You need to do something if you haven’t noticed yellowish leaves falling on your plants after a few weeks, if you just started your indoor garden recently. All the basics like sunlight, water, and ideal temperature are being provided for you. What could be going wrong? In this article, we will discuss the factors that might cause your plants to drop their leaves, how to fix it, and a list of plants that are pretty resilient and may be appropriate for starter gardens.
There are a number of reasons your houseplant’s leaves could be falling off, such as insufficient or excess watering, low humidity, too much fertilizer, insects, fungi, nutritional deficiencies, and overexposure to harmful chemicals. There is a quick fix for these problems. Don’t worry.
Why Do the Leaves of My Plant Drop and How Do I Fix It?
Eventually, your plants will lose their leaves. This is a very important thing to keep in mind. It is a normal part of their development, but when it happens often and is unnatural, here are the few possible causes.
Watering
It is important to check how often you water your plant. If you drown your plant, it’s likely it’s not getting enough moisture to continue producing food. You have to remember that water is essential to photosynthesis. When plants do not have enough water, they will die, and the leaves will drop.
The roots will rot if you overwater your plant. When it sits in very wet soil, the roots won’t grow and this can lead to fungus problems.
What to do?
Before you water the plant, check the moisture in the soil. If it is dry, the plant doesn’t need watering. Some plants may even require you to wait for the soil to dry completely before watering again. No matter what the reason, the key to properly watering your plants is knowing them and following their recommended watering schedule.
Low Humidity
The water stored in the leaves of most plants will be consumed when the air is very dry. This causes the leaves to turn brown and fall off.
What to do?
It is possible to resolve this problem in two ways. One is to make a humidity tray out of wet pebbles that you can place around your plants. Plants around the tray will absorb the water from the tray, or you can mist them every once in a while. For some plants, such as air plants, regular misting would be required.
Too Much Fertilizer
You will be able to tell your plant’s in danger of getting burned by over-fertilizing when the leaves become brown and the sides and tips start to crisp. Your plants will become thirsty if you provide too much fertilizer, as they may not be able to absorb as much water. In the ideal world, plants do not need fertilizers during the dormant period of their growth. Giving them fertilizers during the dormant period causes the leaves to fall.
What to do?
Plan your fertilization schedule so that it occurs when the plants are most active, from spring through fall. You should not fertilize your plant after this time. If you have already added way too much fertilizer, you should water it thoroughly and let the water drain through the pot.
Pests
Keep a close eye on your plants’ leaves. If you notice any tiny insects such as scale insects, mealybugs, aphids or spider mites, they could be the cause of your plant dropping its leaves. These insects consume the nutrients of the plant and reduce its vigor.
What to do?
With a toothpick or cotton bud, you can remove a few pests on your plant. An infestation, however, is a totally different issue. You need to isolate your plant from the rest of your garden and treat it with insecticidal soap in the event it is infested with pests.
Fungi
An aphid infestation is most likely the result of excessive overwatering your soil. If your plant has any obvious evidence of fungus, this could be a sign of aphid damage.
What to do?
The baking soda and soap solution is one of the primary ones. There are dozens of home remedies to chose from. This mixture clings to the fungus and eventually kills it. In cases in which the fungus is more virulent, a fungicide may be needed, which can be purchased at any horticulture store. The diseased plant must be separated from the others in order for the right kind of treatment to be given to it. Be sure to describe the fungus?s appearance in order for you to get the right kind of treatment on your plant. Species of fungi reproduce through spores, which could contaminate other plants in your garden.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Contrary to popular belief, plants actually need lots of nutrition. The plants will also require iron, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, just as animals do. Should any of these elements be lacking, leaf dropping and discoloration will occur.
What to do?
You can begin by providing your plant with the proper nutrients by diluting fertilizer with water, if that is evident. Fertilizers come in complete packages most of the time. Just be sure to use it in moderation. Too much of a certain nutrient may also hurt your plants.
Exposure to Harmful Chemicals
According to a NASA study conducted in 1989, plants can rid the environment of toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, there are just as many chemicals that are harmful to plants as there are harmful ones, so they would not be able to tell which to take in and which not. Because of the intensity of the chemicals contained in paints and floor treatments, plants exposed to these products may turn yellow and drop off.
What to do?
Keep your plants at a safe distance from harmful and toxic chemicals. If anything needs to be done involving these chemicals, you should temporarily relocate your plants.
Temperature
Researching your plants is extremely important before buying them. The best way to ensure that the plants flourish under your care is to mimic their natural environment. Take cacti as an example. Our knowledge of cacti indicates that a hot environment is beneficial to their growth. Knowing this, we believe that a cold environment is harmful to your plant.
What to do?
You should keep heat-sensitive plants away from drafty windows and heating vents. Remove them from factors that may lead to an increase in or decrease in temperature directly.
Environmental Changes
Plants that are newly purchased will take some time to adapt to their surroundings because they have been grown in ideal conditions. Our plants feel the stress of moving into enclosed spaces like our homes or offices, which causes them to drop a few leaves.
What to do?
Allow your plants to adapt to their new environment. Try to keep their living conditions as similar as possible to the ones they had at their place of origin. This way you can slowly acclimate them to your space.
Insufficient Light
Lack of light prevents plants from generating food. In some cases, the plant will grow toward the light, while in others, it will just wilt away.
What to do?
Your plants will do better under grow lights if your home does not have access to sunlight. You will be able to grow food with your plants in a well-lit area if you put them in a well-lit spot. Otherwise, just take them out for a little sunlight every now and then.
Resilient Plants That Would Work Best For Your Garden
You would do well to start off with these plants if you are just beginning your indoor garden pursuits. Once you get used to them, you can slowly start to plant your garden. They are highly resilient and will thrive in spite of neglect.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
These plants, commonly known as mother-in-law’s tongue, have been quite popular due to their fantastic resilience. It has been said that even people with black thumbs can care for these plants without killing them.
Choose snake plants that have dark green leaves. If they are pale, they are already sick and may need more care when they reach your home.
Choose a pot that has drainage holes. If you cannot find one, make your own. Furthermore, use a good draining potting soil to prevent water from collecting in your pot.
Just give it water and light, and you are not going to have any problems. Snake plants are quite forgiving and can be forgotten for a long time.
It is important to water in moderation. Allow the soil to dry between watering. This makes it easier to take care of during winter since they are dormant.
It’s important to keep these plants out of reach of your pets because they’re toxic to both dogs and cats.
Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum)
These plants are native to the Solomon Islands, and are quite resilient. They thrive in spite of being neglected and can endure harsh winters. Winter would cause them to freeze out, but they would sprout again by the following spring. It’s a vine that grows very fast and usually hangs inside whenever kept warm.
Regardless of the soil condition, the devil’s ivy thrives, whether acidic, alkaline, or if severely wet. This plants can adapt well to containers. It is best to use a general-purpose potting mix if you intend to grow them in containers.
Plants grow anywhere, even in shady areas in nature. However, even in shady places, it needs some sunlight. Without sunlight, it would not grow properly.
Ideal drought-tolerant plants do not require daily watering. Water them only once every few days when they’re actively growing. During winter and dormant days, water them less frequently.
Keep these plants away from small children or pets like snake plants. It may cause allergies; gloves should be used when pruning.
Air Plant (Tillandsia spp.)
They are usually used in terrarium bowls and placed as decorative items on shelves or tables. They are epiphytes, meaning that they are able to thrive on a variety of surfaces by absorbing moisture and nutrients from air, water, and rain. There are actually many different types of air plants, and they are quite popular among gardeners since they are easy to care for.
Humidity is good for them, but you wouldn’t need to water them constantly. The ideal way to water your air plants is to soak them in water. You can mist their leaves with water every day or soak them in a tub. You will simply need to submerge your plants in water for 20 minutes every week in a small container.
Despite their love for the sun, it is not recommended to keep them directly under the sun. Keep them in a well-lit area with abundant light, and they will surely thrive.
There is no need for constant pruning, but if you notice some browning of the leaves, you can remove them by hand or cut them with some scissors.
These plants are excellent for beginners as they are a great way to get started. Since they are small, they also make excellent décor.
Cactus (Cactaceae spp.)
Despite their extreme low maintenance needs, cacti are a great starter plant in any indoor garden. All they need is the right amount of solar radiation, water, and soil.
Make sure your plant is in a sunny location. It is important to remember that the key to keeping a plant happy and healthy is to mimic the conditions they are used to in nature. A dry, well-lit spot would be a good place to start.
Let the cactus dry out before adding further water if the soil is still moist. Ideally, you would need to water it at least once a week during active growth, but not during dormant phases.
If you are trying to get your cacti to bloom, you would need to fertilize it. Do not fertilize in winter instead add in spring or summer when they are at their peak of growth. It is important that you use a specific kind of fertilizer for them.
The plants do not like a cold breeze. Keep them away from air conditioning units. Make sure they get enough air circulation by opening windows or putting them out occasionally.
The plants are highly tolerant of any condition and would only die if you overwater it. This is ideal for people who do not have a lot of time to take care of plants but still want a garden.
Succulent (Echeveria spp.)
It takes little effort to care for succulents, as they are native to Texas and Central America and are used to dry and hot conditions. They thrive well in well-lit interiors and require minimal care. In fact, they can survive short periods of neglect with low water and nutrients, which makes them perfect for busy people.
In the summer, provide succulents with water in moderation, and during the cold months, stop completely watering them.
They do well in any environment. They do well by the window or even outside.
By cutting a few leaves and placing them on healthy soil, new plants can easily be grown. Roots will gradually grow, and a new rosette will start whereas the old leaf will crumble and dry in a few weeks.
Babies grow right under the rosette. All you have to do is gently take them from beneath the leaves and resoil them with soil, sand, and compost in equal parts.
If you’re buying your first plant, you can’t go wrong choosing a succulent. They are highly tolerant and virtually impossible to kill.
The best way to care for your plants when you have a problem is to assess their issues thoroughly. If they are dropping leaves quite often, it’s time to go through our list and figure out which one may be responsible for it. With our quick fixes and solutions you are sure to get your plant up and running again.
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