Unfortunately, it is very common to find that some of our plants show, on occasion, areas or spots of dryness on their tips or edges. When this appears, it means that the plant is stressed and needs something to be done about it, but you should not get overwhelmed: it is far from being a problem without a solution. If your plant has completely dry leaves, there are many causes that can cause its condition, from diseases and pests to all kinds of deficiencies or excesses. However, when only the tips or edges of the leaves dry out or take on a brown hue and a fine or wrinkled texture, it is always an indicator of the same thing: stress.
If you want to know more about why the tips of the leaves of plants burn and what to do when the leaves of plants dry, join us in this EcologíaVerde article in which you will find a practical gardening guide focused on the doubt of Why do the tips of plant leaves dry?.
Stress due to lack of water
When the plant shows brown leaf tipsthe most common is that he lacks water. This does not necessarily mean that you are watering it too little: its roots may not be able to absorb the water because the substrate is not suitable.
If you notice that the substrate or soil of your plant with dry leaves is very dry, the first thing you should do is increase the frequency of watering slightly. Do not cause a very drastic increase, as this could cause the opposite effect: make sure that the soil does not waterlog and that you remove the excess water from the saucer if the plant is in a pot with drainage.
If what happens is that the substrate or soil has too high a drainage, the roots of the plant will not have time to absorb the water, even if you water often. This often occurs in very sandy soils, which will appreciate a supply of materials such as peat or earthworm humus, with a supply of rich organic matter that will also help improve the capacity of the mixture to retain water.
If you can’t afford to add a significant portion of these materials to the mix, a good amount of vermiculite and perlite will also go a long way in retaining and releasing moisture.
Stress from tight roots
Many times, we forget that the plants in the pots continue to grow with each season, and most of them need regular transplants. These can be annuals, biennials, or more widely spaced for slow-growing plants, but they still need to be tended to when the time is right.
If your plant is in a container or pot and its roots have taken up all the available space, they will eventually squeeze together so much that they form a solid mass unable to absorb water or nutrients properly. What to do when the leaves of the plants dry because of this? you simply need transplant your plant to a larger pot, with new suitable substrate. If the roots are very close together and compacted, you will have to loosen them with your hands very carefully and prune them if necessary. In these cases, try to prune about a third of the roots of the plant with a well-sterilized tool: this will stimulate the growth of new loose roots.
Roots can also get tight when planting without a container, especially in very heavy, clayey soils, which can end up acting like the toughest of pots. In these cases it will be necessary to transplant, either to another location, or to remove it, loosen the surrounding soil for a considerable distance, and return it to its place.
We recommend this guide on when and how to transplant a plant.
Stress from damaged roots
Problems with irrigation are not always by default: a excess of water it causes just as serious damage to the plant and, in fact, more dangerous. Just as a dry plant can be easily revived by adding water, one that has been drowned will have suffered damage to its roots, with rot and dead spots.
In these cases, it will be necessary remove the plant and prune damaged areas, in addition to reducing watering or transplanting the plant to an area of soil or container with better drainage. Use a light mix, adding peat, coconut fiber and worm humus in equal parts: this results in a soil rich in nutrients and with ideal moisture retention capacities for most plants.
Draft stress
Some plants need circulating air to be healthy, while other species, particularly those that require humid environments, do not tolerate them. If the plant is in a drafty area and your leaves or edges turn brown, this is likely the problem.
To avoid it, move the plant to a more sheltered area, sheltered from the currents and without sticking it to the walls.
sun stress
A too bright location It can also be the cause of dry leaves on their edges, especially if the plant has not previously been subjected to a few days of acclimatization in semi-shade. If your plant is burning by the sunmove it to a half-light area for a few days and observe its evolution.
How to prevent the tips of plant leaves from drying out
You will have to pay attention to all the factors of causes of the tips of the leaves of the plants to dry. If your plant receives all the nutrients it needs, is protected from stronger sun than it can handle, protected from drafts, in a large enough pot, and with adequate watering, you should not encounter any of these problems.
These may seem like a lot of things to manage, but by looking at your plants often, you can spot these issues in isolation before they become serious, and correct the points at hand. improve in the care of your plants.
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