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Brown spots on leaves · Monstera
Why does my monstera have brown spots?
Where the brown appears tells you the cause. Dry, pale-brown patches on the leaves facing a window are sun scorch, crisp brown edges and tips usually mean dry air or uneven watering, and soft brown areas in the middle of the leaf, often with yellow around them, point to overwatering or a leaf-spot disease. Move the plant out of direct sun, water only when the top 5 cm of soil are dry, keep water off the leaves, and cut off badly damaged leaves.
Check these first
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Look at where the brown is: on the leaf edges and tips, in patches on the side facing the window, or as separate spots scattered over the leaf.
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Feel the damaged tissue. Dry and papery suggests sun, dry air or underwatering; soft, dark or water-soaked suggests too much water or an infection.
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Check for a yellow ring around each spot, or tiny black dots inside it: both are signs of a leaf-spot disease.
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Push a finger into the potting mix to see whether it is soggy or bone dry, and check the saucer for standing water.
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Think about the last few weeks: a move into a sunnier spot, heating switched on, a cold night by the window, or leaves splashed with cold water.
Causes and fixes
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Sun scorch
How to tellPale, bleached or dry brown patches appear on the upper leaves or on the side of the plant that faces a sunny window, often after a move or during summer. The rest of the leaf looks healthy.
What to doMove the plant back from the glass or filter the sun with a sheer curtain so it gets bright light without direct midday or afternoon sun. Scorched patches will not recover; trim them or remove leaves that are mostly damaged.
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Dry air or uneven watering
How to tellLeaf tips and margins turn brown and crisp, often in winter when the heating is on. The soil may have dried out completely between waterings.
What to doWater thoroughly when the top 5 cm of soil are dry instead of letting it dry right through. Raise humidity by grouping plants together or standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles, and keep it away from radiators and heating vents.
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Overwatering
How to tellBrown, soft areas appear in the middle of leaves rather than at the edges, lower leaves may also turn yellow, and the soil stays wet for days. Roots may be dark and mushy.
What to doLet the mix dry before watering again and empty the saucer after each watering. If roots have rotted, cut them away and repot into fresh, chunky, well-draining aroid mix in a pot with drainage holes.
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Fungal or bacterial leaf spot
How to tellSeparate brown spots, often with a yellow halo. Fungal spots may show rings or tiny black dots; bacterial spots start out water-soaked and can merge in wet conditions. They are more likely when leaves stay wet.
What to doCut off and bin the affected leaves, water the soil rather than the foliage, give the plant more space and air movement, and stop misting it. Keep it away from your other plants until no new spots appear.
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Cold damage or cold water
How to tellDark brown or blackened patches after the plant sat against a cold window or near an outside door, or straw-coloured marks where cold water splashed onto the leaves.
What to doKeep the plant in a warm room away from cold glass and drafts, and water with water at room temperature, aiming at the soil.
Stop it coming back
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Give it bright, indirect light and keep it out of hot sun through glass.
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Water when the top 5 cm of soil are dry, at the base of the plant, with room-temperature water.
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Raise humidity in heated rooms by grouping plants or using a pebble tray.
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Keep it away from radiators, heating vents and cold windows in winter.
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Remove fallen or damaged leaves promptly so disease has nothing to start from.
When to worry
When to worry
A few brown tips or one scorched patch are cosmetic: the leaf keeps working, and you can trim the brown edge or leave it. Worry when new spots keep appearing on several leaves, when the spots are soft and spreading, or when brown patches come with yellowing leaves and soil that never dries: that points to an infection or to root rot. Remove every affected leaf, check the roots, cut away any that are dark and mushy, and repot in fresh mix before the damage reaches the stems.
