Dracaena (corn plant) leaves edge brown spots
ken_yong28
8 years ago
My corn plant has been pretty healthy for the past six months and then today suddenly I saw two brown spots on one leaf (incidentally this leaf doesn't look as healthy) and darker brown spot on another. The two leaves are relatively new leaves. Please kindly let me know what's going on! I inspected the plant and there are no insects or mites. All other leaves are fine. These two leaves are on the same stalk.
Do I need to cut off the brown spots? What should I do? Please help! If more pics are needed let me know.
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ken_yong28
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Brown edges, spots on leaves of newly planted Wisteria?
Comments (3)"Once every couple weeks" is probably not sufficient for anything planted this season. Newly planted trees, shrubs and large vines (like wisteria) need frequent deep watering throughout their first couple of summers in the ground. Once or twice a week with a slow trickle from the hose at the base of the plant is going to be more appropriate and encourage good root development and proper growth....See MoreDiscolored spots on edges of spider plant leaves - why?
Comments (9)It IS a cultural issue and is most likely related to over-watering or a high level of dissolved solids (mineral salts from tapwater and/or fertilizers) in the soil solution. It's also possible that it's a reaction to the presence of fluoride, a chemical the effects of which accumulate at the same rate fluoride accumulates in leaf tissues. Fluoride generally takes the rap for issues that should be attributed to the first two possibilities listed. While you can't fix the damaged leaves, you can help prevent subsequently forming leaves from displaying the same symptoms. The KEY lies in your choosing or making a soil that can be water correctly. If you can't water your plant to beyond saturation w/o your soil remaining soggy so long it severely affects the plants ability to take up water, and in doing so causes the symptoms your plant exhibits, you'll be constantly battling your chosen soil for control of the plant's vitality AND appearance. Also key is fertilizing frequently but at low doses. Spider plants don't like high EC/TDS (fertility levels) and let you know it in no uncertain terms - by displaying the symptoms your plant exhibits. In the end, you want to employ strategies that don't limit the plant's ability to efficiently move water from roots to parts most distal, which would be leaf tips and margins. BTW - it's extremely common for variegated plants to first display symptoms of unfavorable cultural conditions in tissues largely absent of chlorophyll - the white/light part. Following, you'll find something I posted to a thread a while back and saved because the issue you're asking about comes up with such regularity: Some info from something I posted previously: While necrotic leaf tips or margins can occur in this plant from over/under-watering, in fact, it's much more common for the actual cause to be a high level of soluble salts in soils. It's also commonly reported that this plant is particularly intolerant or fluoride, but it's still more common for the cause of leaf burn to be a high level of solubles, to which fluoride can be a contributor, than it is to be fluoride itself. WHEN there is a high level of salts in the soil, low humidity can be a contributor, but low humidity alone rarely presents an issue, it must be in combination with a high level of soluble salts in the soil or either over/under-watering. Of course, you cannot correct the already burned tips (they won't 'heal'), but you can take steps to keep it from happening: A) Most important is to use a soil that drains very freely. This allows you to water copiously, flushing the accumulating salts from the soil each time you water. B) Fertilize frequently when the plant is growing well, but at low doses - perhaps 1/4 the recommended strength. This, in combination with the favorable watering habit described above, will keep soluble salts levels low, and keep levels from rising due to the accumulative effect we always see when we are forced to water in sips when plants are in water-retentive soils. C) When watering, using rainwater, snow melt, water from your dehumidifiers, or distilled water also eliminates the soluble salts in your tap water and will go a long way toward eliminating or minimizing leaf burn. D) If you make your own soils and use perlite, be sure the perlite is rinsed thoroughly, which removes most of the fluorides associated with it's use. E) Allowing water to rest overnight doesn't/won’t do anything in the way of helping reduce the amount of fluoride (the compounds are not volatile), and it only helps with chlorine in a very few cases, depending on what method of chlorination was used to treat your tap water; but nearly all municipalities are currently using chlorination compounds that are entirely nonvolatile, which means they won’t dissipate into the air. Al...See MoreDracaena Warneckii brown spots
Comments (4)I'm not familiar with fluoride toxicity, but the link says the brown stripes affect the white stripes on the leaves, but it looks like your problem is at the edges, including entirely green areas, of the leaves. It shouldn't be hard to get the results of water tests done by your local water authority; ours even posts them online. This will also tell you how hard your water is. Is the lava rock a top dressing or is it part of the mix? Is the mix fine and peaty? Are the damaged leaves limited to one branch or to the top or the bottom of the dracaena? The size of the plant would affect how often you water; a plant that large in that sized pot will dry that amount of soil pretty fast so you'll have to water more often. On the other hand, the amount of water you give it each time mainly depends on the type and amount of soil in the pot. Make sure that the bottom of the pot isn't sitting in drained water, which will allow minerals flushed from the soil to reenter the pot and keep the lower part of the pot saturated with water, which is deadly to roots. As you probably know, dracaenas love lots of light. I've seen them thrive directly under bright office fluorescents, especially if the lights are on all or most of the day. You're dracaena's corner looks very dark, though, so I'd move it directly under a set of lights to keep it in good condition. I hope something in there is helpful....See MoreMy red edged dracaena is browning from the tips and dropping leaves!
Comments (25)Use distilled water ......... or water from a R/O water filtration system (what I use), or rain water, snow melt, or air conditioner/ dehumidifier condensate, all of which are deionized (no solutes harmful to plants) or very close to that state. N/a - leaves appearing at close to the rate they are being shed, or more leaves being shed than are appearing is an unsustainable condition. Expression of the pigment anthocyanin, which produces the maroon coloration of leaf margins, is usually most conspicuous in the very early and early developmental stage of the leaf; however, light levels are an overarching influence at all times. Brighter light will increase the contrast of the leaves' variegative coloration. Not to chide you, but to others, it's important to understand that because a plant tolerates something isn't necessarily an indication its provisional influence is advantageous to the plant. That a schefflera temporarily tolerates temperatures in the low thirties, or ponytail palms tolerate extended periods of drought and/or low fertility isn't reason enough to adopt those parameters as part of the plant's care regimen. The closer cultural conditions are to the limits the plant is genetically programmed to tolerate, the greater the stress the plant must tolerate to maintain viability. Stress quickly turns to strain, which is an unsustainable condition, unsustainable because under conditions of strain, the plant is using more energy than it's producing. In order to cope with severe stress and strain, plants have the ability to reduce the mass living mass the roots need to sustain, and the mechanism by which mass is diminished is my shedding parts to create a balance between the the plant's top volume and the size/efficiency of its root mass. Good point about the tea leaves. I did know coffee and tea grounds are not good for plants until all harmful chemicals have been leached during the composting process (whether in a compost pile or in the pot), but I wasn't aware of their high fluoride content. I did read that in humans the anti-oxidants act as a counter-measure to the potentiality of oxidative stress in humans. I have no idea if that carries over to plants, but I suspect not - just a guess. Something I wrote about the impact of coffee/tea or used grounds in container plantings: Coffee/Tea Grounds Forum discussions frequently center on the question of adding dilute coffee/tea or grounds to plants as a 'tonic', but Arabica (coffee) and Camellia (tea) are known for their toxic alkaloid (caffeine) content and their allelopathic affect on plants as well as autotoxic (poison to their own seedlings) effects on future generations. Caffeine interferes with root development by impairing protein metabolism. This affects activity of an important bio-compound (PPO) and lignification (the process of becoming woody), crucial steps for root formation. We also know that the tannins in both coffee and tea are known allelopaths (growth inhibitors). There are ongoing experiments to develop herbicides using extracts from both coffee and tea that cause me to want to say they might serve better as a nonselective herbicide than as a tonic. I would not use either (stale coffee or tea) by applying directly to my plants - especially containerized plants; nor would I add tea bags/coffee grounds to my container soils. Al...See Moreken_yong28
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoNo moisture control crystals. I removed the old soil and repotted about six months ago. Yes, the pot has holes at the bottom. It has been indoor always, never exposed to outside coldness. What should I do?
Found another leaf on the same stalk having problem:
ken_yong28
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoHere is the pic of the whole plant. Also, corrected info: The three leaves are on the same shoot, not "stalk" (i.e. trunk, sorry I didn't know how to describe it). Leaves on another shoot on the same stalk/trunk are perfectly fine.
ken_yong28
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoken_yong28
8 years agoken_yong28
8 years ago
Christine Bell
2 years ago
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