Why Are My House Plant Leaves Drying Up?

House plants are valuable for adding life and beauty to your home, not to mention for helping purify your home's air. House plants can be picky about their growing conditions, though, and if you notice plant leaves drying up, you may have a problem.

When you notice that your house plant leaves are drying up, the whole leaf may be dry and cracked or only part of the leaf may be dry. The leaves may fall off and you might also notice stem drop.

The problem may be under watering or over watering. It's easy to see why under watering would be a cause of dry house plant leaves, but over watering can also make leaves dry. When plants are over watered, they cannot take in oxygen through their roots and they begin to die.

House plants situated near a heating vent may become dry. Too much sun, too little sun and overfeeding the plant may also cause leaves to dry.

Remove the dried leaves and determine if the plant needs water or to dry out. Move the plant away from heating vents and confirm that it is receiving the correct amount of sunlight. To find the right water and sunlight conditions for a particular plant, consult a book on house plant care, or explore the Internet for information about your plant. If you purchased your plant, it may come with care instructions.

Determine the correct light, water and temperature conditions for each house plant, and ensure the right conditions are provided. Never over water or over-fertilize a plant.