56 problems explained Plant diagnosis
Yellow leaves, spots, small creatures on the stems: most problems have one simple cause and one fix. Find yours.
Watering 7
Too much, too little or at the wrong time: the leading reason plants decline.
Keep an eye on it Free access Dry soil, drooping leaves
The soil is dry and the leaves are soft and drooping.
Causes and fixes
Keep an eye on it Free access Collapsed plant, extreme soil
The plant collapses, and its leaves yellow or brown.
Causes and fixes
Minor In the app Flower buds dropping
Flower buds drop before opening and fruit splits or dimples.
See in the app
Minor In the app Brown tips, white crust
Leaf tips turn brown and a white deposit appears on the soil or the pot.
See in the app
Urgent In the app Limp leaves, wet soil
The soil stays soaked and the leaves are limp, although they are not short of water.
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Urgent In the app Water sitting under the pot
Water sits in the saucer or cachepot for hours after watering.
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Keep an eye on it In the app Yellow lower leaves
Lower leaves turn yellow one by one, with no spots and no insects in sight.
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Light 6
Too dark or too harsh: the plant shows it in its stems and colours.
Keep an eye on it Free access Long, sparse stems
Stems stretch abnormally and new leaves come out small and pale.
Causes and fixes
Minor Free access Pale leaves, fading variegation
The foliage pales and white or cream variegation fades away.
Causes and fixes
Minor In the app Stems leaning one way
The plant leans distinctly to one side, towards the window.
See in the app
Keep an eye on it In the app Sudden leaf drop
The plant sheds a lot of leaves suddenly after being moved.
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Minor In the app Will not flower
The plant grows normally but never produces a flower bud.
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Keep an eye on it In the app Pale, dry patches
Pale, dry, papery patches appear on the most exposed leaves.
See in the app
Pests 16
From insects to larvae: spot them early to get rid of them fast.
Urgent Free access Fine webbing, yellow speckling
Very fine webbing appears under the leaves, which take on a yellow stippling.
Causes and fixes
Keep an eye on it Free access Clusters on new growth
Small pear-shaped insects, usually clustered on new growth.
Causes and fixes
Keep an eye on it In the app Silvery streaking
Tiny insects leaving silvery streaks and black specks on the leaves.
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Keep an eye on it In the app Cloud of white insects
A cloud of white insects takes off when you shake the plant.
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Minor In the app Stippled leaves, black specks
Foliage fades in fine stippling and carries shiny black specks underneath.
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Minor In the app Jumping insects, white stippling
Small wedge-shaped insects jump off the foliage and leave a white stippling.
See in the app
Keep an eye on it In the app White cottony clusters
White, cottony or powdery clusters sit in the leaf axils.
See in the app
Keep an eye on it In the app Small brown bumps
Small brown bumps, hard and immobile, are stuck to stems and veins.
See in the app
Keep an eye on it In the app Leaf edges eaten in arcs
Leaf edges are eaten away in arcs by green caterpillar-like larvae.
See in the app
Minor In the app Leaves riddled with holes
Leaves are riddled with small round holes, as if punched through.
See in the app
Minor In the app Pale winding tunnels
Pale, winding trails wander inside the thickness of the leaves.
See in the app
Keep an eye on it In the app Ragged holes, slime trails
Ragged holes appear overnight, with silvery slime trails nearby.
See in the app
Urgent In the app Notched edges, larvae in the roots
Neat semicircular notches edge the leaves, and the plant wilts for no reason.
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Urgent In the app Sawdust at the base, holes in bark
Fine sawdust escapes from small round holes bored into the wood.
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Minor In the app Small flies around the pot
Small black flies rise out of the pot whenever you move it.
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Minor In the app White dots hopping on the soil
Tiny white insects hop across the compost surface when you water.
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Diseases 12
Fungi, bacteria and rot: the signs and the right moves.
Keep an eye on it Free access White powder on leaves
A white, powdery film covering the leaves and stems.
Causes and fixes
Keep an eye on it Free access Orange pustules
Orange, powdery pustules appearing on the undersides of leaves.
Causes and fixes
Keep an eye on it In the app Brown haloed spots
Brown spots ringed with a yellow halo spread across the leaves.
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Keep an eye on it In the app Beige spots with dark edges
Beige to black spots with clear dark borders hollow out the leaves.
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Minor In the app Clean shot-like holes
Small reddish spots drop out and leave clean round holes in the leaves.
See in the app
Urgent In the app Grey fuzz on flowers
Grey, powdery fuzz takes over spent flowers and then spreads to the stems.
See in the app
Urgent In the app Brown roots, musty smell
The plant wilts and yellows while its soil stays wet.
See in the app
Urgent In the app Soft brown stem base
The base of the stem, at soil level, turns soft, brown and sunken.
See in the app
Urgent In the app Soft stem, foul smell
The stem turns soft and translucent and gives off a foul smell.
See in the app
Keep an eye on it In the app Angular spots between veins
Spots with angular outlines stop dead at the leaf veins.
See in the app
Minor In the app Black soot-like film
A black, soot-like deposit covers the upper leaf surfaces.
See in the app
Minor In the app Hard growths on the plant
A hard growth, part of the plant itself, forms on a stem, a leaf or a root.
See in the app
Soil 8
Tired, compacted or cramped soil holds the whole plant back.
Minor Free access Even yellowing from the bottom
Even yellowing of the oldest leaves first.
Causes and fixes
Keep an eye on it Free access Yellow young leaves, green veins
Yellowing of the young leaves, with veins that stay green.
Causes and fixes
Minor In the app Old soil, listless plant
The plant stalls in old, grey compost with no structure left.
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Keep an eye on it In the app Yellow leaves, green veins
Leaves turn yellow between veins that stay green.
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Keep an eye on it In the app White crust on the surface
A whitish crust forms on the surface of the compost and around the pot rim.
See in the app
Keep an eye on it In the app Hard, compacted soil
The soil is hard and water pools on top instead of soaking in.
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Keep an eye on it In the app Roots coming out of the pot
Roots come out of the drainage holes and spiral around the inside of the pot.
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Minor In the app White fuzz on the soil
A white, cottony fuzz spreads over the surface of the soil.
See in the app
Environment 7
Cold, heat, dry air, shock after repotting: what comes from around it.
Keep an eye on it Free access Cold-blackened leaves
Leaves blacken or drop on the side facing a window or a door.
Causes and fixes
Keep an eye on it Free access Limp leaves in high heat
The plant flops in the hottest hours and picks up again in the evening.
Causes and fixes
Keep an eye on it In the app Sudden damage after the weather
Sudden damage after extreme weather such as frost, heatwave or wind.
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Minor In the app Brown, dry tips
Leaf tips and edges brown and dry.
See in the app
Minor In the app Dull, dusty foliage
The foliage is dull and grey and has lost its shine.
See in the app
Minor In the app Decline after repotting
The plant wilts and stalls in the days following a repot.
See in the app
Urgent In the app Burns after a product
Burns appear within hours of applying a product.
See in the app
No problem matches.
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