Any sharp, sturdy pair of scissors will do, but the shape and strength of kitchen shears make them a great choice for this job. To minimize the risk of transferring any plant diseases, especially if you’re trimming more than one plant, wipe down the scissors with rubbing alcohol both before and after using them.
If more than half of the leaf’s surface area is brown—and especially if it’s at least two-thirds brown—then it’s a good candidate for full removal. The preferred way to remove a whole leaf is to cut the base of its stem with sharp scissors. Alternatively, you can pluck it by pinching the base of the stem between the nails of your thumb and index fingers.
Shaping the cuts is only necessary for aesthetic purposes. Cutting straight across the tip of the leaf to remove the dead area isn’t any more damaging to the plant. With some practice, your shaped leaves will be indistinguishable from the fully healthy ones!
If you’re only trimming one or two leaves, leaving some brown behind doesn’t need to be a concern. However, if you’re trimming many leaves at once, you may want to limit the wounds you create in healthy leaf sections.
Brown tips alone rarely indicate disease. A diseased plant will usually have numerous leaves with brown splotches, holes, or complete browning. [5] X Research source
If the soil crumbles away instead of holding together in a clump, you’re under-watering. If water drips from the soil, or if the roots look moldy at the ends, you’re over-watering.
If the tips of the roots look rotted or dead, you can snip them off with scissors. Instead of giving the plant less water at a time on the same schedule, water the plant fully but less frequently. For instance, if you’re currently saturating the soil with water every 2 days, don’t switch to just moistening the soil every two days. Instead, saturate the soil every 4 days.
Place a drain pan under the pot to catch the excess water, or water the plant over the sink. Keep watering the plant on the same schedule (for instance, every other day), but give it more water each time. Pull it from the pot again in a week (on a non-watering day) and check if the soil is dry. If so, start watering the plant more frequently (e. g. , daily) as well as more fully.
It might also help to spritz the leaves with a spray bottle full of water once a day. Keep the plant away from heating or cooling vents that blow out dry air.
A brown-tipped leaf will look green and healthy in all areas except for the brown tip.
Flush the soil with distilled water 2-3 times over the course of several minutes. To prevent future problems, water the plant with distilled water and reduce your use of fertilizers.
If you need help identifying likely pests for your indoor plants, and want advice on how to get rid of them, contact your local agricultural extension office or visit your local plant nursery.
