I feel weak and my vibrant green is fading to a sickly yellow. This is my most common cry for help, and it usually stems from your watering habits. If my lower, older leaves are slowly turning yellow, you are likely giving me too much water. My roots are drowning in the soggy soil; they can't breathe and are beginning to rot, which means they cannot deliver nutrients to my leaves. Conversely, if my leaves are yellow, crispy, and perhaps curling, you are not giving me enough water. I am parched, and my cells are dehydrating. Please check my soil moisture before you water—I prefer it to be slightly dry on top.
The edges of my beautiful, split leaves are turning brown and crunchy. This is almost always a complaint about the atmosphere around me. The air is too dry. I am a tropical plant, and I thrive in humid conditions. Dry air, especially from heating or air conditioning vents, pulls moisture from my leaves faster than my roots can replace it, causing these unsightly brown tips. Alternatively, this could be a sign of a chemical buildup from tap water. I am sensitive to salts and fluoride, which accumulate in my leaf tips and burn them.
You are disappointed that my new leaves are small and solid, without the dramatic splits and holes you love. Please understand, this is not a disease; it is a sign of insufficient resources. Fenestrations are my way of optimizing light capture in my native understory habitat. If I do not receive enough bright, indirect light, I have no evolutionary incentive to create them. I will produce smaller, whole leaves to conserve energy. To encourage my iconic splits, you must move me to a brighter location (but out of direct sun, which can scorch me).
My stems are limp, and my leaves are drooping sadly towards the floor. I am expressing extreme discomfort. Most often, this is another plea related to water. I am either desperately thirsty and my cells have lost their turgor pressure, or my roots are rotting from overwatering and can no longer support my weight. However, wilting can also be a reaction to a sudden shock, such as a drastic temperature change or being repotted. It takes me time to adjust to a new environment.
My leaves are starting to curl inward or downward. This is a clear indicator of stress, and I am trying to conserve moisture. When I am underwatered, I curl my leaves to reduce their surface area and minimize water loss through transpiration. Pests, like spider mites, can also cause this symptom as they suck the sap from my undersides, leaving me dehydrated and stressed. Please inspect me closely, especially under my leaves, for any signs of tiny invaders.
