Brown tips are removed from the leaves of house plants.
Indoor plants are bred for their ability to thrive in a wide variety of conditions and unlike outdoor plants, they don't have to contend with hordes of insects or severe weather.Plants that are healthy can develop brown spots or brown leaf tips.You should identify and deal with the underlying cause of the brown tips if you want to give your plant a boost.
Step 1: Cut leaves with shears or sharp scissors.
If you want the best results, you should use a sharp pair of scissors.Damage to the plant's cells can be minimized by using very sharp blades.Kitchen shears are a great choice for this job because of their shape and strength.If you are trimming more than one plant, you should wipe down the scissors with rubbing alcohol before and after using them.
Step 2: If most of the leaf is brown, then remove the whole leaf.
The small brown areas along the edges of the leaves still produce energy for the plant.If a leaf is almost completely brown and dry, then it isn't producing energy and can be removed completely by cutting it away.If at least two-thirds of the leaf is brown, then it is a good candidate for full removal.The base of the leaf can be cut with sharp scissors.You can plucking it by pinching the base of the stem between your thumb and index fingers.
Step 3: The shape of the leaf tip can be reproduced with your cuts.
If you want to reproduce the tip shape of some leaves, you have to study them.If you are dealing with long, straight leaves with pointed tips, you should make two cuts at the tip in order to create a triangular shape.The cuts need to be shaped for aesthetic purposes.It isn't any more damaging to the plant to cut across the tip of the leaf.Your leaves will be indistinguishable from the healthy ones with some practice.
Step 4: If you want, leave a small amount of brown tip behind.
Some gardeners think it is best to leave a small portion of the brown area on the leaf.You avoid opening a fresh wound in the healthy part of the leaf if you do this.If you only trim one or two leaves, you don't need to worry about leaving some brown behind.If you are trimming many leaves at once, you may want to limit the wounds you create in healthy leaf sections.
Step 5: If you suspect disease, compost brown leaf tips.
You can add leaf tips to your compost if you have a compost pile.If you suspect that the houseplant is sick, you should discard the leaf tips in the trash.Brown tips don't always indicate disease.A plant that has been damaged will usually have many leaves with brown spots, holes, or complete browning.
Step 6: Pull the plant out of the pot.
Over- and under- watering can cause brown leaf tips.Pull the plant and root ball from the pot by holding it over the sink and grabbing the stem.It will be easier to diagnose under- or over-watering.If the soil does not hold together in a clump, you are under-watering.If water drips from the soil or the roots look bad, you're over watering.
Step 7: Re-pot an over-watered plant and change your watering schedule.
If you find water-logged soil and roots when you pull the plant out of the pot, you can leave it out for a while, then put it back in once the water dries out.It is better to remove some of the water-logged soil from the root ball then re-pot the plant.If the roots look dead or rotted, you can cut them off with scissors.Water the plant fully but less frequently, instead of giving it less water at a time on the same schedule.Don't switch to just moistening the soil every two days if you're currently saturating it with water every 2 days.You should saturate the soil every 4 days.
Step 8: When watering a plant, sprinkle the soil.
Put the plant back in its pot and give it a thorough watering after you've identified the problem.You want to see the water running out of the drain holes when you water the plant.You are not giving the plant enough water if this isn't happening.If you want to catch the excess water, place a drain pan under the pot.If you keep watering the plant on the same schedule, give it more water.If the soil is dry, pull it from the pot again in a week.If that is the case, start watering the plant more frequently as well as more fully.
Step 9: Increase the surrounding humidity for tropical plants.
Tropical plants need humidity from the surrounding air.Placing the pot in a shallow bowl filled with water and rocks can help increase the plant's humidity.There is a chance that your house has very dry air.It is possible to spray the leaves with a spray bottle full of water.The plant should not be near heating or cooling vents that blow out dry air.
Step 10: Brown tips and leaf shed are not the same thing.
Most palm varieties shed their lower leaves as part of their natural growth.The leaves can be clipped away once they are thoroughly discolored and dry.Except for the brown tip, a leaf will look green and healthy.
Step 11: The plant can be flushed with distilled water.
If your plant isn't being over- or under-watered but still has brown tips, there is probably too much of one or more minerals in the soil.Excess minerals come from hard tap water.If you want to get rid of salt or minerals, place the pot over the sink and use distilled water to flush the soil.Over the course of several minutes, flush the soil with distilled water.If you want to prevent future problems, water the plant with distilled water.
Step 12: There are small holes that indicate insect invasion.
There are small brown spots or holes in the leaves of your house.Before the problem gets worse, check the soil and undersides of the leaves for insects.If you want advice on how to get rid of pests in your plants, contact your local agricultural extension office or plant nursery.