How often do you see your plant’s leaves curling? This is a common problem for many people, but it doesn’t have to be. In this blog post, I will go over the most common reasons plant leaves curl up and what you can do about them.
Why do indoor plant leaves curl?
Overwatering or under-watering, sunburn, excessive heat, and insects are all causes of leaves curling. Most often, it’s caused by a disruption in the water supply or extra heat. These are the most common causes of curled leaves and can easily fix.
If your plant is in the correct light, has enough water, and isn’t too hot, then you may have an insect problem. Inspect your leaves for any signs of insects or other damage. You can treat this small infestation with Neem Oil to kill off the bugs and restore your plant to its normal luster.
If you’re unable to pinpoint the precise reason for the leaves curling, it’s not all bad! The problem could just be that it is a natural reaction for some plants when their environment changes or they get too much light. If this is the case, then there isn’t anything that needs to be done.
In conclusion, there are several reasons indoor plant leaves curl up and it could just be a normal reaction to changing environmental conditions or too much light exposure. There is no need to worry if you can’t determine the cause of your plant’s leaves curling as long as other signs aren’t present, such as insects, disease, or damage.
Care guide for the curled leaves of indoor plants
Although curled leaf is not a serious problem, it can still be a symptom of an issue that needs to be addressed. In this section, I will discuss what you can do if your plant has curled leaves and some ways on how to make sure the leaf curling doesn’t happen again in the future!
identify the problem
Before you do anything else, it is important to determine the reason your plant leaves are curling. If no other symptoms exist, such as insect damage or disease, then look for environmental conditions that could cause this reaction. Such as low light, sunburn, overwatering, etc.
In this case, you need to take your plant out of the pot and cut back on watering. You may have been over-watering it without realizing it because there was no drainage in the bottom of the planter!
To make sure it doesn’t happen again, make sure you use a pot with drainage holes and put gravel or pebbles at the bottom for more airflow.
Make sure it’s not a lack of water
Another reason for plant leaves to curl is a lack of water. If the soil is dry and your plant hasn’t been watered in a while, it will start to curl.
In this case, you need to water your plant thoroughly. You can also mist the leaves with a spray bottle of room-temperature water every few days in between watering sessions if it doesn’t rain often where you live.
Deal with sunburns and hot spots
If your indoor plants are getting too much exposure from direct sunlight or sitting next to a heater vent, they will start curling their leaves as well!
To prevent this from happening again make sure that your plants get bright but indirect light and avoid placing them near any sources of heat such as vents for ovens/stoves or space heaters.
Bring on the humidity
If low humidity is causing curled leaf problems then use a humidifier that attaches to your faucet for a few hours each day to increase the humidity around your plant.
If you’re using an ultrasonic humidifier, make sure it’s not too close as this can cause leaf burn on tender new growth!
Check out roots
If you cannot address the problem take a look at those roots. If they are turning black and mushy at the bottom, you have a root rot problem!
This means that your plant has been sitting in too much water for too long and is no longer able to absorb nutrients from its roots because there isn’t any oxygen available. The leaves will start curling as a result of this issue which is why I mentioned earlier the importance of using a pot with drainage and putting some gravel in there so water can run through more quickly.
If your plant does have root rot, you need to take it out of its current pot (if possible) and let the roots dry for 24 hours before re-potting into fresh soil that has been mixed with perlite and peat moss. Make sure you cut off those rotting roots also.
Take it outside
If your plant is curling up due to a lack of humidity then you should take it outside for the time being and let the sun and wind naturally harden off its leaves before bringing it back into the house. The cold weather outdoors will help any insect infestation go away as well.
Keep your eyes on those pests
If you have an infestation of insects on your plant, this is usually the cause behind any leaf curl.
There are a ton of different types of insects that can do this such as aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs.
To get rid of them, you need to use a pesticide that is safe for indoor plants.
A good all-purpose insecticide can be found at your local garden center or online. It contains an active ingredient called imidacloprid which will kill most insects on contact including spider mites and aphids while being gentle enough to use around your kids and pets.
The bottom line is that curling leaves can come from a variety of different causes.
However, it’s usually not difficult to find the solution once you know what might be causing it!
By following these tips on how to care for your indoor houseplants, you should have no issues with leaf curl ever again!
Good luck!
