Your anthurium has brown leaves and you're wondering why that could be? Pests, diseases or care errors are among the most common causes of leaf discoloration. You can find out what you can do to save the flamingo flower in the article.
Anthurium has brown leaves: care mistakes
For now: Like all plants, the anthurium gradually sheds its old leaves. So if you notice over a long period of time that some of the leaves of the anthurium flower first turn yellow, then brown, dry up and fall off, then this is no reason to panic. If the plant otherwise looks healthy, is growing and blooming as usual, then everything is fine. The problem only becomes when the flamingo flower suddenly gets a lot of brown leaves. Then you should identify the cause as quickly as possible and act before the entire plant dies. Below we list several of the most common problems that can occur with anthurium.
Seasonal discoloration
Cause:The anthurium often suffers from seasonal leaf drop. If the weather suddenly becomes very cold in winter, you heat your home intensively and ventilate less often. Ultimately, humidity can vary greatly during this period. This means extra stress for the plant, which needs high humidity to grow healthily.
Signs:The seasonal oneconditional leaf dropis noticeable through brown tips on the leaves.
Possible solutionwould be to place river stones directly on the ground and moisten them. They will gradually release the moisture. You can also mist the plant daily. It is often necessary to increase watering in winter.
Increasing plant age
Cause:Older specimens lose significantly more leaves than young plants. If the leaves only turn brown at the bottom, dry up and fall off, then it is probably due to the age of the plant.
Signs:
If the entire leaf turns brown at once, this is due to increasing age.
Large temperature fluctuations
Cause:The exotic reacts very sensitively to temperature fluctuations. For example in the winter garden, where thanks to the glazing the temperatures are significantly higher during the day than at night. Basically, the anthurium cannot tolerate temperatures below 15° Celsius. Doors and windows that are opened regularly can also cause temperature fluctuations.
Signs:All leaves turn brown and fall off.
Solution:Change of location. The optimal location for the anthurium is a place that is at least 1 meter away from heating, doors and windows.
Irregular watering
Cause:Incorrect watering is one of the most common causes of yellow and brownAnthurium leaves.If the roots are in water for a longer period of time, they can no longer absorb oxygen properly. The whole plant slowly dies. Too little water can also have a negative effect on the anthurium. However, the most dangerous situation is when the plant is suddenly watered after a long dry period.
Signs:Brown leaves that fall off in a short period of time are a sure sign that the anthurium has had too much of a good thing. Even if the substrate smells unpleasant, it is due to incorrect watering or root rot.
Solution:Repot, cut off the rotting roots and then water the new substrate as regularly as possible.
Use wrong fertilizer
Cause:The anthurium needs lots of nutrients to grow healthily. These include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Brown leaves can also be a sign that you are using the wrong fertilizer.
Signs:Brown spots appear on the leaves immediately after fertilizing. After a week, the leaves turn brown, become mushy and fall off.
Solution:It is best to use slow-release fertilizer for the anthurium. If you have not fertilized the plant for a long time, you can supply it with diluted liquid fertilizer (1 to 1 with water).
Diseases and pests that cause leaf discoloration
Pests and diseases can also cause leaf discoloration. Below we will explain how you can recognize the signs of an infestation or pathogen.
1. Spider mites:Orange dots that appear first on the lower leaves and then also on the upper leaves are a sign of a spider mite infestation. If you look closely you can see fine nets. Spider mites spread particularly quickly in the months of December to March. The first rescue measure is to shower the plant. If the pests still spread, you will need to treat them with a spray.
2. Scale insectsare known for their discolored leaves and sticky leaf surface. They also need to be rinsed.
3. Certain fungal diseases,such as leaf spot, can be the cause of brown spots. Normally all spots are surrounded by a yellow ring. Initial rescue measures include cutting off the affected leaves and treating against fungi.
The flamingo flower is one of the most popular houseplants and is now adorning more and more German houses and apartments. However, the exotic and its hybrids place special demands on the location and substrate and are sensitive to care errors.
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