Common Problem FIXED! Brown Tips On Spider Plants Explained
Welcome to the seventh edition of the Happy Planters Newsletter! We had 63 people join since the last release! Also, we officially reached 500 Happy Planters - SO EXCITING!!! It means a lot to see you all here. I will do my best to create quality content you will continue to enjoy :)
My goal is to create a portfolio of houseplant-related content that can allow ANYONE to create an indoor jungle of their own with thriving, happy plants.
Common Problem FIXED! Brown Tips On Spider Plants Explained
"Why does my Spider Plant have brown tips?"
I get asked this question a LOT, and if you've ever owned a spider plant, there's a good chance you've also dealt with this. There are a few reasons this happens; some are more preventable than others.
The most common issue may surprise you. The very thing keeping your plant alive may also be the root cause of the ugly brown tips everyone hates so much.
WATER
Keep reading to find out more :)
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Underwatering
Almost every cause of brown tips on a spider plant is caused by an issue with watering them. The most straightforward problem to fix is underwatering.
Underwatering your plant will cause the long thin leaves to dry and become crispy brown.
Spider plants grow thick tuberous roots that can quickly fill up a pot and suck all the water out of the soil. If you aren't paying attention, you can easily underwater these plants, especially if they are in a very bright spot!
Make sure you are checking the soil with your finger. If the soil is dry, it's probably time to water it.
Humidity
Spider plants are a hardy species, so generally, the humidity isn't a problem, but if you live in an arid area or somewhere with long dry winters, you might need to supplement this a little bit.
A general rule of thumb is that if you are comfortable, so is your plant. If you find the air to be extra dry and it's causing problems for you, it's probably causing problems for your spider plant.
Make sure to keep it away from drafts that could dry it out faster than usual, like a heat or AC vent blowing directly on it.
Lastly, if it's severely dry, you might want to place a pebble tray under your plant or add a humidifier to the room.
Tap Water
Your local tap water contains many chemicals and minerals, including fluoride and chlorine, that can be naturally occurring or added by your local municipality. Although these minerals at low doses don't cause any issues for you, they can slowly build up in your plant's soil and damage your plant.
Fluoride is especially harmful to spider plants, and a build-up can inhibit photosynthesis and damage leaf tissue, causing the unsightly brown tips.
Just because your tap water may have high levels of fluoride or chlorine doesn't mean you can't use it. You can help prevent a build-up by flushing your plant with distilled water or rainwater every once in a while. These are fluoride-free and will help wash away the mineral build-up in the soil.
Simply hold your plant over the sink or tub and add water until it rushes out the drainage holes.
Tip:
If you aren't sure if your tap water is the cause for the brown leaf tips, you can do a search for your local water statistics and see what type of minerals and contaminants are found in it.
Over Fertilization
Fertilizers contain minerals to help your plants grow. If you are fertilizing too much, these minerals can build up in the soil the same way they can from your tap water.
If you get a build-up of fertilizer in your pot, it can start to damage the roots and prevent efficient water uptake.
If you are afraid you have over-fertilized your plant, you can flush it with distilled water to remove the minerals, just like you can for the tap water issue.
It Needs To Be Repotted
Although this isn't DIRECTLY an issue with your water, the problems with your tap water or fertilizing schedule can be reversed by repotting your plant. Doing this will remove the mineral buildup in your soil and give your plant a fresh starting point.
If tap water is especially bad, you can repot your plant yearly regardless of growth. Simply remove the soil from the roots, and replace all the soil in the pot.
Starting each year with fresh soil should help prevent these mineral buildups from being a problem!
Will the Brown Tips Go Away?
Sadly, the brown tips will not go away. There is no way to reverse the damage to the leaves. You can only prevent it from happening again!
If you don't like the look of the damaged tips, you can cut them off. It's best to cut right on the edge of the crispy brown part to avoid cutting any healthy part of the leaf.
Eventually, the new (and hopefully not brown) growth will overtake the damaged leaves, and you will once again have an entirely green, healthy plant!
Final Notes
By following these tips and being aware of what causes the ends of your Spider Plant to turn brown, you will be able to grow a big beautiful plant that will hopefully grow many babies like the one shown below :)
Thank you for reading my newsletter! I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to many more. I will be sending these out twice a month and may increase frequency based on feedback and engagement.
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This Weeks Happy Planter Submission
Portulacaria Afra aka 'Spekboom'. This South African succulent is not only medicinal (used as an antiseptic and skin ointment), it also fights global warming as a highly efficient carbon sponge. It is drought and fire-resistant and can grow into a large bush that stands 8 feet tall (often used as a perimeter hedge in fire-prone areas), or cultivated to create versatile bonsai. It's high in Vitamin C (great in salads) and the flowers attract pollinators. But besides all that, it makes a really cute potplant, especially in its Prostrata form.
I've never heard of this plant before and enjoyed learning about it! What an interesting and useful species. Thanks for the submission and fun facts by @SoilyFingers :)
That’s All For Now!
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-Houseplant Hobbyist