Houseplants for Beginners

There can be many different signs that your plant is struggling. Indicators include yellow leaves, wilting or curling leaves, brown tips, new growth dying, leaves dropping off, dry leaves, legginess, and brown spots.

Below are steps to follow to help you identify what could be wrong with the plant.

1. The first and best thing to do if you think your plant is dying is to check the soil. Most plants die because they’re being over or underwatered. If the soil is wet, let it dry out. If it’s dry, water.
2. If you’re confident you’re watering well, look at the lighting conditions. Try moving the plant to a place with more light. Increase your watering as needed.
3. If it’s not water or lighting related, check the environment. What is happening around the plant? Is it in a high traffic area? Is it getting dry heat blasted on it? Does it require more humidity?
4. When was the last time it was repotted? Could it be rootbound or have used up all the available nutrients in the soil?
5. Check for and eliminate pests.

An important thing to remember is that once a leaf starts dying, there is no bringing it back. If you’re experimenting with what might be the problem with your plant, don’t look for dead leaves to get better. As long as you’re not losing a lot of leaves and you’re seeing new, healthy growth, you’re on the right track.

Yellow leaves can be stressful, but they are a normal part of a plant’s life. As plants mature, it’s normal for older leaves to die off. You can remove yellow leaves or wait for them to fall off naturally. If you leave them on, you can use them to watch for patterns. One yellow leaf isn’t a big deal and is completely normal, but multiple in a short period of time tells you something is wrong.

One older, yellow leaf which probably doesn't indicate a problem

Multiple yellow and droopy leaves that most likely indicate a problem.

Another thing to note is that plants don't put extra energy into keeping dying leaves alive. Plants don't heal themselves like we do, so a yellow leaf isn’t harming the plant or consuming its energy unnecessarily.

If you give the yellow leaf a little tug and it doesn’t come off, consider leaving it for a while longer.