Justin Hancock, a horticulturist at Costa Farms, knows why this happens and how to fix it.
Read on to learn more about how to get rid of your spider plant’s brown leaf tips.
Meet the Expert
Justin Hancockis a horticulturist at Costa Farms.
The Spruce / Valerie de Leon
Moving the plant is an easy solution.
If it is, simply moving it may prevent future brown tips," says Hancock.
Sadly, once those tips go brown, they won’t turn green again.
Feel free to cut them off if they bother youit won’t hurt your plant.
Humidity Levels Are Low
Insufficient humidity around a spider plant could also result in brown tips.
These plants prefer a tropical environment, so give them at least 50% to 60% humidity.
Another solution is to move the plant to a more humid room, like a bathroom or kitchen.
Drafty areas and air conditioning and heater vents also tend to reduce humidity.
Youve Overfertilized Your Plant
Overfertilization is another reason your spider plant can have brown tips.
To test this theory, stop fertilizing for a bit.
To fix this issue permanently, it helps to understand a spider plant’s fertilization needs.
If you notice a white crust on the top of the soil, that is salt accumulation.
It’s an early sign that the fertilizer is too strong or it’s being applied too often.
Flushing the plant willremove all the excess nutrient salts.
Brown leaf tips don’t affect plant health, so leaving them is safe.
Cutting them off is also safe if you’re not a fan of browning leaf tips.
Overwatering could also result in unattractive droopy or curled leaves.
In addition, stems may be mushy, and you may see tinygnats flying around the moist dirt.
You should water your spider plant once the top couple of inches of soil are dry.
The first step to preventing brown leaf tips from recurring is to check the plant’s current condition.
Does it have enough water?
Check the room’s humidity level is sufficient.
Also, analyze if the plant is getting too much fertilizer.
Unfortunately, once brown tips form, they will never turn green again.
Spider plants need at least eight hours of bright, indirect sunlight.
Too much full sun will burn or scorch the leaves.
If the plant gets insufficient light, it will get limp and lose vigor.
