Subject: house plant health

From: [email-masked] (Nick Imrie)
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995 00:38:50 GMT

What causes the tips of the leaves of house plants to turn brown? Is
it due to a restriction of root space, too much water (not enough O2
in soil) or is it actually under watering which causes it?
	Somebody please enlighten me.
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Nicholas Imrie					 /||\	
Carleton University				'*||*'		
School of Industrial Design			  )(
						,*||*,
Email address: [email-masked]		 \||/

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From: [email-masked] (David L. Truxall)
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 17:10:58 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Nick

>         Somebody please enlighten me.

It depends on what type of plant you are talking about. For instance, the
tips of spider plants turn brown from fluoride toxicity. Our drinking
water has flourided added to it, which may be good for our teeth, but the
plants may not particularly like it.

Dave

*--* Dave Truxall                          Graduate Student *--*
*-*  [email-masked]                         Plant Pathologist  *-*
*                                                              *

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From: [email-masked] ("John M. Brown")
Date: 27 Jul 1995 07:34:36 -0700

In reply to your question why house plant leaf tips turn brown.  One 
reason is irrigation with water high in salts (fertilizer, sodium from 
water softeners, Cl or F ions).  The water and salt move through the 
plant to the margins and tips of leaves.  The water evaporates leaving 
the salt behind.  These salts accumulate resulting in cellular damage.  
You should periodically flush your soil or container mix with water until 
the water runs clear from the container drain hole.  Sometimes you can 
see white crystals accumulating on the soil surface or side of the pot.  
This is an indication that you are fertilizing too much.  In this 
instance, you might consider repotting in fresh soil.

Other potential reasons might include soil or foliar pathogens, root 
damage, light intensity, or water.

Sincerely

John M. Brown
A I R    Agricultural Investigation & Research
2811 Lynnwood Dr., Columbia, MO  65203
314-442-6273