Brown Spots on Philodendron: Causes, Solutions, and Prevention

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Philodendrons are widespread indoor plants with large, appealing, deeply segmented and well-appreciated features for their solidity and ease of care.

It is a surprise that Philodendron can survive in low, artificial light, which does not mean that he never suffers from diseases. And brown spots can found in their leaves if the environment not suited for them. However, Your Philodendron leaves can turn yellow or brown and look unhealthy. 

But don’t worry about this spot disease if there is a lot of reason to infected with this disease the happiness matter is that there are many prevention processes to fix this brown spot disease.

This article will discuss everything you may need to know about Brown Spots on Philodendron along with Causes, Solutions, and Prevention.

Let’s get started;

Philodendron Brown Spot On Leaves: Reason And Prevention

There are many specific reasons to turn Philodendron leaves into the brown spot. It is entirely dependent on the environment around your Philodendron and other matter like watering, proper lighting, Fertilizering and some, other things. Take a look at them and identify them correctly.

  1. Sunlight

Philodendron is a tropical plant, and in the tropical forests, they have big plants to protect them from direct sunlight. So they always suffer well in an indirect light spot. If you choose a place for your Philodendron where it receives direct sunlight, your Philodendron leaves can turn yellow and slowly brown spots can be found.

Prevention: The important thing is the perfect spot, and the ideal place for your Philodendron is near an east-facing window. If you have other big trees on your roof, you can keep your Philodendron in the shade of your big trees.

  1. Too Much Watering

For the reason of tropical tree Philodendron like too much moist in their soil at all times. They prefer water when the soil is dry out. If you water your Philodendron before the soil dries out, it means you are watering more water. It can also cause your Philodendron leaves to turn into brown spot. But always remember Philodendron love moist in their soil but not wet.

Prevention: If you follow a particular time about watering for your Philodendron, the leaves will start to grow from the brown spot.

On the other hand, there is a simple way to watering time stick your finger by at least an inch deep of the soil then if you fail to adhere your finger in a simple form in the soil, it means your philodendron need water.

  1. Fertilizer

If your Philodendron leaves staying many days in small size, it’s mean that your Philodendron needs a fertilizer with macro-nutrients. If you don’t have enough knowledge about fertilizer and use healthy fertilizer, it can affect your Philodendron.  

Prevention: Using organic fertilizer is an excellent option for your Philodendron because organic fertilizer is the full source of macro-nutrients which is fully needed for your Philodendron to thrive. On the other side, slow-releasing pallets are another excellent option for you to use liquid-fertilizer. This pallet releases the nutrients slowly, and tree collects them when they have needed.   

  1. Humidity

In this guide, we are talking about indoor plant and in indoor maintaining humidity is very challenging. As Philodendron is a tropical plant, it prefers a humid environment around them.

If this tree doesn’t found any humid condition at the end, their leaves turn into brown spot. 

Prevention: Using a pebble tray under the plant pot is the way to raise the humidity and the simple way to increase humidity is keeping all your favorite tree together at a spot. On the other hand, if you have only Philodendron humidifier can be used to increase humidity.

  1. Pests Attack

Most of the time, we do not follow the watering period we water our Philodendron soil without needed, and it creates a wet condition. The damp place knows as a breeding ground for pests and bacteria, and this pests and bacteria are not only the reason for the brown spot they are also responsible for many other diseases.

Prevention: One way to get rid of it is always water your Philodendron with perfect time.

 Some Other Common Diseases Of  Philodendron

 Some Other Common Diseases Of  Philodendron

Turning the leaves in the brown spot is not only one disease of Philodendron there are also some common diseases take a look and investigate by their symptoms and try to solve them with your own

  1. Bacterial Leaf Spot

Reason: If you water your Philodendron overly this bacteria can breed in topsoil because bacteria love the wet place.

Symptoms: If you notice reddish-brown on the leaf margins and Large spots are tan-shaped and irregular, it is sure that bacterial leaf spot occurs.

Prevention: First of all, you have to avoid overwatering on your Philodendron.

  1. Cold Injury

Reason: If you keep your Philodendron temperature below 10°C for an extended period, this disease will occur.

Symptoms: If your Philodendron affected by the cold injury, you might notice small dark spots on leaves are increase rapidly and then leaves get rotted that smells bad.

Prevention: Try to choose a place for your Philodendron where the temperature is above 55° F.

  1. Magnesium deficiency

Reason: If your Philodendron can not get enough magnesium from the soil, it can be affected by Magnesium deficiency.

Symptoms: You can found V-shape yellow areas form on Philodendron leaves.

Prevention: Take one gallon of water and add one teaspoon of magnesium sulfate to the water and water your Philodendron.

  1. Tip Curl

Reason: Using over-fertilization to the soil are the main reason to get affected by this disease.

Symptoms: The tips of a leaf curl down, and the edges of the leaves getting brown and the roots get in die. 

Prevention: Reduce fertilizer rates and leach soil if there is no slow-release fertilizer. Repot if fertilzer was used excessively slow to release.

Some Important FAQ

We have gathered a few questions and answers asked over the google by philodendron owners assuming you have confusion. Check them out. 

  1. How do you treat your Philodendron leaf?

Several safe and comfortable treatments are available for organic treatment. Most contain octane or sulfur. Or, by spraying with mild bicarbonate, 1⁄2 teaspoon per gallon 2.5 mL, you can try the more traditional medicine.

  1. Are leaf spot are useful for other plats?

The leaf spot may spread quickly in younger but not very harmful older plants, less established plants and cause the plant to wilt or die. When your plant has leaf spots, you can treat them with a leaf spot fungicide.

  1. Is plant fungus harmful to a human?

The majority of fungi are saprophytic, not human-pathogenic. However, a very few fungal species cause disease like e.g. viruses, allergies and cause plant, animal and human toxins.

  1. Can a human get the disease by eating sick plant?

Infected plants or sections will certainly not infect us which make the plant sick. Although it is important to remember that infected plants also have a somewhat different taste or texture than healthy fruit, eating it may not be desirable.

  1. If the virus lives in a plant?

Without hosts, Viruses are not active outside. Many stypes of species like animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria are the hosts for viruses on the outside. But most of the time viruses infect only one host.

Final Word

Philodendron is a powerful and tough plant, and this makes them more durable for any environment. 

But diseases are common for all of us, not only for plants. There is a variety of disease in plants, and spot diseases are one of them. 

You have to remember that spot diseases are controllable, not curable, so you have always ready to take the prevention process because conditions can come at any time.

In this guide, we discuss some common diseases of  Philodendron, and their prevention process uses the process correctly to see the excellent result. Good luck.

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