Even if the elephant's foot is generally considered to be easy to care for, it doesn't put up with everything without reacting. Occasionally it gets brown leaves or spots on the leaves. With the right care you can easily prevent this.
Why does my elephant foot have brown leaves and how do I help it?
Elephant foot gets brown leaves due to cold, lack of nutrients, waterlogging, pruning, sunburn, bumping or in winter due to lack of light, too dry/warm air and lack of water. This can be remedied by adjusting watering and fertilizing habits, temperature changes or location adjustments.
Why is my elephant foot turning brown leaves?
The causes of brown leaves or leaf tips on elephant's feet are varied and even somewhat contradictory depending on the season. While heat, dry air and lack of water can be responsible for the discoloration in winter, in summer it is more likely waterlogging, sunburn or cold.
Nutrient deficiency due to a lack of fertilization and/or a pot that is too small also occurs predominantly during the growing season. You should think about other reasons for brown leaves all year round, regardless of temperature and climate.
The lower leaves of the plant naturally turn brown before they fall off. After all, evergreen plants also need to “renew” their foliage from time to time. As long as the same amount of leaves grow back, you don't have to worry. Bumping or trimming the leaves also causes the tips to turn brown.
Possible causes of brown leaves or leaf tips:
- Cold
- Nutrient Deficiency
- Waterlogging
- Pruning the leaves
- Sunburn
- Abutting the leaves (on the wall or floor)
- in winter: lack of light, too dry/warm (heating) air, lack of water
How can I help my elephant foot?
Take a good look at the plant and you'll quickly see how you can help your elephant's foot. It is best to replace wet soil immediately. If there is a lack of water, watering helps. In general, however, the elephant's foot tolerates drought quite well for some time.
Tip
It's probably easy to forget to water the elephant's foot in winter because it doesn't need much water.
