Wet soil and fallen leaves: overwatering or too little light?
Learn to combine potting-mix moisture, drainage, growth and light to identify likely causes of leaf drop before changing your watering routine.
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Leaf Alert
Leaf Alert helps home growers interpret symptoms, investigate likely causes, and choose the first steps for plant recovery.
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Silver or green orchid roots: when to water and how to spot rot
Learn what silver and green roots indicate, how to combine signs before watering, and how to tell normal drying from root rot.
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Wilted plant with wet soil: when not to water again and what to check
Wilting in moist potting mix does not automatically mean thirst. Check drainage, heat, transplant stress, and roots before watering again.
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Can houseplants take direct spring sun? How to acclimate them without scorching the leaves
Some houseplants can handle more spring sun, but the change should be gradual. Use this flexible 7–14 day framework, learn why morning sun is usually safer, and spot signs of leaf ...
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Leaves and Stains2 articles
Investigation of yellowing, dry edges, burns, deformations and different types of stains.
Watering and Roots6 articlesExcess or lack of water, drainage, substrate, damaged roots and rot.
Pests and Diseases9 articlesVisual identification, isolation, prevention and initial care when dealing with insects and possible plant diseases.
Light and Growth3 articlesWeak growth, elongated stems, crooked plants, lack of light, excessive sun and unsuitable environment.
Recovery & Repotting4 articlesReplanting, changing pots, recovery pruning, adaptation and follow-up after a problem.
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Roots Growing Out of Drainage Holes: When to Repot and What Pot Size to Choose
Learn how to tell a stray root from a truly root-bound plant, measure the next pot size, and avoid oversized containers that stay wet too long.
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Sticky plant leaves: honeydew, mealybugs, aphids, or guttation?
A practical key to tell whether stickiness comes from sap-feeding insects or the plant itself before applying any treatment.
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White or Brown Leaves After Moving a Plant: Sunburn or Poor Acclimation?
Learn which signs point to sunburn after a sudden increase in light, how to distinguish it from drying and other stress, and how to acclimate the plant more safely.
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Yellow leaves with green veins: how to tell iron, magnesium and root problems apart
Use leaf age, chlorosis pattern, pH and root signs to investigate iron deficiency, magnesium deficiency or poor uptake without fertilizing blindly.
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Soft or translucent succulent leaves: how to tell overwatering, underwatering, edema and root rot apart
A soft or translucent leaf does not automatically mean thirst. Learn how to combine potting-mix moisture, leaf texture and root condition before watering or repotting.
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White Layer on Potting Soil: Mold, Salts, or Perlite? How to Tell Before Disturbing the Plant
Learn to distinguish surface fungal growth, salt deposits, and light-colored potting-mix ingredients by texture, location, drainage, and fertilizing history.
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Silvery leaves and black specks: how to confirm thrips and tell them from spider mites before treating
Irregular silvering with black specks favors thrips; fine stippling and webbing favor spider mites. Learn how to confirm the pest before treating.
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Powdery mildew on potted plants: how to confirm the white powder and tell it apart from mealybugs and residue
Before applying any product, observe texture, distribution, and associated signs. The pattern of the white powder helps distinguish powdery mildew from mealybugs and residue.
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Fine webbing and pale specks on leaves: how to confirm spider mites before treating
Fine webbing, stippling, and bronzing suggest spider mites, but confirmation comes from checking leaf undersides, using a hand lens, and the white-paper test.
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- 01When not to change a potted plant: signs to watch out for before repottingRecovery & Repotting
- 02Unknown plant pest: when to photograph, isolate and notify before controllingPests and Diseases
- 03Water passes through the vase, but the clod remains dry: how to recognize hydrophobic substrateWatering and Roots
- 04Panama disease R4T: why yellow leaves on a banana tree are not enough to diagnose and when a suspicion should be reportedPests and Diseases
- 05Plant suffering in winter: how to separate cold, low light and excess waterRecovery & Repotting
Leaves and Stains
Investigation of yellowing, dry edges, burns, deformations and different types of stains.
Brown tips on leaves: how to differentiate dry air, irregular watering, excess salts and water quality
Brown tips do not automatically ask for water or fertilizer. See what signs separate dry air, irregular watering, accumulated salts and water problems.
Read articleYellow leaves with green veins: how to tell iron, magnesium and root problems apart
Use leaf age, chlorosis pattern, pH and root signs to investigate iron deficiency, magnesium deficiency or poor uptake without fertilizing blindly.
Read articleWatering and Roots
Excess or lack of water, drainage, substrate, damaged roots and rot.
Boa constrictor with yellow leaves in winter: humidity and light test before changing the pot
Yellow leaves on boa constrictors do not confirm the diagnosis. In three days, compare humidity, drainage, light and pattern before watering or changing the pot.
Read articleWet soil and fallen leaves: overwatering or too little light?
Learn to combine potting-mix moisture, drainage, growth and light to identify likely causes of leaf drop before changing your watering routine.
Read articleWilted plant with wet soil: when not to water again and what to check
Wilting in moist potting mix does not automatically mean thirst. Check drainage, heat, transplant stress, and roots before watering again.
Read articleSoft or translucent succulent leaves: how to tell overwatering, underwatering, edema and root rot apart
A soft or translucent leaf does not automatically mean thirst. Learn how to combine potting-mix moisture, leaf texture and root condition before watering or repotting.
Read articlePests and Diseases
Visual identification, isolation, prevention and initial care when dealing with insects and possible plant diseases.
White dots looking like cotton on the plant: how to confirm mealybug before treating
Learn how to confirm whether the white dots are mealybugs, where to look for hidden signs and how to choose the first measure without treating the plant in the dark.
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Gnats in the vase: how to differentiate fungus gnats from springtails and combat the right stage
Learn to separate fungus gnats from springtails by behavior, confirm larvae in the substrate and choose measures that reach adults or larvae without drying the plant as a rule.
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Red palm weevil: MAPA warning signs and when to notify
Understand which signs on palm trees deserve attention, why a photo does not confirm the red weevil and how to notify MAPA without manipulating the plant.
Read articleSticky plant leaves: honeydew, mealybugs, aphids, or guttation?
A practical key to tell whether stickiness comes from sap-feeding insects or the plant itself before applying any treatment.
Read articleLight and Growth
Weak growth, elongated stems, crooked plants, lack of light, excessive sun and unsuitable environment.
Plant growing to one side: is it a lack of light? How to differentiate phototropism, etiolation and lack of support
Leaning towards the window does not prove a lack of light. Here's how to read shoots, nodes, leaves, and stability to decide whether to observe, illuminate, rotate, or support.
Read articleCan houseplants take direct spring sun? How to acclimate them without scorching the leaves
Some houseplants can handle more spring sun, but the change should be gradual. Use this flexible 7–14 day framework, learn why morning sun is usually safer, and spot signs of leaf ...
Read articleWhite or Brown Leaves After Moving a Plant: Sunburn or Poor Acclimation?
Learn which signs point to sunburn after a sudden increase in light, how to distinguish it from drying and other stress, and how to acclimate the plant more safely.
Read articleBefore treating, learn to observe
Leaf Alert was created to help people who grow plants in houses and apartments investigate yellowing leaves, spots, pests, weak growth, and watering problems. Our content starts with symptoms, analyzes possible causes, and recommends a sequence of checks before any intervention. The blog separates observation, hypothesis, and confirmation, explains the limits of its recommendations, and updates articles when new evidence or corrections make that necessary.