Troubleshooting
Fungus Gnat Larvae: What They Look Like and How to Kill Them
Fungus gnat larvae live in the top few centimetres of soil and eat roots. Here is how to confirm you have them and the treatments that actually clear them.
Category
Troubleshooting
Diagnose and fix common houseplant problems: yellowing leaves, brown tips, drooping, root rot, and pests, with step-by-step guides.
Troubleshooting
Fungus Gnats vs Fruit Flies: How to Tell Which You Have
Fungus gnats come from your plant pots, fruit flies come from the kitchen. They need completely different treatments, so identify before you treat.
Troubleshooting
What Does Root Rot Look Like? Signs at Every Stage
Root rot is diagnosed at the roots, not the leaves. Here is what healthy and rotting roots look like, and which above-ground signs point to it.
Troubleshooting
Why Are My Snake Plant Leaves Wrinkled or Shrivelled?
Wrinkled snake plant leaves usually mean the plant cannot take up water, which is more often root rot than thirst. Here is how to tell the two apart.
Troubleshooting
Why Is My Monstera Turning Yellow? Causes and Fixes
Yellow leaves on a monstera usually mean a watering problem, but light, feeding, and age all matter; here is how to tell them apart.
Troubleshooting
Why Isn't My Monstera Splitting? Fenestration Explained
New monstera leaves without holes or splits are almost always a sign of youth or too little light, not a disease you need to treat.
Troubleshooting
Why Is My Snake Plant Drooping or Falling Over?
Snake plant leaves that flop, splay, or fall over usually trace back to overwatering and root rot, with low light and stress adding to it.
Troubleshooting
BTI for Fungus Gnats: How Mosquito Bits Actually Work
Sticky traps only catch adult fungus gnats. BTI, sold as Mosquito Bits, kills the larvae in the soil and actually ends the infestation. How to use it right.
Troubleshooting
Guttation: Why Your Houseplant Drips Water at Night
Those water drops on leaf tips in the morning are guttation, not sweat or dew. What causes it, when it is harmless, and when it hints at overwatering.
Troubleshooting
Hydrophobic Potting Soil: Why Water Runs Straight Through the Pot
When water races out the drainage holes in seconds and the plant still droops, the soil has gone hydrophobic. How to rewet it properly and stop it recurring.
Troubleshooting
Brown Spots on Houseplant Leaves: Causes and Fixes
How to read brown spots on houseplant leaves, whether they point to overwatering, sunburn, cold, or fungal disease, and what to change for each cause.
Troubleshooting
Tiny Bugs in Houseplant Soil: How to Tell Them Apart
A guide to identifying the tiny bugs in your houseplant soil, from fungus gnats and springtails to soil mites and root mealybugs, before you treat.
Troubleshooting
Cold Damage on Houseplants: Signs and How to Save a Chilled Plant
How to spot cold damage on houseplants, from blackened leaves to sudden drop, and the steps that give a chilled plant its best chance.
Troubleshooting
How to Revive a Stressed Supermarket Plant
How to rescue a cheap, neglected houseplant from a supermarket or hardware store, from the first checks to repotting and aftercare, and when a plant is too far gone.
Troubleshooting
Overwatering vs Underwatering Houseplants: How to Tell
How to tell whether a drooping, yellowing, or crispy houseplant is overwatered or underwatered, the key differences to look for, and what to do next.
Troubleshooting
Powdery Mildew on Houseplants: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention
Why powdery mildew appears on houseplant leaves, how to treat it quickly, which plants are most at risk, and how to stop it coming back.
Troubleshooting
Springtails in Houseplant Soil: What They Are and What to Do
What springtails in houseplant soil actually are, why they appear, whether they harm plants, and the straightforward ways to reduce or remove them.
Troubleshooting
Why Your Variegated Plant Is Reverting to Green
Why variegated houseplants lose their white or yellow patches and go all-green, what triggers reversion, and whether you can stop or reverse it.
Troubleshooting
Edema on Houseplant Leaves: Those Corky Bumps and Blisters
What causes the corky bumps, blisters, and water-soaked spots of edema on houseplant leaves, and how to stop it without mistaking it for pests or disease.
Troubleshooting
Why Is My Houseplant Dropping Leaves?
A diagnostic guide to houseplant leaf drop, from normal shedding and shock to watering, light, cold, and pests, with how to work out which it is.
Troubleshooting
Why Is My Houseplant Not Growing?
Why a houseplant stops growing, when a pause is perfectly normal, and the handful of changes that get a stalled plant moving again.
Troubleshooting
Repotting Shock: Why Your Plant Sulks After Repotting
Why a houseplant droops, yellows, or stalls after repotting, whether it is shock or something worse, and how to help it recover.
Troubleshooting
Root-Bound Houseplants: How to Tell and What to Do
How to tell if a houseplant is root-bound, when it is a problem and when it is fine, and how to ease a pot-bound plant without setting it back.
Troubleshooting
White Crust on Houseplant Soil and Pots: What It Is
What the white crust on houseplant soil and terracotta pots really is, whether it is mold or harmful, and how to clear salt and mineral buildup.