The English Ivy is a common favorite among many gardeners and homeowners, thanks to its stunning look. It has deep and rich green leaves that exude calmness, refreshing any home or garden. With its popularity, I’m sure you’re already growing the English Ivy, whether in your home or as a landscape project.
Another benefit of the English Ivy is that you can care for them easily, requiring minimal maintenance and care. And with the proper care, these plants can show off their beauty amazingly.
But wait- Do you notice your English Ivy leaves drying up, looking droopy, or even falling? You may have wondered, “why are my English Ivy leaves drying up?”
Read on to find out the reasons why and what you can do to get your English Ivy to regain its health again.
Why Are My English Ivy Leaves Drying Up?
When your English Ivy leaves dry up, it doesn’t only affect its appearance, but its health as well. That’s why you need to know the reasons behind its drying, so you can keep it in top shape while looking great. There are various reasons why your English Ivy leaves are drying up, such as:
1. Too Much Water
YES, while this is pretty ironic, watering your plants too much can cause the leaves to turn brown, drying around the edges.
When you have overly wet soil, this can lead to root rot, which is a fungal disease that would destroy plant roots. Because of this, your plant will suffer, with the leaves beginning to dry up and die from its edges and going in.
2. Dry Air
The English Ivy prefers humid conditions, and if you leave it in environments with dry air, then it can cause the leaves to dry out. That’s why you need to make sure that the English Ivy is planted in areas in proper conditions, taking account of the humidity levels, temperature, sun exposure, among other factors.
3. Toxic Salts
Outdoor English Ivy plants don’t require fertilizing, though if you have indoor plants, you should consider using nitrogen-rich fertilizer to help it grow well. BUT, too much of it can be a bad thing!
When you have too much fertilizer on plants, it may build up in its soil, which burns your leaves and drying them up, turning brown and falling. This is from the nitrogen and salt content of fertilizer.
Not only can it happen when using fertilizer, but tap water as well, since this can be high in minerals.
4. Spider Mites
Spider mites are one of the most common English Ivy pests, and if severe infestations happen, it can cause your leaves to brown and dry out. These only affect indoor ivy plants usually, which is why you have to look out for any pests and mites regularly.
What You Can Do
Now that you’re familiar with why your English Ivy leaves dry up, the next question is: What can you do to prevent and remedy your leaves? Here are the following tips to try so you can help keep your plants healthy:
1. Proper Fertilizer Application
I recommend that you add the recommended amount of fertilizer to your English Ivy, not going over the top. They don’t require as much nitrogen compared to other plants. Instead, cut the quantity in half, especially when growing the variegated English Ivy plant.
For non-variegated English Ivy plants, stick to the recommended amount or less, doing so with the suggested frequency.
2. Watering Your Plants
As mentioned, too much water may cause root rot, and your plants won’t be able to absorb water and nutrients well. Furthermore, leaving them out of the water also causes them to dry up, which is why you need to give them the proper amount of water.
Water your plants in moderation, using a finger test to see if your soil is dry before you add more water. When watering your plant, only pour enough water in the pot until you see a bit of draining out. If the pot won’t allow water to drain out, invest in one that does to prevent overwatering. Also, do NOT let the pot sit in the saucer that’s filled with drained out the water.
3. Offer Enough Sunlight
English Ivy plants would thrive in medium light, avoid exposing them under too much or too little of sunlight as this would dry out their leaves quickly. Let them near windows that offer natural light without direct exposure to it.
Besides this, offer a good amount of humidity and temperature levels for your plants to have the optimum environment. Increase the humidity of indoor plants by grouping multiple plants or placing it on shallow trays with wet pebbles.
4. Goodbye to Pests and Diseases!
If the cause of your plants drying up comes from pests and diseases, you’ll need to remedy this immediately before your plant dies completely. Look out for any white residue or web-like structures on your leaves. If you do see pests, spray water on the leaves or apply Neem oil.
As for viral or bacterial diseases that cause leaves to dry out, you will have to cut off the plant and dispose of it properly to prevent the disease from spreading to future plants.
Learn more about caring for English Ivy plants to prevent dry leaves in this informative video:
Wrapping It Up
It isn’t such a hassle raising English Ivy, though you do have to be wary about its leaves, which can be prone to drying at times. As long as you’re familiar with the risk factors that cause your leaves to dry or brown, you’ll be able to keep your plants healthy and living long.
I hope that this article answers your question, “why are my English Ivy leaves drying up?” and also helped you prevent it from happening again. So if you see your leaves drying, identify the cause and follow the proper remedy now!
my ivy leaves are dried and the trail. I thought I might cut it back and re pot it. What do you suggest