Common Houseplant Problems

House plants have problems just as your outdoor plants do. They can range from diseases and insects to over and under watering or over and under fertilizing. Knowing what cause the problem is the first step in curing it. With house plants if the base of the plant stem is soft and seems weak, then more than likely the cause is from over watering, simply allow your plant to dry completely out before watering again or re-potting with a good draining soil with a little sand mixed in will also improve your plants.

Leaf Drop "drooping leaves" are another common house plant problem commonly caused by an over exposure to cold or drafts, over fertilizing or to much sun. You should stop fertilizing for three to four weeks and move the plant to a window with a little less sun and check the rooms' temperature and for drafts also the cold from the window at night.

Yellow or Brown Spots means too much water or sun and the soil should be checked for moisture, if it's too wet let it dry out some before the next watering and then move to an area a little less sunny. If the leaves are turning brown then yellowing this may be from several causes, the most common is not enough or too much water or even over fertilization. A re-potting with fresh soil, and holding off on fertilizing for a month or so will generally do the trick, water only when the plant has become completely dry and avoiding too much sun,

Dry brittle leaves means that your home does not have enough humidity and your plants are not getting enough water. A good misting of the leaves and a good soaking of the plant itself is a quick fix for this. Soak the plant by watering it until the water runs out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, misting can be done with a sprayer or simply wiping the leaves down with a cloth or sponge, this is also a good way to get some of the dust off the leaves, bringing their shine back.

Most house-plants are slow to grow, generally from too little light, water or fertilization. House plants however don't need a lot of fertilizer, when you do fertilize with a slow release fertilizer and extra light can be given by moving the plant to a sunnier location or adding a grow light above it for the extra light it needs.

Eudora DeWynter offers tips on Common Houseplant Problems on her blog at http://www.gardentoolguru.com.