When you brought your Philodendron Birkin home, it had luscious green leaves with bright white lines running across them. Suddenly, it has brown spots on its leaves, and you don’t know what to do.
Now you’re stressed. What does this mean? Is your plant dying? What can you do to help it get better?
As fellow plant parents, we understand how vital the health of your Philodendron Birkin is to you. If you’re stressed about seeing brown spots on your Philodendron Birkin, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
There are a few things that could be causing Philodendron Birkin brown spots. But luckily, there’s a lot you could do and nurse it back to health.
You can read my guide on Philodendron varieties here.
Major causes of Philodendron brown spots
Generally, the philodendron species is quite tough. It can withstand more than most other house plants can.
It doesn’t require special treatment and is excellent at communicating what it needs to its parents. And the earlier you read these warning signs, the faster you can get your plant back to normal.
So what is it that’s making your plant unhappy? Is it too much water or too little water?
Are the roots healthy?
Could it be infected by a fungus or pests?
Is it getting too much Sun? Or is it just a transplant shock?
Overwatering
It’s tricky to tell whether you’re underwatering or overwatering your philodendron Birkin. Nonetheless, overwatering and underwatering will cause substantial plant damage.
It can even lead to eventual plant death, so you’ll need to watch out.
To see if you are overwatering the plant, pay attention to the soil. If you observe soil not drying out after watering, then you’re overwatering your Philodendron Birkin.
Your plant will slowly start wilting and turn to a pale green or yellowish color. Eventually, you’ll see the philodendron brown spots and noticeable growth of algae and mold along the stem of the plant spreading all over it.
Solution
The easiest fix to this is to stop watering your plant. Allow the plant’s soil to dry out. When the plant has had some time to dry, prune the damaged roots.
Suppose you don’t see any recovery re-pot the plant. You should be able to see your plant grow back healthy.
Underwatering
Underwatering the plant is straightforward to identify. You’ll know when you’ve been slacking off. Reviving your plant will only require consistency on your part.
Prepare a well-regulated watering schedule and adhere to it. Set an alarm or a reminder on your phone, and your plant should be back to normal in no time.
To speed up your philodendron’s recovery:
- Move it to a shaded area, and this will minimize evaporation.
- Consider reliable options wherever you go on a vacation.
- Make sure your plants don’t remain thirsty while you’re on your vacation.
Pest Attack
Let’s say your plant is getting just the perfect amount of water, but you can still see brown spots on your philodendron, and whatever you do isn’t fixing the problem.
One of the things people don’t consider is the possibility of a pest problem. You might be thinking that this is impossible because your house is spotless. Well, plant pests are a different story.
Spider-mites can be a potential death sentence. These are difficult to spot, so you’ll have to look hard.
Spider-mites feed in groups sucking up all the nutrition from your plants, and hence the philodendron brown spots start appearing. Thrips are also another type of bug that will ruin the health of your plants.
Solution
Pruning the leaves of your plants will save your plant. Remove all the infected leaves and any other parts that the bugs might have taken over. Wash the rest of the plant with insecticidal soap and watch out for reinfestation.
Plant Fungal Infection
People tend to underestimate plant fungal infection. This is often the culprit behind the Philodendron Birkin brown spots that have been bothering you.
Fungal infections are worsened by overwatering. Fungus growth gets accelerated, and plant growth is diminished.
Solution
The ideal course of action is to prune all of the affected areas. The rest of your healthy plant will grow and flourish. Just keep an eye out for recurrent infections and try to ensure an optimum watering schedule.
Sunburn
Plants are just like humans. When your plant is exposed to sunlight, it will get sunburnt.
Philodendron Birkin thrives in indirect sunlight. A minimum 12hrs of sunlight is essential, but direct sunlight will scorch your plant.
The leaves and the plant will start to dry up, leaving the characteristic brown spots on the philodendron’s leaves, which aren’t hard to spot.
The best idea is to store your plant on an east-facing or west-facing window. Other than that, 12hrs-13hrs of sunlight are ideal for your plant to grow.
Transplant shock
Transplant shock might lead to the ultimate death of your Philodendron Birkin. If you have recently re-pot the plant, and then you see brown spots on the Philodendron Birkin, chances are your plant has experienced transplantation shock.
Transplant shock can easily be avoided if you hydrate the plant 24hrs before potting. When you change the pot, you also need to ensure that the new pot has adequate drainage.
These two precautions should protect your plant from transplant shock.
Conclusion
A healthy Philodendron Birkin has luscious green leaves with their bright white line running across them, adding elegance to your home.
They have claimed a top spot in the list of the favorite house plants because they are easy to maintain and need little attention to stay healthy.
But sometimes, your plant might be suffering, and you might not realize it. So, you leave it in the sun for too long or forget to water it one too many days, and before you know it, your Philodendron Birkin has brown spots on its leaves.
Seeing brown spots on your philodendron leaves might be scary at first, but the plant can easily be saved.
No matter the cause, a little TLC will fix it right up. And your philodendron will be good as new. These simple fixes will ensure your plant is at its best.
Plants have the potential to be the best pets. They don’t demand too much, they don’t make a mess, and they make your house look beautiful.
Good luck, helping your Philodendron Birkin thrive; they will make your house feel like home.
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