Reference
Plant troubleshooting
Most plant problems come down to a handful of causes — usually watering or light. Find the symptom you're seeing below for the likely reasons and what to do. When in doubt, check the soil first.
Why are my plant’s leaves turning yellow?
Most often it’s overwatering. Soggy soil starves the roots of air, and the lower leaves yellow first. Let the soil dry out more between waterings and check the pot actually drains before looking at anything else.
- Overwatering or poor drainage
- Let the top inch or two dry out, empty any saucer, and make sure the pot has a drainage hole.
- Too little light
- Move it somewhere brighter — pale, evenly yellow new growth often means not enough light.
- Natural ageing
- One old leaf at the base yellowing now and then is normal. Just remove it.
- Hungry plant
- If it’s been in the same pot a long time, a balanced feed during the growing season can help.
- Cold draft
- Yellowing plus dropping near a cold window or door points to a chill — move it away.
Why does my plant have brown, crispy leaf tips?
Dry air is the usual cause, especially for humidity-lovers in a heated room. Crispy brown edges or tips mean the plant is losing moisture faster than it can replace it.
- Low humidity
- Group plants together, stand the pot on a pebble tray, or run a humidifier. Misting only helps briefly.
- Inconsistent watering
- Water more regularly so the soil doesn’t swing between bone-dry and soaked.
- Tap-water minerals
- Sensitive plants (and carnivores) prefer rain, distilled, or filtered water.
- Over-fertilising
- A white crust on the soil with burnt tips means too much feed. Flush the pot with water and ease off.
Why is my plant drooping or wilting?
Drooping is usually a watering problem, and it goes both ways. Check the soil first: bone-dry means it’s thirsty, soggy means the roots are struggling and can’t drink.
- Underwatering
- If the soil is dry, water thoroughly. Most plants perk back up within a few hours.
- Overwatering or root rot
- If the soil is wet and it still droops, the roots are damaged. Let it dry and check for mushy, smelly roots.
- Heat or direct sun
- Midday wilting in a hot, bright spot often recovers by evening. Move it back from direct sun.
- Just moved or repotted
- A few days of sulking after a move or repot is normal — give it time.
Why is my plant tall, pale and leggy?
It’s reaching for light. When a plant doesn’t get enough, it stretches toward the nearest window with long gaps between leaves and weak, pale growth.
- Not enough light
- Move it closer to a bright window or add an affordable grow light.
- Leaning one way
- Rotate the pot a quarter-turn each week so it grows evenly.
- Leggy herbs
- Pinch out the growing tips regularly to force bushier growth lower down.
Why is my plant dropping leaves?
Sudden leaf drop is usually shock from a change — a new spot, a draft, or a swing in watering. Plants like consistency, and a big change makes them shed.
- A recent move or temperature change
- Give it a couple of weeks to settle in a stable spot, away from drafts and heat sources.
- Over- or under-watering
- Keep watering even — both extremes cause leaves to drop.
- Less light than before
- If you moved it somewhere dimmer, it may shed leaves it can no longer support.
Why isn’t my plant growing?
If it’s autumn or winter, that’s normal — most plants slow or stop in low light and cool temperatures. In the growing season, the usual reasons are too little light or a pot that’s out of room or nutrients.
- Dormant season
- Don’t push it. Water less and wait for spring.
- Too little light
- Move it somewhere brighter.
- Root-bound or spent soil
- If roots circle the pot or poke from the drainage hole, pot up a size and refresh the soil.
- No feeding
- A balanced feed during the growing season helps a hungry plant.
Why are my plant’s stems or base going soft and mushy?
That’s rot, almost always from soil staying too wet. Once the base or stems go soft, brown and mushy, the roots are usually affected too.
- Overwatering or poor drainage
- Stop watering, let it dry, and repot into fresh free-draining mix, removing any soft brown roots.
- Water sitting on the crown
- Water the soil, not the centre of the plant — especially for rosette plants and succulents.
- No drainage hole
- Move it to a pot that drains, and never let it sit in water.
- Too far gone
- For succulents and many houseplants, take a healthy cutting from the top and start again.
Why does my plant have bugs, and how do I get rid of them?
Indoor pests usually arrive on a new plant or in warm, dry air. The common ones are fungus gnats, spider mites, aphids, mealybugs and scale. Catch them early by checking new growth and the undersides of leaves.
- Fungus gnats (tiny flies at the soil)
- Let the top of the soil dry out between waterings — they breed in damp soil.
- Spider mites (fine webbing, speckled leaves)
- Rinse the plant, raise humidity, and treat with insecticidal soap. They thrive in dry air.
- Aphids, mealybugs or scale
- Wipe off with soapy water or dab with diluted alcohol, and isolate the plant until it’s clear.
- Prevention
- Inspect and isolate new plants for a couple of weeks before adding them to the others.
Why did my herb or lettuce flower and turn bitter?
It bolted — sent up a flower stalk and switched from making leaves to making seed, usually triggered by heat or longer days. The leaves turn bitter once this starts.
- Heat or long days
- Grow leafy crops like lettuce, cilantro and basil in a cooler spot and harvest before hot weather.
- Pinch the flower stalks
- Removing flower stalks as they appear buys a little more leafy time.
- Succession sow
- Sow a few seeds every couple of weeks so there’s always a young, sweet batch coming.
Still stuck? Each plant page lists problems specific to that plant, and the glossary explains any terms here.