Houseplant Hell: 3 Foundations for Struggling Houseplants

Troubleshooting a Dying Plant

A struggling houseplant can invoke feelings of rage, sadness, incompetence, desperation, and exasperation. Here at DCC yellow and brown leaves give us hope. Since plants are not puppies, even after the severest instances of neglect plants can come back and thrive.

Here are the main causes of suffering and how to deal with them.

1. Check your watering schedule.

Over or underwatering is the first usual suspect when dealing with leaf problems. If your leaves are black/bright green or yellow, limp, or secreting water you are probably over-watering. Check your plant's soil for dampness, fungus gnats, or rotting/earthy smell.

Drooping, curling, or crisping leaves indicate underwatering. If the soil is dry and brittle poke the soil to break up hard clumps (we use a chopstick) so the water can seep through the entire pot and reach the plant's roots. Subversively, if the pot is overrun with roots, the water will run through without properly soaking into the plant.

2. Inspect light source.

Any major change in your plant’s environment (like bringing it home from the shop, seasonal

change, or pot material) will have an impact on its health. While some deterioration is to be

expected when introducing your housemate to its new home, too much or insufficient light is an easy pitfall. Signs of too much sunlight are sunburn, brown or crispy leaf edges, leaf drop, and limpness. Move the plant away from direct light and research the type of environment the plant originates from and recreate that in your home.

Insufficient lighting will result in leggy stems or vines, stunted growth, and colored or variated plants to revert to green. If you notice your plant straining to reach a light source, or growth stops, place it closer to the light source gradually to reduce shock and burning.

Sunburned money tree (pachira aquatica)

3. Pests

Mealybugs, spider mites, and gnats…oh my! An unwelcomed sight, pests are normal, treatable, and highly likely to come into your home at one point or another. While prevention is key, sometimes they sneak in and wreak havoc on our plants. General signs of infestation are: dimpling on leaves and stems, brown/black leaves, limpness, and, more obviously, seeing bugs.

If you believe you have an infestation, spot-treat the plant by:

• Isolating the plant

• Dipping a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and dab each bug you can see individually .*This will work best with bigger mealy and scale bugs.

• Next, inspect the soil. If you don’t see any signs of pests in the soil, skip the next step.

• Remove soil from the plant, and gently spray roots clean with water and a splash of hydrogen peroxide to sterilize the roots.

• Spray the entire plant down with a hose or sink attachment to remove the live bugs.

• Replant with fresh soil. Depending on the type of infestation will determine how to proceed with aftercare. A good rule is to keep the plant isolated for at least a month and treat it (without removing the soil) every 10 days until the pests are gone.

• Start preventative maintenance. Spray with diluted neem oil and inspect with every watering.

A dying houseplant does not have to be a headache. While there is a multitude of reasons for

houseplant suffering, these three foundational issues are the most likely reasons. Understanding your plant’s native environment and pest prevention is the best relief for the houseplant blues.