PlantPal

Brown leaf tips and edges

Start with soil moisture and recent fertilizer use before changing the humidity.

Pin oak leaves with bacterial scorch; brown edges can have other causes.
Pin oak leaves with bacterial scorch; brown edges can have other causes. Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized and converted for display.

What to check first

Feel the mix below the surface. A very dry root ball, a pot that stays wet, or a crust after repeated feeding each suggests a different problem. Check whether the damage faces a heater or vent.

What to do now

Correct what you find: water a dry plant that is due for it, empty standing water from a wet pot, or pause feeding if salts may have built up. Move it out of the direct path of hot or cold air.

What to watch next

Brown tissue will stay brown. Watch the next leaves. If the browning moves inward or appears on new leaves despite the change, check roots and watering again.

Sources