Why Are My Pothos Leaf Tips Turning Brown? Causes & Fixes

I am going to share how to recover Pothos leaf tip browning. I will cover what are the reasons behind this problem and what will be the solutions. All of these guidelines are applicable for all varieties of Pothos.

Sometimes we observe brown leaf tips on our favorite Pothos plant. Mostly this type of problem we see in the winter season and in the summer season. In winter, brown leaf tips of Pothos can be a normal phase because the plant goes into its resting period, but in summer this problem is unusual because summer is the growing period for Pothos.

The main reason of turning leaf tips brown is uneven watering. This problem can be visible because of less watering or over watering, but the symptoms appearing will be different. I am going to discuss those reasons and the treatments one by one.

1. Causes of Pothos Leaf Tip Browning

Uneven watering is the key trigger. Both over watering and less watering can show brown leaf tips of Pothos, but their symptoms will be different. Learn to read the plant and match watering to its light and heat.

2. Less Watering – Pothos Leaf Tip Browning

Pothos likes tropical climates. It requires moisture and humidity around it, especially in summer for better growth. If the soil turns too dry between watering, the older leaves will develop brown leaf tips.

I have two plants grown in the same potting mix and same sized pot, but they are situated in different places. One gets morning indirect sunlight and even light for the day, so it does not require lots of water to hydrate. It gets constant moisture from soil, and watering it once a week is enough.

The other plant gets two hours of direct morning sunlight and absorbs lots of heat, so it requires more water than the first one. Based on their situations, obviously their watering schedule will be different. I also watered this plant once a week, so it was suffering a little bit because of lacking moisture and developed brown leaf tips.

I changed the watering schedule for this one to once every three days, and it started to recover. In case of less watering, older leaves will develop brown leaf tips, but the new leaves will remain green. Adjust your routine to the plant’s light and heat.

Step-by-step fix for underwatering

Step 1: Check the soil moisture before watering. Insert your finger and feel the top inch.

Step 2: Water the plant thoroughly when one inch of surface soil starts to become dry.

Step 3: Keep consistent checks to avoid both over watering and less watering.

If you are tackling similar browning on other easy houseplants, see these tips for preventing brown tips on spider plant: preventing brown leaf tips on spider plant.

3. Over Watering – Pothos Leaf Tip Browning

Pothos likes moist soil, not soggy soil. In summer plants need lots of water to survive, but not excessive. Over watering develops anaerobic bacteria around the root which causes root rot.

When your plant is suffering from root rot, it will show symptoms on leaves. In case of over watering, leaves will turn yellow at first and then will develop brown leaf tips, starting on older leaves. Sometimes leaves develop brown patches too.

Step-by-step fix for overwatering and root rot

Step 1: If the pot is heavy and soil is wet, stop watering for 2 to 3 weeks and let the soil dry. This alone can recover mild cases.

Step 2: For faster recovery, transplant and repot in a new, well draining soil medium. At the time of transplantation, use fungicide with the soil mixture.

Step 3: If the whole plant turned yellow and developed brown leaf tips, better remove the plant because it is badly infested by root rot. You can still grow it from a single cutting by choosing a healthy stem and taking cuttings.

For more help with watering-related brown tips on other foliage plants, see this guide on fixing brown tips on dracaena: dracaena brown tip fixes.

To avoid over watering in the future, check the soil moisture before every watering. Match watering to light and heat so your soil stays evenly moist, not soggy. That is the best solution for avoiding both problems.

4. Other Triggers of Pothos Leaf Tip Browning

Sunburn on new growth

Sometimes too much sunlight burns the leaf tips. If your plant got sunburned, the newer leaves will develop brown tips first. Move the plant to a bright shady spot and keep constant, even watering to help it recover.

Root bound stress

Sometimes a root bound plant develops brown leaf tips. If you observe that your plant is not pushing new growth, is wilting very often, and the soil is drying very rapidly, it can be a symptom of root bound. Check the root system and, if root bound, repot in a bigger pot with a fresh soil mixture to recover quickly.

If you are troubleshooting browning on other aroids too, see causes of brown leaves on aglaonema here: aglaonema leaves turning brown.

5. Trimming and Aftercare for Pothos Leaf Tip Browning

You can remove the brown tips by trimming the leaf edges. If you see leaves totally turned yellow or brown, better remove them from the plant. But if most of your leaves developed brown leaf tips, leave them on, because removing all the leaves can reduce the immunity power of the plant.

Final Thoughts on Pothos Leaf Tip Browning

Uneven watering develops this leaf tip browning problem in most cases. Maintain a constant watering schedule that matches your light and heat, and the problem will recover with time. Keep soil evenly moist, not soggy, and adjust quickly to what your plant is telling you.