WHY HOUSEPLANTS DROP LEAVES

Houseplants drop leaves for many reasons, but most are related to improper attention or poor growing conditions. Often just giving vegetation the correct light and temperature, or controlling infestations, is all that is required to prevent future leaf drop.

Either too much or too little watering may cause leaf drop. A common problem is that whenever you see leaves bad or even fall off, you may well be tempted to think the plant is parched and needs more normal water. This might lead to overwatering sometimes more leaves dropping. Generate sure when watering, especially in northern climates in winter, to use heated water. Icy cold drinking water can chill the ground and injure roots of tropical plants, leading to root rots, leaves falling, and perhaps even deceased plants.

Extremely low moisture will cause sensitive plant life, such as gardenia, shed leaves although most common houseplants will not show leaf drop in response to low humidity only.
Fertility, or rather insufficient sufficient nutrients, can lead to leaf drop. With this, usually you will notice leaves lighter in color first, so you have a chance to correct this before leaves totally turn yellow and drop. Use a houseplant fertilizer, according to packaging directions, particularly while crops are growing or blooming.

Plants in pots that are too small may drop leaves. Why? Mainly because there may well not be enough root room to back up all the leaves the pink tries to form, so the oldest leaves drop off. Because the space for the roots is inadequate, the plant may well not have the ability to absorb enough drinking water and nutrients.

Some tea leaf drop occurs when vegetation are subjected to a major change in environment. Many of these changes occur when plant life grown outside for the summer are brought inside for the winter. Greenhouse-grown plants may drop leaves if located in dimly lit house conditions, when they've been grown in high light. Some vegetation just may require higher light to grow and maintain all their leaves. Leaf drop brought on by a change in environment should be momentary and non-life threatening (to the plants), new leaves forming that are tailored to the new site.

Chilling is one cause of leaf drop related to environment. Tropical plant life are sensitive to low, but above freezing, conditions. Plants on windowsills may be exposed to relaxing temperatures. Hot or chilly drafts may be a problem for some crops. The poinsettia is a prime example of a plant that drops leaves due to exposure to cold drafts of air.

Insects and diseases can cause leaf drop, but are less common as the previously listed triggers. Recently I a new variegated English ivy that was losing leaves. In closer inspection I found leaves infested with index mites. Washing plants well with mildly soapy drinking water is a good start, and often all that is needed, for infestations control.

Some leaf drop on houseplants is normal. Older plants should be expected to drop a leaf or two at times. This really is particularly the circumstance with plants that expand upright like umbrella herb or cane plant, burning off lower leaves as more recent ones form on the top. The only alternatives with this are to stake crops and live with this habit, to propagate new plants by air layering the canes, or to give away the flower and get a new more compact one.