Leaf Ledger

Leaf diagnosis

Start with what you can see

Find the description that matches your plant, then read the cause before acting. Most emergency repotting makes things worse — the majority of these are fixed by changing position or leaving the plant alone.

Lower leaves yellow, soil stays damp Overwatering — roots sitting in water and starting to rot

Stop watering entirely. Move somewhere brighter and warmer so the pot dries. If the stem base is soft, take cuttings now — the parent may not recover.

Crispy brown edges, soil dries fast Underwatering, or dry air from a radiator

Soak the pot in a basin for twenty minutes rather than pouring from the top — dry compost repels water. Move away from direct heat.

Pale, stretched growth with long gaps between leaves Not enough light

The plant is reaching for a window. Move it closer to one; almost nothing else will fix this. Cut back the leggy growth once it is in better light.

Sudden leaf drop after moving the plant Shock from a change in light or temperature

Normal for a week or two. Do not repot, feed or move it again — let it settle. Water only when the pot feels light.

Fine webbing under leaves, speckled colour Spider mites, usually from dry air

Rinse the whole plant in the shower, then raise humidity. Check weekly for a month — eggs hatch in waves.

White fluff in leaf joints Mealybugs

Dab each one with cotton dipped in alcohol. Isolate the plant; they spread to neighbours easily.

If none of these fit

Check the least interesting things first: is the pot draining, is there a saucer full of standing water, has a radiator been turned on nearby, has the plant been moved. In our experience four out of five mysteries turn out to be one of those, and the fifth is a pest visible only on the underside of a leaf.