Brown Tips on prayer plant
What's Happening
Hyper-sensitivity to chlorine, fluoride, and mineral salts (hard water) in municipal tap water. These chemicals are non-volatile and accumulate in leaf margins over time, causing permanent brown, crispy necrosis that often appears on new growth before it even unfurls.
How to Fix It
- 1
Switch to distilled, reverse osmosis, or rainwater exclusively for watering.
- 2
Flush the soil thoroughly with 2-3 gallons of distilled water to leach out accumulated salts.
- 3
Use aquarium water conditioner (dechlorinator) if tap water must be used, though this does not remove fluoride or minerals.
- 4
Trim affected tips with sterilized scissors, leaving a tiny sliver of brown to avoid re-opening the wound.
How to Prevent It
Avoid using high-salt synthetic fertilizers; maintain 60-80% ambient humidity to slow the concentration of minerals at leaf edges; use terra cotta pots only if you flush soil monthly.