A he althy single leaf has dark green, shiny leaves. If the plant is not doing well, you can recognize this by, among other things, discoloration of the foliage. Brown spots or dots are often an indication that you meant too well when fertilizing. But pest infestation and the quite common leaf spot disease can also be behind this phenomenon.
Why does my leaflet have brown spots?
Brown spots on a leaf can indicate overfertilization, pest infestation or leaf spot. To solve the problem, you should reduce the amount of fertilizer, remove the affected leaves and increase the humidity to repel pests.
Indication of over-fertilization
Depending on the size of the plant, the location and the season, the single leaf is supplied with a houseplant fertilizer approximately every two to eight weeks. Over-fertilization, i.e. an excessive supply of nutrients, becomes noticeable over time as brown spots on the leaves. In such a case, repot the plant in fresh substrate and reduce the amounts of fertilizer.
Pest Infestation
Especially if the plant is too dry or the humidity is too low, the single leaf will initially have brown leaf tips. In addition, the weakened plant can later be attacked by pests such as spider mites or the red spider. These love dry, warm air and feed on the nutritious leaf juice. Small, brown dots are created by piercing the leaf veins. Later the whole leaf changes color and eventually dies.
How to get rid of spider mites etc
Spider mites etc. do not like high humidity, which is why you can both prevent and combat an infestation by spraying the plant regularly. However, only use decalcified water or soft rainwater, which should also be warmed to room temperature.
Leaf spot disease
If the spots on the leaves are dark brown with a lighter edge or light, ring-shaped and crumbly - both variants are possible - then it is most likely leaf spot disease. Typically, the lower leaves in particular dry out. To combat the disease, you must remove the affected leaves and dispose of them with household waste. In severe cases, special preparations (€11.00 on Amazon) from specialist retailers can help, although you should primarily rely on organic quality - all other products should not be used in living spaces.
Tip
So that your single leaf feels comfortable, ensure it is in a suitable location, fertilize the plant regularly and keep both the air and the substrate evenly moist. However, avoid waterlogging.
