corner, lack of light could be the culprit. Have you really put your plant in a place it’ll be happy, or do you just like how it looks there? (I know that I’ve been guilty of this!) Some plants will grow slower without enough light but will tolerate it, while others are more sensitive and will start to die. Take everyone’s favorite low-light plant: the snake plant. They actually prefer to be in medium-light levels but can tolerate low light just fine.
Overwatering is an easy mistake to recognize. Check your soil—is it sopping wet? If so, stop watering your plant immediately and give it some time to dry out. If you suspect the problem has been going on for a while your plant may be at risk of root rot and you’ll want to take it out of the pot and inspect its roots. Prune off any dead or dying roots and add more drainage to your pot. An easy way to do this is by adding perlite to your soil.
The Problem: Brown, Crispy Leaves
It’s not uncommon to notice some brown, crispy tips on your leaves. Usually, this is due to the plant not having enough water or getting too much sun: both things that will cause a very dry situation.
The Solution:
I would not worry too much if you notice this on one or two leaves. If you notice significant browning and crisping, then take action. First, prune off any fully dead leaves with sterilized plant shears if they don’t easily pull off.
Next, check the soil. If the soil is dry one to two inches down, your plant could probably use some water. If the soil is hard as a rock and totally dry, it definitely needs a good soaking. You can also have your plant sit in its dish for a while to soak up any of the water that drains out instead of immediately getting rid of the drained water.
If you notice your plant is receiving a lot of direct light, it could have sunburn! Move it to a lower-lit area and water it slowly until you see the water draining out of the bottom. Once the soil dries to about two inches down, you can water it again. As you start to see new growth coming in, you can start to increase it back to its regular watering frequency.
The Problem: Houseplant Pests
Houseplant pests are an annoying problem that, many times, seems to occur randomly making it even more annoying! The first thing you should do when you notice something that looks like a pest is immediately isolate that plant from others, then check to see if the other plants are infected. Some common houseplant pests are mealybugs, aphids, and fungus gnats.
The Solution:
- Mealybugs – If you notice a few of these bugs, you can simply wash them away with water or use a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol to rub them away. The cotton swab must come in direct contact with the bugs and this may take several treatments. If you notice a lot of these bugs, try using an insecticidal spray or neem oil. You can make your own spray with one qt of water and one tsp of gentle dish soap like Dr. Bronner’s.
- Aphids – An aphid infestation can get bad quickly. A blast of water or use of an insecticidal spray can help kill these bugs. However, they are persistent and it’ll likely require many treatments to completely eradicate them.
- Fungus gnats – Fungus gnats are relatively harmless to your plants. If you notice one or two, I would not stress about treating it. However, if it seems like you have a full-on infestation you should treat the problem (after all, you don’t want gnats flying around your home, do you?). To treat fungus gnats you’ll need 3% hydrogen peroxide, gentle dish soap, and neem oil. If you’re currently dealing with fungus gnats, check out my full post on getting rid of them.
Note: Before using any sort of chemical on your plant, test it out on a small section of a leaf. Once you determine that there are no negative effects to the plant be thorough with its use. Spray the undersides of the leaves and in crevices, too.
How do you prevent houseplant pests?
Perhaps you’re wondering how you can prevent houseplant pests in the first place. Just as us humans need to have good hygiene to prevent illness, the same goes for plants. Some precautions to take include:
- Regularly observing your plants to catch a few bugs before they turn into a full infestation
- Cleaning out your pots before reusing them
- Inspecting the roots whenever you’re repotting your plants
- Using fresh soil when repotting (NEVER take soil from outside)
- Making sure, overall, your plant has the appropriate conditions it needs to thrive which will grow a strong and healthy plant!
The Problem: Odd Growth Patterns
Lopsidedness or legginess do not mean your plant is in trouble, but it can affect its overall healthy look. Lopsidedness occurs when you don’t turn your plant so it ends up growing in one direction on one side—towards the sun! Legginess occurs when your plant is not getting enough light and has to stretch out to try and reach more light.
The Solution:
Lopsidedness is easy to fix. Just remember to turn your plant! A quarter turn each day will do for all-around even growth. Some will adjust their growth quickly and others will take a while to even out. If you have a large floor plant that’s difficult to move I wouldn’t worry about turning it so often—no plant is going to look perfect!
A leggy plant will have sparse leaf growth on their stems and will look scraggly and bare. This is also easy to fix. If your plant is not getting enough light it will be reaching towards the light source creating a stretched look.
Try moving it to a place that receives a little more light and see if it adjusts well. You can also prune the leggy parts by cutting just above a node with sterilized plant shears to encourage fuller, bushier new growth.
The Problem: Yellow Leaves
This is a little tricky because the two most common causes of yellow leaves are overwatering and underwatering. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to tell which is the cause.
The Solution:
How can you tell if your houseplants are overwatered vs. underwatered? It’s time to check the soil again. Is it very dry and hard as a rock? If so, it could use a good, long soaking. As mentioned earlier, have your plant sit in its dish for a while to soak up any of the water that drains out instead of immediately getting rid of the drained water. Another way to tell is if your leaves are also starting to curl, then the plant is probably too dry.
Again, if your soil is sopping wet stop watering your plant and let it dry out. If you suspect the problem has been going on for a while, your plant may be at risk of root rot and you’ll want to take it out of the pot and inspect its roots. Prune off any dead or dying roots and add more drainage to your pot.
If you’re dealing with any of these common indoor plant problems, there’s no need to be intimidated. With proper diagnoses and treatment you should be able to fix the problem. And after all, dealing with these occasional annoyances is how you grow as a plant parent!
Leave a Reply