Brown Spots on Plant Leaves: How to Diagnose and Fix Them
Brown spots on plant leaves are areas of injured or dead tissue caused by watering problems, unhealthy roots, fungal or bacterial disease, pests, strong sunlight, fertilizer salts, chemical exposure, temperature stress, or physical damage. The quickest way to identify the cause is to compare the spot’s texture, position, border, rate of spread, and the condition […]
9 Signs of Root Rot in Plants and How to Confirm It
The clearest signs of root rot in plants are wilting while the soil remains wet, yellow or dropping leaves, stalled growth, sour-smelling potting mix, a soft stem base, and roots that feel mushy, hollow, slimy, or fragile. Leaf symptoms alone cannot confirm root rot. The most reliable diagnosis comes from checking root texture, structural strength, […]
Springtails in Houseplant Soil: Should You Worry or Leave Them Alone?
Noticed tiny bugs jumping across your houseplant soil after watering? They are probably springtails. Springtails are tiny, wingless organisms that live in damp soil and feed mainly on fungi, algae, bacteria, and decaying organic matter. A few springtails are normally harmless to established houseplants. However, a large population may indicate that the potting mix is […]
How to Fix Root Rot in Houseplants
To fix root rot in houseplants, stop watering, remove the plant from its pot, brush or rinse away old soil, cut off brown or mushy roots, and repot the healthy roots in fresh, well-draining mix. Use a clean pot with drainage holes, then water only when the mix has partly dried. Root rot is confusing because the […]