The bizarre looking elephant's foot (Beaucarnea recurvata) is actually an easy-care houseplant. However, sometimes it gets brown leaf tips. You can find out why this is and what you can do about it here.
What can you do if the elephant foot has brown tips?
If elephant foot has brown tips on the leaves,frequent watering is usually the cause. Repot the plant in fresh substrate, ensure good pot drainage and water less frequently in the future.
Why does the elephant's foot have brown tips?
If your elephant foot has brown tips, you should take a close look at the leaves in question: How many leaves have brown tips? Does this only affect individual sheets? Are old or young leaves more likely to be affected?Brown leaf tips on old leavesis usuallyno cause for concern: It is completely normal for these to die off over time. Ultimately, the elephant's foot continually produces new foliage.
If, however,young leavesare affected by the discoloration,care errors are often behind it:
- You are watering too often.
- The elephant's foot is in soil that is too wet.
- The plant is in the wrong location.
- There are strong temperature fluctuations.
- The leaves cannot hang freely.
What to do if the leaf tips are brown?
Once you have found the cause of the brown leaf tips on your elephant's foot, you should eliminate it. As a rule, this is due towatering too frequently and/or soil that is too wet. In this case
- Elephant footrepotting into fresh substrate
- cut off any rotting roots
- Provide permeable soil and pot drainage
- water less
- no water in the planter leave it standing
An unsuitable location can also cause the tips of the leaves to brown: In the summer months, for example, the elephant's foot should be protected from excessively intensemidday sun, as thisBurns on the leavescaused. The exotic animal also does not like a location with strongtemperature fluctuations. In this case, change it. The plant must alsonot be placed directly on a wall or a window: the leaves must be allowed to hang freely.
Can you cut off brown leaf tips?
Once the elephant's foot has brown leaf tips, they no longer recover. Once the leaves turn brown, theyno longer turn greenYou can simply leave them on the tree or, if it bothers you visually,with scissors (€14.00 cut off at Amazon) Be careful not to cut into the green parts of the leaves! Also keep in mind that the cut leaf tips will not grow again.
Tip
How often do I have to water an elephant foot?
In its Mexican homeland, the elephant's foot grows on sandy, dry soils and has adapted perfectly to the conditions prevailing there. So the plant only needs a little water! Allow the substrate to dry thoroughly between each watering. Then water thoroughly and remove excess water from the planter. Waterlogging is particularly dangerous, as the elephant's foot quickly develops root rot.
