Leaves Turning Brown? 6 Simple Hacks To Save Your Plants From This Scorching Heatwave

Houseplant care is all about guesswork even for the experts. Even if you opted for a low-maintenance plant understand that no plant is invincible! Any plant can get stressed if it does not get proper care and wilted brown leaves are one of the first signs that your green companion is unhappy!

Also Read: Gardening Tips: Add These 7 Fastest Growing Succulents To Your Home

What causes brown leaves?

In dry summer months, brown leaves are usually the result of 'leaf scorch' which is induced by drought-like conditions forcing the plant to use its water stores faster than it can absorb more from the soil. However, it is tricky to address the issue of brown leaves as there are various factors that can turn the leaves of your otherwise healthy plant brown.

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While brown leaves are more than likely a cosmetic issue they can sometimes signal a bigger problem that needs to be addressed immediately. The most common culprits hidden behind your plants' brown leaves are:

• Too Much/Too Little Water
• Low Humidity
• Salt Build-Up in Soil
• Pests/Diseases

Also Read: Gardening Tips: 5 Impossible-To-Kill Plants For Your Home

How to take care of plants in summer?

When the tips of your house plant start to turn brown consider that a distress signal. While trimming the brown portion of the leaves will temporarily help your plant look better it is essential to address the root cause of browning. Here are 6 ways you can take better care of plants during extreme heat.

1) Water your plants in the morning

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Early morning is the best time to water your plants before the sun starts beating down on them. If you wait till mid-afternoon most of the water is likely to evaporate before it is absorbed by the soil so make sure that water is actually absorbed by the soil by watering it slowly and deeply.

2) Keep them cool

We all know what happens if we get overheated during summer so think about what will happen to your plants. It is important to make sure that your plants do not face the extreme heat of the summer sun even if they do require direct sunlight. Move your plants to a cooler area of your house if you have to or use bigger and sturdier plants to provide shade to the sensitive ones.

3) Provide shade from too much sun

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Whether you buy a shade cover from your nearest gardening centre or you make use of old sheets and window screens from your home, it is prudent to cover and protect your plants from direct sunlight.

4) Don't re-pot or fertilize during heatwave

While adding fertilizer to the plant is always great for their well-being, if your plant is stressed it may not be in the state to use nutrients from that fertilizer. Similarly, leaves and roots always get damaged to some extent during re-potting and introducing your plant to a new environment will further risk stressing your plant.

Also Read: Gardening Tips: 5 Flowering Plants That Survive Harsh Indian Summers

5) Skip Pruning

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While it is tempting to remove the brown parts of your leaves, it is crucial that you resist this temptation as the sunburned foliage of your plant is usually providing coverage to the interior part of the plant. You must wait to prune your plant until the weather turns a little cooler to provide them in case of another heatwave.

6) Add mulch

Sometimes your leaves being exposed to the sun is not the reason for them wilting or turning brown. The roots can also be affected by hot temperatures so add a layer of mulch to keep the soil cooler and avoid it from drying too soon.

While brown leaves on a plant may not be life-threatening, they greatly reduce the attractiveness of our greens so apply these simple techniques to stop your leaves from 'frying'!

Also Read: Gardening Tips: Add These 7 Fastest Growing Succulents To Your Home

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