Almost two years ago I brought 3 spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) to my home. The most common issue with spider plants we face is brown leaf tips. You can see in the above picture, my spider plant leaves are turning brown, especially the tips of the leaves. This article is all about finding the causes of leaves turning brown on Spider plants and the solution to revive our spider plant.
It's frustrating that a lot of websites on the internet show every possible reason for this specific problem leaving us confused and unsure of the steps needed to help our spider plant recover. Thus, I thought it would be worth sharing the most common reasons behind this (based on my experiences) and then providing you with the solutions.
( I am not blaming them; it’s more that if you’re explaining a reason, please guide readers on how to recognize if that reason applies to their situation.)
What causes spider plant leaves to turn brown? Along with solutions.
I am writing the reasons according to their possibility. You are growing the plant so you can easily identify the reason from the below reasons.
If the brown portion of the spider plant leaves is crispy and dry, it must be either a watering issue or chemical damage (due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizer). Chemical damage may make your newly grown leaves shrink and curl upwards, dry them up, and finally turn brown and crispy.
Note: If the leaves are pale and within a few days they turn brown (especially the leaf tip), indicates that you are underwatering your plant. I witnessed this when I was out of station for a month leaving my plant near my window.
So what to do?
You need to understand when to water your spider plant.
| Season | Watering Frequency |
|---|---|
| Spring and Summer | Water once a week or when the top inch of soil is dry. |
| Fall and Winter | Water every two weeks or when the top two inches of soil are dry. |
Do not underwater or overwater your spider plant. (Overwatering can make the leaves yellowish, mushy)
Stop using any chemical fertilizer for 45 days. Then you can feed organic compost.
If the brown crispy tips show up on winter days, you need to increase the humidity a bit. (Place the plant near a humidifier) If you don't have a humidifier, spray water on the leaves once a day.
Take a look at the below picture:
If you see anything like this, this is due to the damage. The damage can be done by anything like scratches, fungal infections, pests, etc.
You can't do anything about this If it's due to any scratch or hit by anything. Just cut the leaf to make it look nicer.
Do you know that there is another plant that looks almost the same as this but is completely a different plant? Check: Spider Plant vs Ribbon Grass
