What is wrong with my plant? Start with what you see

Most plant problems show up on the leaves first, and most come from light, watering or drainage rather than disease. Pick what you see, read the guide, and change one thing at a time. If it is still unclear, a photo can help.

Start with what you see

• Yellow leaves: Yellow leaves on houseplants: common causes and what to check · Monstera yellow leaves: causes and what to change · Overwatered or underwatered? How to tell the difference · Pothos yellow leaves: causes and what to change · Orchid yellow leaves: what they mean on a moth orchid
• Brown tips or edges: Brown leaf tips and edges: why they happen and what to change
• Brown or black spots: Leaf spot: brown and black spots on leaves and what to do · Fiddle leaf fig brown spots: causes and what to do · Black spot on roses: how to recognise it and what to do · Tomato blight: early blight and late blight, and what to do · White spots on zucchini leaves: powdery mildew or natural markings? · Blossom-end rot on tomatoes: a dark, sunken patch on the fruit
• Drooping, wilting or soft stems: Overwatering and root rot: signs, causes and what to do · Overwatered or underwatered? How to tell the difference · Peace lily drooping: why it wilts and what to do · Snake plant soft, mushy leaves: root rot and what to do
• White powder or fluff: Powdery mildew: white powder on leaves and what to do · Mealybugs: white fluffy spots on plants and what to do · White spots on zucchini leaves: powdery mildew or natural markings?
• Sticky leaves, tiny bugs or webbing: Aphids on plants: how to spot them and what to do · Spider mites on plants: how to spot them and what to do · Mealybugs: white fluffy spots on plants and what to do · Scale insects on houseplants: how to spot them and what to do · Broad mites on peppers: curled new leaves and bronzed fruit
• Small flies around the soil: Fungus gnats in houseplant soil: why they appear and how to get rid of them
• Stretched, pale or leaning: Leggy, stretched plants: signs of too little light

Too much water, or too little?

The most common mix-up. Read the full guide: Overwatered or underwatered? How to tell the difference.

All the guides

• Yellow leaves on houseplants: common causes and what to check: Why houseplant leaves turn yellow, how to tell overwatering from underwatering or low light, and what to change first.
• Monstera yellow leaves: causes and what to change: Why monstera leaves turn yellow, how to tell overwatering from low light or an old leaf, and what to check and change first.
• Brown leaf tips and edges: why they happen and what to change: What brown, crispy leaf tips and edges usually mean on houseplants, and the watering, humidity and light changes that help.
• Overwatering and root rot: signs, causes and what to do: How to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or has root rot, how to check the roots, and how to repot and water afterwards.
• Overwatered or underwatered? How to tell the difference: Wilting and yellow leaves can mean too much or too little water. How to tell them apart by checking the soil, the pot and the roots.
• Spider mites on plants: how to spot them and what to do: Signs of spider mites on houseplants and garden plants, why they appear, and non-chemical steps to take first.
• Fungus gnats in houseplant soil: why they appear and how to get rid of them: What the small flies around houseplants are, why wet soil attracts them, and simple steps to break their life cycle.
• Powdery mildew: white powder on leaves and what to do: How to recognise powdery mildew on roses, cucumbers, squash and houseplants, what encourages it, and steps to limit it.
• Leaf spot: brown and black spots on leaves and what to do: How to recognise fungal and bacterial leaf spot, how wet leaves spread it, and the cleanup and watering changes that limit it.
• Fiddle leaf fig brown spots: causes and what to do: What brown spots on fiddle leaf fig leaves mean, from overwatering and dry soil to sun scorch, draughts and leaf spot, and what to change.
• Black spot on roses: how to recognise it and what to do: Signs of rose black spot, how it spreads in wet weather, and the cleanup, watering and pruning steps that limit it.
• Tomato blight: early blight and late blight, and what to do: How to tell early blight from late blight on tomatoes, why wet weather spreads them, and what to remove and change.
• Mealybugs: white fluffy spots on plants and what to do: How to recognise mealybugs on houseplants and succulents, where they hide, and steps to remove them.
• Aphids on plants: how to spot them and what to do: How to recognise aphids on houseplants and garden plants, what their sticky honeydew means, and non-chemical steps to take first.
• Leggy, stretched plants: signs of too little light: Why houseplants grow long, pale and leaning, how to tell low light from other problems, and how to give more light.
• Pothos yellow leaves: causes and what to change: Why pothos leaves turn yellow, how to tell overwatering from low light, old leaves and hunger, and what to change first.
• Peace lily drooping: why it wilts and what to do: Why a peace lily droops and wilts, how to tell thirst from overwatering and root rot, and what to change first.
• Snake plant soft, mushy leaves: root rot and what to do: Why snake plant leaves go soft, mushy or fall over, how to check the roots and rhizome for rot, and how to water a snake plant afterwards.
• Orchid yellow leaves: what they mean on a moth orchid: Why moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) leaves turn yellow, from a normal old leaf to overwatering, sun and root rot, and what to change first.
• Scale insects on houseplants: how to spot them and what to do: How to recognise scale insects on houseplants, the sticky honeydew and sooty mould they leave, and the non-chemical steps that come first.
• White spots on zucchini leaves: powdery mildew or natural markings?: How to tell the silver markings many zucchini and squash leaves have naturally from powdery mildew, and what to do when it is mildew.
• Broad mites on peppers: curled new leaves and bronzed fruit: How to recognise broad mites on pepper plants, which are too small to see, how their damage differs from spider mites, and what to do first.
• Blossom-end rot on tomatoes: a dark, sunken patch on the fruit: Why tomato fruit gets a dark, sunken patch at the bottom, why extra calcium rarely fixes it, and how steady watering helps prevent blossom-end rot.

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