Look at the roots.

The next step is to take a look at the roots. You’ll want to remove your plant from its pot, then carefully check the roots to see if there’s any root rot. Root rot is characterized by brown or black mushy areas on the roots where they’re rotting away. If they look healthy, you’ll want to keep searching for signs of other problems, such as bugs or disease. But if you find root rot, don’t panic! The good news is that it can be treated easily with a few steps.

First, wash off the affected roots until you’ve removed all of the mushy brown parts. If removing all of that means that no roots are left at all, don’t worry—that just means it’s time for your plant to move into a bigger home! You can do this by getting another pot and filling it half-full with soil before replanting your plant in its new home. Then fill in some more soil around the plant so that about an inch or two of stem is completely covered by soil (don’t worry too much about this measurement being exact). Water well and place in bright indirect light until new growth appears (generally two weeks).

Check the soil for moisture.

The first thing you should do is check the soil for moisture. You can do this a couple of ways: by touching the soil with your fingertips, using a moisture meter or soil probe, or both!

When you touch the soil with your fingertips, feel for dampness in the top inch. If it feels dry and there’s no indication that it’s been watered recently, it might be time to water the plant yourself. If you have a big container or pot—anything larger than 6” in diameter—you’ll likely need to test more than an inch down. Keep going until you reach either wet soil or dry soil about two inches below the surface before watering. It will also help to feel at different depths in the container because sometimes one side of a plant’s root ball will be wetter than another part of it; where I work at City Floral Garden Center, we can tell which side a plant was on just by feeling if its roots are drier in one spot.

If you don’t want to touch your plants (or maybe they’re out of reach), using a moisture meter or probe is another good way to test for how much water is left in the planter. Moisture meters are usually small devices that look like pens and have an exposed metal tip that can be inserted into the soil at any depth; they’ll indicate how much moisture is present on their face as they’re pressed into your potted plant’s root ball. Soil probes work similarly but are longer, thinner tools that require pushing them into the earth so they sink deeper into their surroundings; if there’s not enough water present, they’ll show up as completely dry when pulled out again.

Look at how often you’re watering the plant.

Oops! Click Regenerate Content below to try generating this section again.

Look at how much light the plant is getting.

Brown leaves are a sign of distress, and there are several reasons why your plant may be feeling distressed. One cause is that it’s not getting the right amount of light. If you have a plant that needs lots of sunlight, it will become unhappy if you don’t give it enough of it. Conversely, if you have a shade-loving plant and you put it in full sun, its leaves may turn brown as well.

Before moving your plants to a new location, check the label on them (or do some research) to find out what type of light they need: full sun (at least 5-6 hours), partial sun/shade (3-4 hours), or shade (little or no direct sunlight). You can also measure how much light a spot is getting with a light meter.

If you’ve determined that your plant isn’t getting the right amount of light for its needs, but you’re unable to provide another spot where it can get what it requires, consider buying one that doesn’t need as much light instead.

Adjust the amount of nutrients in the soil.

Another way to remedy brown leaves is to adjust the amount of nutrients in the soil. Some plants are more hungry for nutrients than others and need a little fertilizer from time to time, but as a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t apply more than one application of fertilizer per year since too much can burn your plant’s roots. Keep in mind that if you are overwatering your plant, you should be cautious about adding more fertilizer since it can actually make things worse if you feed it too much all at once. This is because in wet conditions, the soil can become saturated with extra nutrients that sit in the water rather than being absorbed by your little green friend.

If this happens, there might not be enough room left for oxygen—which your plant needs to breathe—and your plant will start showing signs of oxygen deficiency like brown leaves. If there aren’t enough nutrients in the soil to begin with, or if most of them are tied up in liquid because the soil is too wet or dry, then they won’t be able to reach their destination: your plant’s roots. If this isn’t happening and it’s been a while since you last fed your plants but they still seem weak or their growth has stalled out, then fertilizing could help get them back on track again!

Assess your temperature and humidity levels.

The next step is to assess your temperature and humidity levels. Temperature and humidity are inextricably linked, meaning that if you adjust one of them, the other will also be affected. Your plant’s ideal temperature will vary depending on the species you have; for example, some tropical plants like high humidity and warm temperatures whereas cacti prefer a drier climate. A good rule of thumb is to check the tags or labels on your plant for specific information about what it prefers—or use this guide as an easy reference point for general care requirements.

Once you know your plant’s ideal temperature and humidity levels, it’s time to determine where things are currently at. You may find that the room you’re keeping your plant in just doesn’t agree with its needs—for example, maybe there’s not enough light or it’s too cold in the winter months. In this case, try moving it to a different location, such as nearer to a window or into a warmer room of the house (but make sure not to move your plants around too often as they can become confused). If you’re unable to relocate your plant because of sunlight requirements or lack of space in other rooms, consider purchasing an indoor grow light so that you can give your plant extra light while maintaining its current position.

Check for mold on your soil.

[Check for mold on your soil.](https://www.thegardeningcook.com/how-to-get-rid-of-mold-in-houseplant-soil/) Mold is a fungus, and it can grow in soil as well as on other surfaces. Mold appears when there’s too much moisture and not enough air circulation, which can happen when plants are watered too often or from being overwatered by a poor drainage system. Even plants that like to stay moist will suffer from mold if their water needs aren’t met properly, so it’s important to be conscious of how you’re meeting your plant’s water requirements. Fortunately, some plants—including ferns, areca palms, and ivy—are resistant to mold growth, so you may not have to worry about this issue with certain types of greenery.

Move the plant to a different spot.

Before you proceed, read the title of this section:

Look for clues about what’s wrong before fixing it

Before you jump into fixing your plant’s brown leaves, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. Spotting patterns can be crucial in diagnosing a problem; if the brown areas appear at the base of the leaves and extend outwards, for example, that could indicate a root problem. However, if the browning is concentrated towards the tips of the leaves, it may be due to something completely different. To figure out what’s wrong with your plant, take some time to investigate before acting on it.

If you haven’t already been watering or fertilizing regularly and consistently, start there—it’s likely that this is all your plant needs! If this consistent care doesn’t work and your plant’s leaves are still turning brown and brittle, try these steps:

• First off, check where exactly on each leaf the browning appears. Is it more towards the edge of each leaf? Maybe halfway down? Is it closer to one end or tip than another? Look for patterns that help guide you towards what might be going wrong with your plant. For example, if it’s just along one side of a single leaf or only at very edges of multiple leaves—but not in its center—it may mean something about how much light is reaching those particular areas of those particular leaves. This can also indicate too much sun exposure or windy conditions (sometimes both). Your best bet would be to move your pot somewhere more sheltered from direct sunlight so its foliage can stay healthy and green.

Look at the roots.

The next step is to take a look at the roots. You’ll want to remove your plant from its pot, then carefully check the roots to see if there’s any root rot. Root rot is characterized by brown or black mushy areas on the roots where they’re rotting away. If they look healthy, you’ll want to keep searching for signs of other problems, such as bugs or disease. But if you find root rot, don’t panic! The good news is that it can be treated easily with a few steps.

First, wash off the affected roots until you’ve removed all of the mushy brown parts. If removing all of that means that no roots are left at all, don’t worry—that just means it’s time for your plant to move into a bigger home! You can do this by getting another pot and filling it half-full with soil before replanting your plant in its new home. Then fill in some more soil around the plant so that about an inch or two of stem is completely covered by soil (don’t worry too much about this measurement being exact). Water well and place in bright indirect light until new growth appears (generally two weeks).

Check the soil for moisture.

The first thing you should do is check the soil for moisture. You can do this a couple of ways: by touching the soil with your fingertips, using a moisture meter or soil probe, or both!

When you touch the soil with your fingertips, feel for dampness in the top inch. If it feels dry and there’s no indication that it’s been watered recently, it might be time to water the plant yourself. If you have a big container or pot—anything larger than 6” in diameter—you’ll likely need to test more than an inch down. Keep going until you reach either wet soil or dry soil about two inches below the surface before watering. It will also help to feel at different depths in the container because sometimes one side of a plant’s root ball will be wetter than another part of it; where I work at City Floral Garden Center, we can tell which side a plant was on just by feeling if its roots are drier in one spot.

If you don’t want to touch your plants (or maybe they’re out of reach), using a moisture meter or probe is another good way to test for how much water is left in the planter. Moisture meters are usually small devices that look like pens and have an exposed metal tip that can be inserted into the soil at any depth; they’ll indicate how much moisture is present on their face as they’re pressed into your potted plant’s root ball. Soil probes work similarly but are longer, thinner tools that require pushing them into the earth so they sink deeper into their surroundings; if there’s not enough water present, they’ll show up as completely dry when pulled out again.

Look at how often you’re watering the plant.

Oops! Click Regenerate Content below to try generating this section again.

Look at how much light the plant is getting.

Brown leaves are a sign of distress, and there are several reasons why your plant may be feeling distressed. One cause is that it’s not getting the right amount of light. If you have a plant that needs lots of sunlight, it will become unhappy if you don’t give it enough of it. Conversely, if you have a shade-loving plant and you put it in full sun, its leaves may turn brown as well.

Before moving your plants to a new location, check the label on them (or do some research) to find out what type of light they need: full sun (at least 5-6 hours), partial sun/shade (3-4 hours), or shade (little or no direct sunlight). You can also measure how much light a spot is getting with a light meter.

If you’ve determined that your plant isn’t getting the right amount of light for its needs, but you’re unable to provide another spot where it can get what it requires, consider buying one that doesn’t need as much light instead.

Adjust the amount of nutrients in the soil.

Another way to remedy brown leaves is to adjust the amount of nutrients in the soil. Some plants are more hungry for nutrients than others and need a little fertilizer from time to time, but as a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t apply more than one application of fertilizer per year since too much can burn your plant’s roots. Keep in mind that if you are overwatering your plant, you should be cautious about adding more fertilizer since it can actually make things worse if you feed it too much all at once. This is because in wet conditions, the soil can become saturated with extra nutrients that sit in the water rather than being absorbed by your little green friend.

If this happens, there might not be enough room left for oxygen—which your plant needs to breathe—and your plant will start showing signs of oxygen deficiency like brown leaves. If there aren’t enough nutrients in the soil to begin with, or if most of them are tied up in liquid because the soil is too wet or dry, then they won’t be able to reach their destination: your plant’s roots. If this isn’t happening and it’s been a while since you last fed your plants but they still seem weak or their growth has stalled out, then fertilizing could help get them back on track again!

Assess your temperature and humidity levels.

The next step is to assess your temperature and humidity levels. Temperature and humidity are inextricably linked, meaning that if you adjust one of them, the other will also be affected. Your plant’s ideal temperature will vary depending on the species you have; for example, some tropical plants like high humidity and warm temperatures whereas cacti prefer a drier climate. A good rule of thumb is to check the tags or labels on your plant for specific information about what it prefers—or use this guide as an easy reference point for general care requirements.

Once you know your plant’s ideal temperature and humidity levels, it’s time to determine where things are currently at. You may find that the room you’re keeping your plant in just doesn’t agree with its needs—for example, maybe there’s not enough light or it’s too cold in the winter months. In this case, try moving it to a different location, such as nearer to a window or into a warmer room of the house (but make sure not to move your plants around too often as they can become confused). If you’re unable to relocate your plant because of sunlight requirements or lack of space in other rooms, consider purchasing an indoor grow light so that you can give your plant extra light while maintaining its current position.

Check for mold on your soil.

[Check for mold on your soil.](https://www.thegardeningcook.com/how-to-get-rid-of-mold-in-houseplant-soil/) Mold is a fungus, and it can grow in soil as well as on other surfaces. Mold appears when there’s too much moisture and not enough air circulation, which can happen when plants are watered too often or from being overwatered by a poor drainage system. Even plants that like to stay moist will suffer from mold if their water needs aren’t met properly, so it’s important to be conscious of how you’re meeting your plant’s water requirements. Fortunately, some plants—including ferns, areca palms, and ivy—are resistant to mold growth, so you may not have to worry about this issue with certain types of greenery.

Move the plant to a different spot.

Before you proceed, read the title of this section:

Look for clues about what’s wrong before fixing it

Before you jump into fixing your plant’s brown leaves, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. Spotting patterns can be crucial in diagnosing a problem; if the brown areas appear at the base of the leaves and extend outwards, for example, that could indicate a root problem. However, if the browning is concentrated towards the tips of the leaves, it may be due to something completely different. To figure out what’s wrong with your plant, take some time to investigate before acting on it.

If you haven’t already been watering or fertilizing regularly and consistently, start there—it’s likely that this is all your plant needs! If this consistent care doesn’t work and your plant’s leaves are still turning brown and brittle, try these steps:

First off, check where exactly on each leaf the browning appears. Is it more towards the edge of each leaf? Maybe halfway down? Is it closer to one end or tip than another? Look for patterns that help guide you towards what might be going wrong with your plant. For example, if it’s just along one side of a single leaf or only at very edges of multiple leaves—but not in its center—it may mean something about how much light is reaching those particular areas of those particular leaves. This can also indicate too much sun exposure or windy conditions (sometimes both). Your best bet would be to move your pot somewhere more sheltered from direct sunlight so its foliage can stay healthy and green.