Sunburn or sun damage is the most frequent cause of brown leaves on succulent plants. When you observe brown spots on your plants’ leaves after moving them to a bright place or after a heatwave or other period of extreme heat, these patches are the equivalent of sunburn.
Brown spots from sunburn do not actually injure the plant, but they do leave a permanent mark on the leaves, which is unsightly but not harmful. The leaves will ultimately fall off as new growth appears, but these spots won’t fade away. More sensitive to sunlight than mature plants are little baby plants or newly produced plants.
If you notice that the plant is getting burnt, move it to a more shaded area or give it some shade. If you intend to leave your plant in a position that receives direct sunlight all day, acclimate it to the heat by gradually increasing its sun exposure. Remember that during a severe heatwave, even a mature plant that has become accustomed to full sun might still get burnt.
When a severe heatwave is predicted, move the plant or offer shade to avoid this from happening. Never leave young plants, plants without roots, or leaves that you are propagating outside in the direct light. Always give protection from the sun to prevent them from becoming completely cooked.
While solar damage is the most frequent cause of dark leaves on succulent plants, there are generally additional factors at play. While the majority of them may be resolved quickly and easily, some are trickier to resolve than others.
Should I trim my succulent’s brown tips off?
Succulents benefit most from pruning at the start of their growing season, although you can prune them at any time. If you prune around the end of the growing season, new growth might not appear as rapidly, but it will develop gradually and accelerate once they begin to grow vigorously again.
There are numerous succulents that grow best in the summer, but there are also quite a few that grow best in the winter. To determine when your succulents are actively developing, check at this dormancy table.
My succulents are often pruned in the spring, after spending the winter indoors. Typically, they become quite stretched out and lose some of their initial beauty.
I can freshen the arrangement by pruning them without needing to buy new plants. It’s a fantastic approach to grow your garden!
How do you determine if a succulent is getting too much water?
Okay, so we’ve talked a lot about succulents that are dry, but what about those that have received too much water? Well, if you recall, overwatering essentially causes those particular balloon-like cells to overfill and burst, leading to damaged cell structures and rotting leaves and roots.
Discoloration and a change in the shape of the leaves are the first indications of overwatering to look out for. The leaves will turn transparent, floppy, and squishy, and unlike those that have been under-watered, they won’t be retrieved by the plant. It won’t be simple for succulents to recover from this state, but they can. Taking leaves and cuttings to root and grow new plants is an alternative to rescuing the overwatered succulent.
Why do leaves darken at the tips?
Typically, underwatering, sunburn, or overwatering are the causes of browning leaves.
The soil possibly grew too dry for an extended period of time between waterings if the leaf tips are turning brown and hard. The plant may lose leaves as a result of this. This does not necessarily imply that you are regularly underwatering because the browning may have only occurred once. Although the brown leaf tips won’t turn green again, you can trim the brown margins to restore the plant’s healthy appearance. Go here to learn more.
It may also be a symptom of overwatering if you see brown patches all over the leaves. You’ll typically notice some yellowing of the leaves as well when the plant is overwatered. Go here to learn more.
If you see brown stains in the middle of the leaves, it may be because the leaves are receiving too much direct sunshine. Some plants are readily burned by direct sunlight and are sensitive to it. If this is the case, try shifting your plant to a spot where it won’t be exposed to the sun’s glare.
– If you move your plants from indoors to outdoors in the summer without acclimating them to direct sunshine, this is usually what happens.
Do succulents need to be in the sun directly?
1. Ensure that your succulents receive adequate light. Depending on the type, succulents need six hours of sunlight each day because they are light-loving plants. You might need to gradually expose newly planted succulents to full sun exposure or give shade with a translucent screen because they can burn in direct sunshine.
How frequently should succulents be watered indoors?
Indoor succulent plants probably need to be watered once a week. They require ample time for the soil to dry out in between waterings so that the water may be stored in the leaves. Use the following methods and advice while watering succulent plants inside.
- Use an irrigation system with a little pour spout.
- Fill the succulent plant’s center with water until it is completely submerged.
- Allow water to completely drain out of the pot through the perforations. Make careful to empty any water that seeps through the soil if there is a saucer underneath the plant.
- Since there won’t be enough heat and fresh airflow for the leaves to dry when planted indoors, avoid soaking the leaves to prevent rot from the top down.
- Dry the soil completely in between waterings.
Can succulents endure direct sunlight?
Due to their drought tolerance and water-storing properties, which enable them to tolerate high heat and very harsh sun exposure, succulents have become well-known. This is true for the majority of succulent plants, however some cannot survive direct sunlight without protection, and if exposed to excessive heat, they may suffer sun damage.  
The best 10 succulents and cacti that will thrive in full sun are listed below. Some of these plants can withstand full sun exposure better than others.
 
Do I need to remove the brown leaf tips?
The following links may be affiliate links; please read the disclaimer. I will receive a commission if you click through and buy something without charging you more.
We’ve experienced our fair share of brown, decaying leaves as we’ve learned how to properly care for various home plants over the years. We weren’t sure at first whether to take them out or leave them. Here is what we’ve discovered works the best.
Do you need to remove the dead leaves? Yes. Your indoor plants should have brown and withering leaves removed as quickly as possible, but only if they are more than 50% damaged. By removing these leaves, the plant looks better and the healthy foliage that is left can receive more nutrients.
Even though it might appear straightforward, there’s more to it than merely cutting those leaves off. To keep your plant healthy, you must assess how much of the leaf is dying and then carefully remove the damaged areas.
Can brown leaves revert to green?
Some plant issues are actually beyond repair, and they cannot be resolved by just changing the way plants are watered. As a result, leaves that have become brown cannot, regrettably, turn green again.
Always keep in mind that plant components are not standalone entities. Water is absorbed by the roots through the stems and other sections of the plant until it reaches the tips of the leaves, despite the fact that they have unique maintenance plans for each.
When a plant is underwatered, the leaf tips are the first to turn brown. As a result, there isn’t much time between when brown leaves turn brown and when they die, making it impossible to revive them.
Why do the brown tips on my houseplants exist?
Brown tips on houseplant leaves are frequently a sign that you should reconsider your watering practices. Brown leaves are a sure sign that a plant has been overwatered, allowed to dry out excessively before the next watering, and then received only a drizzle. Except for succulents, which require sparing watering, most indoor plants prefer a consistent source of moisture. The ideal way to water a houseplant is continuously, as opposed to soaking it thoroughly one time and then lightly the next. Adding water until you see it draining out of the drainage holes is always a good idea. Following that, be sure to empty the saucer to prevent the pot from standing in moisture, which will rot the roots and result in a whole new series of issues.
Do brown plant tips ever disappear?
Every day, plants naturally lose and gain water through their tissues. When lost water cannot be restored for some reason, the tips of the leaves turn brown. Water should ideally move from plant roots via stems and rivers to leaf tips last. However, when water is scarce, other plant components receive priority; tip cells lose out and suffer a form of drought, ultimately dying.
Brown tips are ugly and can be caused by anything that prevents roots from absorbing enough water or supplying it to the plant quickly enough. This includes giving the plant enough water, insufficient water, or excessive fertilizer. Damaged or distressed roots are unable to perform their function.
Brown tips develop for the same fundamental causes whether the plant is covered indoors or exposed in an outdoor environment. The dead tip cells cannot be revived once they turn brown, however prompt repairs assist in reviving the remainder of your plant.
Do dark leaves indicate an excess of water?
One of the major problems I notice with modern landscaping is overwatering the plants. These are some of the few indicators of overwatering plants. It is tempting to give plants more water when they don’t appear healthy, but this is frequently a mistake. An overwatering error is difficult to identify because it frequently seems like a water shortage.
The following six indicators can help you assess if you are overwatering your plants or not:
Your plant is wilting but it looks like it has plenty of water
For survival and growth, plant roots absorb both water and oxygen. Simply put, if you give your plants too much water, they will drown. In your garden, there is gap between the soil granules. It is filled with oxygen. Continuously soggy soil won’t have enough air spaces, which prevents plants from breathing by using their roots to absorb oxygen. When this happens, even while the soil is moist, your plants will wilt, giving the appearance that they are not getting enough water. Here is a fantastic video explaining the drawbacks of giving your plants too much water from our colleagues at Denver Water.
The tips of the leaves turn brown
The tip of the leaf is one of the first and quickest indications that you have overwatered your plants. Overwatering is evident if the leaf’s tip is turning brown. When your plant receives too much water, the leaves become limp and squishy, while when it receives too little water, the leaves feel dry and crispy to the touch.
Leaves turn brown and wilt
When plants receive either too little or too much water, their leaves wilt and turn brown. The greatest distinction is that too little water causes the leaves to feel crunchy in your palm. The leaves will feel floppy and mushy in your palm if there is too much water present.
EDMA
Water pressure starts to build in the leaf cells when a plant’s roots take up more water than they can utilise. Eventually, the cells will burst, killing them and causing blisters that resemble lesions. Where the blisters formerly were, tan, brown, or white warty growths start to appear after they erupt. On the top surfaces of the leaves, you will also notice indentations developing directly above the growths.
Leaf fall
Both scenarios of too much and too little water result in leaf fall. When buds don’t develop and both new and old leaves fall off before they should, there is definitely too much water in the soil.
How do you fix overwatering?
Examine your soil frequently. Never be hesitant to stick your finger a few inches into the ground to check the moisture level. Reduce your water use if the soil is wet and you meet some of the other requirements. Additionally, several shops offer reasonably priced moisture meters. To find out how much water is in the soil, simply bury them in the root ball. This is a straightforward, low-cost instrument that will eliminate a lot of the guesswork involved in watering your environment.
I sincerely hope that these suggestions will be useful, and I invite you to add a couple of your own to prevent overwatering your plants in the section below. Please consider subscribing to the blog and following me on Twitter at @H2OTrends if you liked this post.