How to check a sick houseplant before you guess
When a plant looks wrong, the best first move is to slow down and collect clues. A yellow leaf, soft stem, or brown edge can come from more than one cause.
PlantGuard AI helps you keep the photo, symptoms, possible causes, recovery steps, and notes together on iPhone.
Start with what changed
- Did the plant move to a brighter or darker spot?
- Did watering change this week?
- Is the soil staying wet longer than usual?
- Do you see pests, sticky residue, webbing, or damaged leaves?
- Was the plant repotted, fertilized, trimmed, or brought home recently?
Take a clear photo
Photograph the whole plant, one close-up leaf, and the soil surface. Good photos make it easier to compare changes later.
Choose one next step
Changing everything at once makes it hard to know what helped. Pick one careful action, track it, and watch how the plant responds.
If the change is limited to new growth, build a three-leaf Leaf-Size Ladder before adjusting light, water, soil, fertilizer, and pot size together.
If roots appear at a drainage hole, build a Root Exit Map with normal dry-down, drainage, stability, and growth evidence before cutting roots or jumping to a much larger pot.