Gardeners often love a variety of plants with colorful speckled leaves. And you can’t miss the polka dot (Hypoestes Phyllostachya) on the list of cool houseplants. With beautiful leaves, you can discover how to grow and care for them in a good environment.
You have also asked questions like why is my polka dot plant dying. During the care process, houseplants will have problems with light, water, temperature, etc. In this article, we will help you learn how to care for them and what causes them to get sick.
Find popular varieties of polka dot that you love and learn how to care for a small indoor garden.
Why Is My Polka Dot Plant Dying? Did You Find The Reason?
You are still wondering about the cause of death of polka dot. All plants need regular watering and care. There are many causes of tree death. For example watering too much, applying too many nutrients, inappropriate light, and moisture or flowering plants.
Thus, you try to choose the exact cause to take care of the polka dot in the best way. We list some of the main reasons for you to learn as follows.
The Tree Lacks Water
Polka dot will dry out if you don’t provide enough water to keep the soil moist. When the plant does not have the minimum amount of water, it will dry out. And compare healthy plants with enough moisture.
To increase the daily humidity, growers can mist the plants, use smart planters with self-watering mode on the soil or check the soil regularly to increase the appropriate amount of water for plants.
Test the growing environment in a room with variable temperature and humidity. If the soil dries quickly, touch the soil with your finger to feel the moisture. Water the plant when the soil is dry. Or you may see brittle leaves. Please increase the appropriate humidity in the room for better plant growth.
Too Much Water
On the whole, you cannot water the plants too little or too much. All of this adversely affects the growth of plants. You are quite busy with work and forget to water the plants. Then you over-water to offset this process. The roots of the plant will not tolerate it and leave the soil soggy.
Polka dot can die from excess water with high humidity. Leaves will wilt or turn brown or change color. At that time, you should check the moisture of the soil to change the soil or put the potted plant in a windy environment, and limit additional watering.
The process of taking care of plants requires perseverance for your tree to live well and beautifully. Therefore, do not forget to check the soil and plant performance daily against changes in weather through the seasons.
Too Little Sunlight
To arise from houseplant characteristics, Polka dot does not absorb enough sunlight. When plants receive too little sunlight, they can underperform, develop foliar manifestations, and even die.
Owing to not receiving enough light, the plant will turn pale green and the leaf spots will disappear. Place the plant in a position to receive sunlight from a south or west window as much as possible. This is the ideal location for indoor plants that need indirect light.
If you see a color change in the leaves, you should reposition the plant and help the plant retain its original vibrant color. In addition, you can also use artificial lights to provide light for plants if you can’t choose the right indoor environment. This important problem seriously affects the beauty of the plant. Please ensure the growth environment of the plant if you are passionate about taking care of beautiful leaf lines.
The Temperature Is Too Low
Plants cannot tolerate temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius. This greatly affects the growth process of plants. Temperatures below 26 degrees Celsius for a long time also create a bad environment for plants. Therefore, you should regularly check the ambient temperature in the planting location to make an appropriate change.
Check the room temperature and make sure it’s at the best temperature for the plants to grow. Always keep the heater or air conditioner in the winter and summer to normal. This principle is not only guaranteed for Polka Dot but also for many other tree lines.
Too much fertilizer and nutrition
All plant lines need proper nutrition and supplement with the necessary dosage. If you put too much fertilizer on the plant, the Polka Dot will die. So, you need to learn how to apply fertilizer and the right rate for each stage of the plant.
In case of excess fertilizer, leaves easily turn brown, you should pour plenty of water into the soil to wash away excess residue. Choose biological or organic nutrients to be good for the roots.
Poor Vitality After Blooming
During the 2nd year after planting Polka Dot, it tends to wither when flowering. This is one of the causes of the loss of plant vigor. To prolong the life of the tree, you need to stop this process.
When the flowers appear (usually in late winter with plants over 1 year old), you should cut them so that the plants continue to grow well for a long time.
Some Frequently Asked Questions That You Should Pay Special Attention To
Q: Why do Polka Dot leaves turn yellow?
With too much watering or too much moisture in the soil, the leaves will turn yellow and fall. Check the moisture in the soil, stop watering, and place the plant in a well-ventilated location to allow it to recover. In addition, over-watering leads to root and fungal problems. Be sure to test the soil before watering with the top and bottom layers of the pot.
Q: Why does Polka Dot leaves fade or even lose color?
To arise from lack of light, many colored leaves will gradually lose color. They need to be provided with adequate light even though they live indoors. Try to place the plant in a position that receives west or south light. Alternatively, you can supplement artificial light with plant lamps.
Q: Why does the tree turn brown?
With direct light, the leaves of Polka Dot can burn. Move the plant to an indoor environment or under large foliage with indirect light. The leaves may also curl at the edges. Plus, check the humidity of the environment using some humidifiers and misting devices.
Q: Why do trees grow taller and taller?
You always want low foliage and good spread, pay attention to light and soil temperature. If the plant doesn’t get enough light or the right temperature (65F to 80F), it will grow taller than it should.
Q: Why do plants die after flowering?
During flowering, Polka Dot needs a large amount of energy. Therefore, stop this process when the first flower buds appear. So cut off the flowers to make the plant live longer.
To Summarize
You have learned through the article about the cause of Polka Dot’s death and how to fix it to take care of it during the growing period. With plants over a year old, they may die due to the end of their life cycle in preparation for flowering. This lasted for more than 2 years.
If your plants have problems with the environment, soil, temperature, and care, they are also at risk of disease. Check all factors affecting the growth process. And you will have beautiful potted plants with colorful leaf spots – the typical beauty of Polka Dot.