First, let’s clean up your plant. This allows the plant to direct its energy to new healthy growth.
- Remove entire brown leaves (they will not turn green again) or the affected portion with a pair of sharp scissors or pruning shears.
- Wipe the blades of your scissors with rubbing alcohol between each snip.
- You may need to trim your plant in stages because you never want to remove more than 30% of the affected leaves at one time–this could shock your plant.
Now, let’s get your Geo Plant on the road to recovery.
Low Humidity
Geo plants thrive in a very humid environment, so if the air in your space is too dry, these plants can easily start to get brown, crispy edges on their leaves. Be sure to provide ample humidity for your Geo Plant by adding a humidifier nearby, creating a pebble tray, or keeping it in a humid spot like the bathroom or kitchen. Do not mist the leaves of the plant, since water droplets sitting on the leaves can cause spotting.
Underwatering
Watering too infrequently can cause your Geo Plant’s leaves to start to brown. These plants prefer to be watered when the soil volume is 25% dry. You can either test the soil with your finger or use something like a wooden chopstick. If it comes up with wet soil, then check on it again in a few days. If it comes dry, then you can water.
Make sure to water slowly, allowing it to soak into the soil until it drips out of the drainage hole. Discard any excess water that accumulates in the saucer.
You can also try bottom watering the plant using this method:
- Fill a sink or tub with 2″-4″ of water, depending on the size of your plant.
- Set the plant in the water without the saucer to allow it to soak the water from the bottom. Let the plant sit in the water for at least 30 minutes.
- After the 30 minutes is up, feel the top of the soil to see if it has soaked up enough water. If it needs a little more time, let it sit for an additional 15-30 minutes, or water slightly from the top of the soil.
- Drain the sink and let the plant rest to allow the water to trickle from the bottom.
- Place plant back on saucer making sure there is no standing water.
Water Quality
A common reason your Geo Plant’s leaves are turning brown and crispy could be due to your tap water. Normal tap water can have a lot of things like added minerals and fluoride in it that can affect sensitive plants like this. If possible, use distilled or rainwater. If this isn’t possible you can leave some tap water out overnight to evaporate some of the chemicals. Even if you’re using filtered water, check with the brand’s manufacturer to see if they filter out fluoride. Most do not!
Temperature
Make sure your plant is not in a drafty area or in the path of heating and cooling vents. If the plant is cold, or excessively dry from constant airflow, the leaves can turn dry and crispy.
