Brown leaves are a sign of unhappy plants. Plants with green leaves that have brown tips, crispy edges or brown spots on the leaves are in trouble. Here are the most common causes and how to prevent them.

Plant leaves turn brown and crispy for a variety of reasons Toxic water, PH level, salt accumulation in soil, humidity issues, fertilizers and watering practices can all cause brown leaves on plants

Brown leaves on plants often indicate the plant roots cannot optimally serve water and nutrients to the leaf due to root damage

Too much water in the soil can result in root rot and kill some or all of the plant roots This inhibits the plants ability to serve the leaves with nutrients and water so the leaves dehydrate and can turn brown and crispy on the edges and tips

Under watering can have the same result for the plant causing the leaves to dehydrate and eventually die An overly dry root ball cannot deliver water any better than a root system destroyed and suffocated by too much excess water

The type of water can also be problematic All plants require certain levels of acidity and mineral count Tap water, distilled water, rain water, and hard alkaline water will affect all plants differently, so it is important to know what your plant needs

Make sure your plant pot has drainage holes This is essential for most plants as excess moisture must not sit around your plant roots for long periods of time or your plants will suffer root rot

Moisture meters are wonderfully helpful tools to have on hand

Humidity is another very important factor in the overall health of plants The leaves will tell you if the humidity is too low or too high for that plant Learn what your plant needs and be aware that this can change throughout the year

Accumulation of salt can cause crispy brown spots on the leaves The solution for salt build up is to correct the problem and flush the potted plants soil to eliminate the extra salts

Black or brown spots may indicate a bacterial or viral leaf infection Misting plant leaves is a causal agent of spots on plant leaves Moisture sitting on your plant leaves in a warm environment invites pathogens into your plant leaf

Most indoor plant leaves will fade, yellow and eventually brown as they bleach and burn from intense sunlight Depending on the plant you may see burned leaf edges, tips and patches of brown on the plant Find a moderately bright indirectly lit area for these plants

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