There are a couple of reasons that house plants can get brown tips on their leaves and stems. We’ll list all of them here and you can decide which might apply to your plant. Note that sometimes it’s a combination of the above, not just one of the conditions.
1. The plant is root-bound. When a houseplant has been in the pot for a long time the roots fill the pot and leave no space for water and soil. So the plant will dry out more quickly, even when you’ve watered it as you have for years. Tip the plant out of the pot and if you see lots of roots circling around the outside, time to repot! Or if the roots are growing out the drainage hole, time to repot. Put the plant in a pot that’s at least 2-3″ wider on all sides and bottom.
2. Drying. If the plant has dried out in between waterings, the leaves can brown. Sometimes a plant that’s in more sun suddenly will dry out more quickly.
3. Fertilizer burn. If you fertilized with too-strong a concentration of a synthetic fertilizer, or if you fertilized a thirsty plant, this will cause such browning on the leaves.
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