Marianne's Response

Browning tips

Hello my name is Tyree Miller I am asking this question because I have three spider plants and a couple of others however the tips of them are turning brown so I’m wondering why the tips are turning brown if that is a question you can answer please get back to me at your earliest convenience thank you

Posted by Tyree Miller on August 6, 2018

Marianne's Response

The image you sent shows a healthy looking plant with just a bit of brown on the tips of the leaves. The most common cause of brown tips is low light, too warm of temperatures, too low of humidity or salt damage from too much fertilizer. If you live in a dry climate than summer is when low humidity causes tip browning. Mist the plant twice a day or set the pot on a saucer of pebbles filled with water to increase the humidity.  If you have been using fertilizer than give the plant a break in case the salts from the plant food are causing the tip burn. Spider plants like bright light but from the photo you sent the foliage looks like it is getting plenty of bright light so I do not suspect low light to be the cause of the brown tips. Sometimes improper watering either too much or too little can cause tip browning. Don't water until the top one inch of the soil is dry then water well so you can flush any excess plant food out of the potting soil. Don't worry I suspect this is just a seasonal problem and the new growth will be looking great. You can always snip off the older leaves once some new growth appears. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti