Q & A


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When a plant gets brown edges on leaves or brown leaf tips, a gardener’s first thought may be that this is a disease or pest that is attacking the plant. This is not always the case. When there are whole brown leaves on a plant, this can indicate several dozen problems; but when just the sides or tips of the leaf turn brown, there is only one problem — the plant is stressed. Most commonly brown leaf tips or brown edges on leaves are caused by the plant not getting enough water. There are several reasons why this may happen.

1. There may be too little natural water falling.
2. The roots are constricted and unable to reach out for water.
3. The soil does not hold onto the water.
4. The roots may be damaged.

Another reason for the sides of a leaf to turn brown is a high salt content in the soil. This can either be natural in the soil, such as from living close to the ocean, or this can happen through over fertilizing. If you live near a source of salt water, there will be very little you can do to correct the problem. If you suspect that you have over fertilized, reduce the amount of fertilizer and increase the amount of watering for a few weeks to help wash the salt away.