Monstera is a species of tropical vines and shrubs and is native to Central America. People also call it the Swiss Cheese Plant as it has natural-leaf holes. Besides, people also admire its leaf design.
People can use the leaves in interior decoration, wallpapers, jewelry designs, and clothing. However, it is not devoid of problems. If you have one, you will see your plant’s leaves are turning brown.
But you can get rid of this issue with some tricks. Before that, you must know the reasons behind this. So, go through the below segment to learn more about them.
Why are my monstera plant leaves turning brown?
Monstera develops brown leaves if not grown and taken care of properly. Brown leaves can be a sign of lack of sunlight, overwatering, underwatering, diseases, humidity, and many more. Here are some of the common reasons to look for.
1. Underwatering
Sometimes you are too attentive to give your Monstera plenty of water. You might think a small quantity of water will keep your plant safe and healthy.
But you are incorrect, as its leaves will turn brown due to underwatering. Whenever you notice the leaves are turning light brown and the edges are crispy, you must give water.
Besides, water depends on the climate and season.
After all, you can never follow summer watering sessions during chill times. In addition, you must look at the soil and, if it is dry, offer a little extra water than usual.
So, underwatering is a crucial problem, and you need to concentrate on it to avoid leaf browning issues.
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2. Overwatering
On the contrary, overwatering is also a catastrophic issue as underwatering.
It is one of the prevalent leaf browning problems that many people encounter.
As people cannot determine the water requirement of the Monstera plant, they will eventually overwater it and leading to the leaf browning issue.
Some people follow a fixed schedule to water it rather than noticing the plant and the soil.
As giving water is dependent on environmental factors, they offer plenty of water and will lead to root rot and brown leaves-related hindrances.
3. Excessive sunlight
As the Monstera is a tropical plant, it cannot bear direct sunlight exposure.
As it is native to Central America, it grows well in the jungle as the forest canopy prevents direct sunlight.
But people keep it in direct sunlight when they propagate it in their abode. As a result, the excessive sunlight makes the leaves brown due to sunburn.
4. Water quality
Monstera growers often neglect the fact that water quality is a crucial reason for the browning leaves problem.
The fluoride present in water can harm the plant and generate brown leaves.
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5. Low air moisture
As you might know, the Monstera plant prefers high humidity.
Hence, if you notice your plant’s leaf edges are starting to brown, it is a clear sign it has suffered from low humidity as you have lower indoor air moisture.
While keeping Monstera indoor, do not place it near air conditioners and radiators as air drafts might fluctuate the humidity level.
6. Inadequate fertilization
It is also a common reason related to the brown leaves of your coveted Monstera plant. Nutrient scarcities might lead to brown spots on Monstera leaves.
You can also see the leaves with unnatural holes due to this deficiency.
Many people cannot give enough fertilizer to their Monstera plant. As a result, this inadequate fertilization leads to this problem. Therefore, always offer it proper fertilizer once a month.
7. Pests problems
Pest attack is a serious issue as they can be dangerous when it comes to the Monstera leaf browning issues.
They slowly prepare their bed on the plant and wreak havoc as they discolor the leaves. In the end, you will see your Monstera leaves turning brown.
8. Diseases and fungus attacks
If you notice your Monstera plant’s leaves are brown, have rings and yellow halos around them, be assured your plant is suffering from a fungus attack or some disease.
Wet foliage encourages fungus growth. Besides, improper air circulation is prone to fungal attacks. In addition, many people water their Monstera plant from top to bottom.
As a result, the leaves get wet and attract bacteria. So, a fungus attack is a serious issue and is responsible for your Monstera’s leaves turning brown in the end.
9. Salt build-up
Apart from the above, it is a common brown leaves-related problem. It happens when the soil particles become rich in sodium. It alters the Monstera plant’s growth and leads to turning the leaves brown.
In simple words, the roots consume the water that penetrates through the cell membrane.
But due to excessive salt build-up, it cannot go through the cell membranes, and the roots stay dry. That is why salt formation is responsible for brown leaves.
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Should I cut the brown leaves off my Monstera plant?
The answer is yes. You must cut the brown leaves off your Monstera plant. It is crucial as removing the leaves will enhance the plant’s appearance, and doing this also has several health benefits. The reasons for cutting off the brown leaves are as follows.
- As you might know, dead or damaged leaves cannot photosynthesize. As a result, if you have brown leaves, they can no longer generate energy for your Monstera plant. It is one of the fundamental reasons to trim off the problematic leaves as early as possible.
- The dead leaves are incapable of photosynthesizing, and they cannot fight against infection and rot. As a result, you will notice bacteria, fungi, and mold forming on damaged brown leaves. Their formation is dangerous as they will slowly consume all the nutrients from the soil. In the end, your coveted Monstera plant will eventually die. Therefore, eliminate the brown leaves to protect the plant from these issues.
- Sometimes some leaves will reap or tear accidentally. You will notice the edge of these leaves turning brown. But if you do not remove them, they will spread, and your entire Monstera plant might get affected. So, if you do not want to harm all the leaves, quickly cut those to save your plant.
So, these are some of the reasons you need to take care of properly. As brown leaves are a serious issue of the Monstera plant, you must cut those to avoid further damage.
How do you prevent Monstera from browning?
From the above discussion, you can more or less understand what makes your Monstera leaves turn brown. It is heartbreaking to observe the monstera leaves in such conditions.
But as there are problems, there are solutions too. So, go through the below segment as it will guide you to prevent your coveted Monstera from browning.
1. Fix watering issues
As you might know, over or underwatering is a serious threat to Monstera plants as it makes their leaves brown. So, you should water it adequately and follow the below tips.
- If you ever overwatered this plant, gently remove it from the pot and clean off its wet roots.
- Take a scissor and disinfect them before removing dark brown or black rotten roots.
- Clean the pot and add new soil mix with some gravel to make it well-drained.
- Prune off the dead leaves and repot the plant.
Always keep it in a bright area but in indirect sunlight for 6 to 8 hours. It will help the plant to dry.
2. Fix light issues
If you want to give your Monstera plant the required sunlight, you must do the following to keep it healthy and get rid of brown leaves.
- Keep the plant in an east or west-facing window.
- If natural light is absent in your room, use a grow light.
- For outside, place the plant under a porch.
- Rotate your Monstera plant once a week to offer light to each side.
- Ensure that the leaves are not touching the windows, as this might damage them further.
3. Fix Humidity issues
As you know, low humidity leads to brown leaves-related issues. Hence, you can prevent them by considering the below tips.
- Purchase a humidifier to keep an ideal humidity level.
- You can also use a water-filled gravel tray near your Monstera plant. It will help adequately as the water will evaporate and offer the plant the required humidity.
- Misting is an effective way to increase the humidity level. You can do it by spraying water on the leaves.
4. Fix fertilizer issues
If you over-fertilize your plant, it might lead to brown leaves.
Alternatively, if you do not give sufficient nutrients to your Monstera plant, it will also make their leaves brown. So, keep in mind the below solutions to avoid these problems.
- During spring to the late summer season, fertilize it once a month.
- If you ever over-fertilize it, wash the soil to eliminate excess salt.
- If you notice the same issue after applying the above steps, try to repot the plant.
5. Fix diseases and fungus attacks
Like most plants, diseases make Monstera plant leaves brown. Hence, you need to follow the below solutions to get rid of this issue.
- Trim off the affected leaves with sterilized pruners or scissors.
- Mix baking soda with water and spray the solution to the infected leaves.
- Always keep the foliage dry as fungi grow in wet conditions.
- Give the plant its required humidity as low humidity gives birth to fungal infection.
- Try to separate other plants from your Monstera.
Wrapping it up
To wrap up, we can say that the Monstera plant is an outstanding variety that can enhance the aesthetic look of any place. But if not maintained correctly, it also ruins its appearance.
Due to lack of attention, it suffers from many problems.
One such is brown leaves. So, if you do not want to encounter it, water the plant accordingly, give it adequate sun rays and fertilizer, verify the water quality before watering, and block excess salt building-up.
Besides, whenever you see any brown leaves, trim them off to avoid further complications. In addition, follow the above preventive measures to keep your Monstera plant’s leaves healthy.