Houseplant Care

Fiddle Leaf Fig Brown Spots: Every Cause and How to Fix Them You notice one brown spot, then another, then suddenly you are down a rabbit hole of advice that does not agree with itself. Water less. Water more. Move her. Repot her. Spray something. Leave her alone. That is frustrating, and honestly, it is not because you are missing something simple. Brown spots on a fiddle leaf fig can come from different problems, and the fix for one can push another in the wrong direction. ...

If you’ve ever killed a plant and sworn off trying again, Chinese Evergreen care might be your way back in. The Aglaonema is one of those rare plants that adapts to you: your light, your schedule, even the occasional forgotten watering. It doesn’t demand much, and it rewards you with bold, patterned leaves that look far more exotic than the effort required to grow them. If you want a few similarly forgiving options, the easy houseplants for beginners guide is a good next stop. ...

If your string of pearls is looking wrong right now, pearls going soft, stems darkening near the soil, the whole plant seeming to give up without warning, the most likely cause is the one many beginners least expect: too much water. Not neglect. Water. String of pearls (Curio rowleyanus) is a trailing succulent from dry regions of southern Africa, and every round leaf is built to store water. That is why this plant can look delicate but still hate being treated like a thirsty tropical. Once you understand that one fact, most care decisions get simpler. If you want the broader watering-and-light logic behind that pattern, our succulent care guide is a useful companion. ...

If you just brought home a satin pothos and want the plain answer: put it in bright indirect light, water only when the top half of the soil has dried, and check the soil before reacting to curling or yellowing leaves. In many homes that means watering about every 10 to 14 days in spring and summer, then closer to every three weeks in autumn and winter. The easiest way to overdo it is to treat satin pothos like a thirsty plant. It is not. Too much water usually shows up as yellow lower leaves, soft stems, or soil that stays damp for more than two weeks. Too little water or too-dry air usually shows up as curling leaves, crispy edges, or brown tips. ...

You go to water your plant and notice white fluffy clusters tucked into the joints where leaves meet the stem. It looks like lint, or maybe a bit of mold. That first moment of uncertainty is normal. The practical answer is this: if the white material is cottony, collects in leaf joints or stem creases, and wipes away with an insect underneath, you are probably dealing with mealybugs. The fix is not one dramatic spray. It is isolation, direct contact treatment, repeat checks, and a quick decision about whether the problem is above the soil or down in the roots. ...

Philodendron Pink Princess is not hard to keep alive, but it is easy to disappoint if you buy it for the pink and then put it in a dim corner. The real care question is simple: can you give it bright indirect light, a pot that drains, and a soil check once a week? If yes, it can fit a normal indoor routine. If you want a plant you can water on a fixed schedule and forget, choose a tougher green philodendron instead. ...

If you are trying to keep a monstera adansonii alive indoors, the main question is simple: can you give it bright indirect light and resist watering before the soil starts to dry? If yes, this is usually a manageable plant for a normal home routine. Monstera adansonii, also called Swiss cheese vine, is a fast-growing trailing or climbing houseplant with naturally holey leaves. It is smaller and lighter than the monstera thai constellation and the larger monstera deliciosa, so it fits shelves, hanging baskets, and moss poles more easily. The care challenge is not complicated botany. It is reading the plant’s signals before small issues turn into yellow leaves, curled leaves, brown tips, or root rot. ...

By KnowYourPlant Editorial Team, updated September 9, 2026. This version keeps the guide aligned with extension and IPM guidance and adds a source-based fungus-gnat, fruit-fly, and drain-fly comparison. Start Here if You Need the Gnats Down Fast If you are standing over the pot right now and just want the first three moves, do these before you try anything fancy: Put a yellow sticky trap in every suspect pot so you can see which container is actually feeding the outbreak. Let the top 1 to 2 inches of mix dry as much as the plant safely allows, then empty every saucer, cachepot, or reservoir holding leftover water. If adults return after the next watering, add a labeled larval treatment such as BTI or beneficial nematodes and focus on the wettest source pots first. If the plant is a seedling, fresh cutting, or already recovering from root stress, keep the dry-down gentler and lean harder on monitoring plus larval control. ...

You notice a faint dustiness on the leaves. Maybe some tiny yellow speckles, or a leaf that looks a little washed out. You lean in closer and see the faintest threads of webbing in the crook where the stem meets a leaf. That’s when you know: spider mites have found your plant. Knowing how to get rid of spider mites is one of the most useful things you can learn as a plant person, because these pests move fast and they don’t announce themselves loudly. The good news is that if you catch them early, they’re very manageable. And even if the infestation has gotten ahead of you, there’s still a clear path back. ...

Philodendron Brasil is a good fit if you want a trailing plant that can forgive the occasional late watering, but it is not a great fit for a dark corner. Its yellow-green streaks need brighter indirect light than a plain heartleaf philodendron, and its roots need time to dry between waterings. The short version: put it near a bright window out of harsh direct sun, water when the top few centimetres of soil feel dry, and watch the newest leaves. Curling usually means the plant is too dry, yellowing often means the soil has stayed wet too long, and brown tips usually point to dry air, fertilizer buildup, or inconsistent watering. ...