Brown Spots on Flowering Plants

Indoor and outdoor flowering plants should have shiny, healthy green leaves. When brown splotches develop, it's an indication of imbalance or disease. Determine what's gone wrong with your plant and take corrective action.

Disease

• Brown splotches on the plant leaves can indicate disease or fungal infection, such as leaf spot. To determine what's harming your plant, consult a master gardener or county extension agent who can recommend a fungicide, insecticide or natural treatment.

Environment

• Brown leaves can indicate sunburn or lack of adequate humidity, especially in house plants. You may be accidentally spraying the leaves when you water, causing spots. Move plants into an area where they receive less direct light if you think sun is the issue. To increase humidity, place a container plant on a tray of pebbles, then add water to the pebbles.

Overfertilization

• Indoor and outdoor plants receiving excess fertilizer develop brown spots on the leaves. Cut back on your fertilizing schedule and make sure you're using the correct dosage range for your plant, based on its size.