Bamboo takes pride in being a versatile perennial plant that thrives in various climatic conditions. Despite this, you may notice that the tips of your bamboo leave suddenly turn brown.
If this occurs, it could indicate various reasons that can be causing the issue. So, it’s time to get to work!
Bamboo leaves with brown tips are frequently the result of either overwatering or underwatering. Fortunately, you can remove the brown ends of your bamboo without harming it. You can completely clean out your bamboo of its brown or yellow leaves—low humidity, overexposure to the sun, and fungal diseases to blame.
Contents
- Reasons for Bamboo Plant’s Brown Tips
- Do Bamboo Leaves Grow Back?
- Can You Cut Off Dead Bamboo Leaves?
- Takeaways
Reasons for Bamboo Plant’s Brown Tips
Overwatering is Causing Root and Leaf Damage
Bamboo thrives in moist environments. However, excessive watering results in the browning of its leaves.
This causes the roots to suffocate due to a lack of oxygen in the surrounding environment. The roots eventually rot, causing the leaves to turn brown.
Symptoms of an overwatered bamboo include:
- Your bamboo’s growth is slowed or stunted.
- Leaf edema symptoms include indentation, lesions, and blisters.
- When you water your bamboo, it does not appear to grow.
- The leaves turn yellow with brown tips before falling off.
- Powdery mildew or mold may be found on the plant and soil surface. Leaves may turn black, dark, or brown.
- Rot causes some roots and stems to break or soften quickly.
- The roots emit an unpleasant rotting odor.
Solution
While keeping the soil well-drained, make sure that it is thoroughly soaked. For example, if it’s potted, make sure water drains from the bottom of the pot every time you water it.
Humidity and the type of soil determine how much water to use. You will need a little water to keep things going in the winter.
This, of course, is dependent on the soil type. For example, clay and loam soils retain water for a long time. Therefore, these soils require only one watering per week instead of regular soaking.
However, sandy soils lose water quickly and may require frequent soaking for the plant to retain its lovely green leaves.
Bamboo that has recently been transplanted requires regular watering, especially during the first few months.
There is a constant need for care for newly transplanted plants as they get acquainted with their new surroundings.
Ideally, you should thoroughly water your bamboo to moisten the growing medium. However, bamboo is a drought-resistant plant, so it should never become waterlogged.
Underwatering Causes Leaf Dehydration and Tip Burn
A lack of water causes the browning of bamboo’s leaves, as it does for most other plants. However, depriving the plant of enough water affects how quickly water moves from the roots to the rest of the plant.
Remember, bamboo absorbs water from the soil before it is transported to produce the necessary nutrients for the plant’s overall growth.
Transpiration, in which plants release water into the atmosphere, is directly influenced by water intake. Therefore, a lack of water and much water is lost to the environment forces plants to dry out.
Brown leaf tips on your bamboo plant could be the result of underwatering, and the following signs can help you figure that out:
- Moderate to widespread leaf shedding, primarily affecting older leaves.
- Brown crispy foliage usually affects the tips and edges first.
- The growing medium feels bone dry, crumbly, or dusty to the touch.
- Significant wilting, but your bamboo will recover as soon as you water it.
Solution
If the soil around your bamboo plant is arid, you’ll need to water it thoroughly until the growing medium is evenly saturated with moisture.
Then, I strongly advise you to soak your bamboo plant in a sink or bathtub.
Here’s how:
- Fill a large sink or bathtub with four inches of water. Depending on the size of the pot, you can adjust the depth.
- Remove the saucer from the container and place the pot in the tub that has been filled.
- Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the growing medium to soak thoroughly.
- Allow the liquid to flow freely out of the drainage holes after draining the tub/sink.
- When you replace the saucer, don’t forget to empty the excess fluid that drains into it. Make sure your bamboo plant is not standing in a pool of collected water, as this can cause root rot.
Do a finger test every few days to ensure that your plants aren’t under-watered. Then, wait until the top two to three inches of soil are dry before watering your bamboo again.
Chlorine and Fluoride in City Water Scorching the Leaf Tips
There is a good chance your drinking water contains Chlorine and Fluoride if you live in a large city. In most cases, water is disinfected before being made available for human consumption.
Bamboo and other plants can be negatively impacted by these chemicals in the water while protecting humans from water-borne diseases. As a result, their leaves turn brown.
Because of chlorine’s chemical makeup, it acts as bleach. Even though the CDC (Center for Disease Control) considers chlorine safe for humans and plants alike, some bamboo species react negatively.
When watered with chlorinated water, the leaves of these plants turn brown.
Chlorine and Fluoride have been proven to kill some microbes in the soil. However, the good news is that these microbes quickly recover after only a short time.
Solutions
If you find out that Chlorine and Fluoride are harming the bamboo in your tap water, you must make a change.
Rainwater is the safest option for plants that react to tap water because it contains no additives.
If you prefer, you can have your water filtered instead. Filtering water through reverse osmosis is an effective method of removing chemicals.
Too Much Sun Exposure Causes Leaf Tip Burn
Sunlight, water, and soil all play a role in the growth and health of plants. Excessive sunlight likely is to blame if the leaves turn yellow and have brown tips.
This is most common during the summer when the sun is overhead for long periods.
Direct sunlight on the Phyllostachys genus and giant bamboo is best because these species can handle the heat.
However, Sasa, Thamnocalamus genus, and Fargesia prefer less than six hours of sunlight. (Source: North Carolina State University)
Solution
After moving to a new location, new bamboo plants prefer low light because they are still adapting to their new environment.
If they are potted, you can move them away from direct sunlight by the windowsill.
Making a temporary shade for outdoor bamboo is ideal. Some species, such as running bamboo, require up to 60% shade.
Low Humidity Levels Causing Dehydration of Leaves
When your bamboo is exposed to dry air or lacks moisture, it is more likely to develop brown leaf tips, edges, or burnt tips.
In this case, the lack of humidity may cause the browning and crisping of your bamboo leaves. In extreme cases, leaves may turn black and crispy due to a lack of moisture.
For the most part, bamboo prefers conditions similar to those found in their native habitats: moist and warm in the tropics.
Humidity levels slightly higher than 50% are ideal for them. As a result, arid conditions can cause leaves and soil to lose moisture at an increased rate, resulting in dehydration and brown leaf tips.
If your plant suffers from brown bamboo tips due to a lack of humidity, it is likely to be otherwise healthy, apart from the brown leaf edges and tips.
Solution
I prefer to keep an eye on the humidity levels around plants. This way, I can be sure they’re just suitable for my plants.
For this, I use a handy digital hygrometer (check the latest price on Amazon here), which shows the current humidity levels and the lowest and highest recorded levels.
This allows me to quickly determine whether humidity is causing my bamboo to develop brown tips.
If the humidity around your bamboo is low, try one of the following methods to increase humidity levels:
- Use a humidifier (check the latest Amazon price here) – This is the most effective method. However, you’ll need to refill the water every few days.
- Place your potted bamboos in a room with more humidity, such as a bathroom or kitchen.
- Bring your houseplants together to create a more humid environment for your bamboo.
- Set up a humidity tray beneath your bamboo. It can be as simple as a shallow pebble-filled water tray. Your plants’ humidity levels will soar due to the increased evaporation.
Also, keep the plant away from air vents, heating, and cooling. Finally, keep the plant away from windows and doors when it’s cold outside.
Diseases are Damaging the Tips of Bamboo Leaves
Although bamboo plants are known for their toughness, they are not entirely disease-resistant. A few things to watch out for are bacterial disease, fungal infection, and root rot.
In addition, leaf spot disease is caused by a fungus, which will lead to the development of brown tips or browning of the entire leaves.
You can expect your bamboo to die if the brown tips appear, usually accompanied by wilting and drooping. Bamboos that are stressed or weak are more susceptible to infection.
The onset of disease in your plant can be caused by various factors, including heat stress, overwatering, poor acclimation, and low humidity.
Look for rapidly spreading black lesions or irregular brown spots on the foliage. For the most part, brown tips are randomly patterned.
You may also notice that the entire leaves of your bamboo are drying out and dying, causing the plant to wilt quickly.
Solutions
It is much easier to prevent bamboo diseases than find a cure. Regardless, there is always a solution to any problem. Here is a list of some of the most common ones and their solutions:
Fungal Leaf Spots– Especially vulnerable to attack when the air is humid. One of the most noticeable symptoms of this disease is the loss of the beautiful green canopy on the bamboo.
Using a copper-based fungicide is the best way to remove it from your bamboo. Cut back on the number of older leaves to allow for newer ones to grow in.
Sooty Mold– Sooty Mold is most commonly caused by scale insects, mealybugs, and aphids. While feeding, they expel sticky substances.
Honeydew, also known, leaves behind unsightly brown to black spots. The use of insecticide soaps or oils can eliminate the problem.
Bamboo Mosaic Virus– Plant viruses can be spread through pruning tools. The virus is spread during the pruning process from one plant to the next in the nursery.
It leaves behind discolored leaves that are difficult to recover. There is no other option but to use aggressive pruning after thoroughly sterilizing your pruners as a treatment.
Do Bamboo Leaves Grow Back?
Bamboo plants in good condition can regrow their leaves. Pruning is the most effective way to stimulate growth. Even so, proceed with caution.
Remember that even a single infected bamboo plant can wreak havoc.
Late summer and fall are the best times to prune your bamboo. However, avoid pruning when your bamboo is producing new shoots. Pruning is removing shoots, leaves, and stalks from a plant.
Can You Cut Off Dead Bamboo Leaves?
Eventually, the leaves of overgrown bamboo turn yellow and finally brown. When the leaves on your bamboo plant turn brown, it is time to cut them off so that new leaves can sprout.
Throw away the leaves as soon as you are finished cutting them so that they do not come into contact with new, green leaves.
Some of these dead leaves may be infected with fungi that can quickly spread throughout your plant.
Takeaways
Here’s a summary of what you should do with brown bamboo tips according to the cause.
- Overwatering– Ensure to use healthy drainage capacity soil. Water when the topsoil feels dry.
- Under-watering– Ensure the soil remains moist by regularly watering it in the evenings, especially during dry spells.
- Chlorine and Fluoride in City Water– You must avoid city tap water. Instead, water your bamboo using filtered, rainwater, or distilled water.
- Too much Sun Exposure– Provide a temporary shade, especially during sunny seasons.
- Low Humidity Levels– Group your houseplants but provide plenty of air circulation. I prefer to use a humidity tray or humidifier to boost humidity levels around my bamboo.
- Diseases- Cut back and discard any diseased parts. Use a coper-based fungicide if needed. (I prefer using this one from Amazon)