Tradescantia nanouk, simply known as Fantasy Venice, is an outstanding flowering plant which is famous for its foliage. The white, green and pinkish stripes present in the leaves are always attractive. As a result, nanouk plants are popular with most gardeners.
But tradescantia nanouk brown leaves spoil the beauty. Most of the time, overwatering, too much sunlight, over-fertilizing, pests, diseases, cold stress, low humidity, maturity issues, etc. problems turn the beautiful leaves into brown.
Again, sometimes the whole leaves are brown, and sometimes, the leaf tip and edges seem to be brown. That’s why I have brought some easy solutions for you so that you can save your plant from browning and dying.
Let’s have a quick idea of the problems and their solutions from the table-
Problem | Solution |
| Direct sunlight | Keep the plant in bright but indirect light |
| Overwatering | Water the plant when the soil becomes dry |
| Hot air | Keep them inside the house in case of heat flow |
| Over-fertilizing | Use fertilizer once in spring or organic fertilizers. |
| Pests | Use insecticides or homemade recipes |
| Diseases | Remove the affected leaves and use fungicides or bactericides |
| Maturity issues | Remove the matured leaves |
| Cold stress | Keep them in a warm condition |
| Overcrowding | Prune the excess foliage parts |
| Low humidity | Sprinkle water around the leaves |
Tradescantia Nanouk Turning Brown-10 Problem With Effective Solution
1. Direct Sunlight
In the initiation of our list, I want to mention the direct sunlight which I experienced in my plant. Nanouk plants need bright but indirect sunlight. If you provide it with direct sunlight, it will hit its physiological system.
The plant will transpire more and more water. Besides, the photosynthetic or food-making processes will be unbalanced. This will create excessive pressure on the root zone. Consequently, the whole plant will face stress.
Solution
- Provide bright but indirect sunlight to the plant.
- Try to maintain a shading condition in the afternoon if your plant remains outside.
- You can keep the water near the window or such a place where afternoon sunlight won’t hit the plant.
2. Overwatering
Last year, I planted a nanouk plant in my garden. As I brought it for the first time, I was not completely aware of the watering procedure. This created an overwatering issue for my plant.
The root was submerged in the water for a few days. As a result, the root started to rot and it failed to reach all the nutrients in the plant. That’s why the leaves started to become brown.
Solution
- Remove the brown leaves.
- Water your plant only when the soil is dry in 1 to 2 inches. Pinch your finger in the soil to understand the condition properly.
- If the root system is damaged, uproot the plant and transplant it to another pot.
3. Hot Air
At the third point, I want to note down the problems that occur due to the hot air. Not only scorching sunlight but also hot blowing may also burn your nanouk leaves which may cause brown leaves.
Such a wind blowing reduces the moisture content in your leaves. As a result, the chlorophyll and other color-creating pigments present in the leaves become destroyed. Thus, the leaves become brown.
Solution
- Try to keep your plant inside the room if there is any heat flow.
- Sprinkle water on the plant to maintain the moisture level.
- Keep your plant over a dish of stones.
4. Over-fertilization
Next, I must talk about over-fertilization. Fertilizer is considered the growth regulator of a plant. That’s why many gardeners use plenty of fertilizers in their gardens. But this is not a proper solution.
I also applied huge fertilizers at the time when I brought this plant first. But later when my plant leaves started to become brown, I studied and came to know that excessive nutrients are also harmful to plants.
Too many fertilizers lead to a lack of water and the formation of salty crust on the upper surface of the soil. As a result, it demolishes plant development. Then I applied the following techniques to take back the actual form of my nanouk.
Solution
- A top dressing of vermicompost or industrial liquid fertilizer during the spring is enough for a nanouk plant.
- If you still feel the necessity of fertilizing, then you may use homemade liquid fertilizer-
Preparation
4 tablespoons of processed poultry manure or blended dry organic fertilizer should be mixed with warm water. Then, shake well and keep it at room temperature for two days. Then apply it to your plant.
5. Pest Attack
Sometimes the leaves can also be brown because of the pest attack. Due to increased moisture levels or other environmental conditions, pests may affect the plant. Tradescantia nanouk plants are mainly gets affected by the following pests-
- Mealybug
- Spider mites
- Aphid
But this pest infestation can be controlled if you are conscious enough of your plant.
Solution
- Remove the affected plant leaves immediately.
- Try to increase the moisture level around your plant and soil
- Use industrial insecticide at a proper level.(Our pick: Garden Safe Brand Multi-Purpose Garden Insect Killer)
- Use homemade insecticides. In this case, I want to suggest some recipes which could remove insects from my plant.
Recipe-1: Neem oil
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of dish detergent, 1/2 tablespoons of concentrated neem oil, 1 teaspoon liquid soap, 1/4 teaspoon aloe vera powder, and a few drops of oil to 1 gallon of warm water. Dilute it and spray your plant.
Recipe-2: Baking Soda
Add 4 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 gallon of water.
6. Disease
The disease is mainly caused by the infestation of insects. When pests create wounds by chewing or sucking the plant parts, viruses, fungi, nematodes or bacteria get paths to enter the plant. In this way, the disease attacks the nanouk plant. Some common diseases of nanouk plants are-
- Foot and root rot
- Wilting
- Mosaic
Solution
- Maintain the distance between plants so that diseases can spread.
- Place the plant in a warm area.
- Check the moisture level.
- Use industrial fungicides or bactericides.
- Spray organic matter like homemade copper fungicides(Bordeaux mixture)-
Preparation
Add 1/3 tablespoons of copper sulfate and 10 tablespoons of hydrated lime to 1 gallon of water. Mix the ingredients properly and spray the affected areas.
7. Maturity Issues
Next, the point maturity issue is a little different than other issues. It cannot be said as any problem rather it is a natural phenomenon. In nanouk plants, the matured leaves become brown in the plant and then fall.
Solution
As it is a natural process, you need not be worried or apply anything. Just remove the matured leaves that are supposed to be fallen.
8. Cold Stress
It is one of the most disturbing problems in temperate countries. Though nanouk plants can withstand various types of temperatures, if the temperature goes below 54°F, the plant growth will be stunted.
In case of further decrease of temperature to 40°F, the plant metabolic activities freeze from inside. As a result, the plant fails to produce chlorophyll and the leaves become brown. In extreme cases, the plant may die too.
Solution
- Try to keep the plant in a warm condition when the environment temperature is too low.
- Regularly check the microclimate environment around the plant foliage.
9. Overcrowding
Overcrowding expresses the excessive bushy appearance of the foliage parts. If you don’t prune your plant at a regular interval, it will grow in its normal way and will form an extra bushy plant.
As a result, the plant will need an extra amount of nutrients, food, and water supply all the time. Besides, the inner parts may not get the perfect amount of sunlight and space to be nourished.
In absence of sunlight, they won’t be able to prepare enough food materials and will rise to brown leaves.
Solution
- One-third of the plant should be pruned every 3 months.
10. Low Humidity
Finally, I would like to end the list of causes with low humidity. You may confuse it with hot air. But there is a little difference.
Humidity means the amount of water in the air. When the humidity level is too low, the plant increases transpiration or excretes more water into the air.
It will not burn your leaves like hot air. But if you don’t sort out the problem, more water will be transpired and the plant will be in lack water. Thus, the leaves will become brown.
Solution
- Check the humidity level of the environment.
- Sprinkle water around the foliage part.
Some Others Tradescantia Nanouk Problems
Tradescantia Nanouk Brown Crispy Leaves
Tradescantia nanouk leaves create brown crispy leaves in case of exposure to direct sunlight for a long time.
In the earlier phase of this article, you already know that nanouk leaves become brown when they get too much sunlight. If you find that your leaves are becoming crispy along with browning, be sure that the plant is getting more sunlight than it needs. So keep them away from that type of sunlight.
Tradescantia Nanouk Brown Tips
Brown tips are found in nanouk plants mainly because of pest attacks. Insects love to attack in the top part of the leaf and then they spread in all the parts of the leaves. That’s why brown tips most of the time indicate the unwanted effect of pests.
Tradescantia Nanouk Brown Edges
If you find brown edges in your nanouk plants, then it has a high probability of issues with its humidity management. Low humidity around the plant creates such problems.
If the surrounding humidity is drastically reduced, it will have a negative impact on the physiology and then the leaves start to become brown from the edges.
Tradescantia Nanouk Leaves Brown Spots
Brown spots are also symptoms of mealybug insect attack and virus attack. Normally mealybug cut the leaf veins and suck their nutrients from the leaves.
At the same time, they excrete sugars to the downside leaves of the affected leaves and those sugars create spots on the leaves. Meantime, viruses can get an opportunity to attack the plant and start an infestation. Thus, brown spots are created on the leaves.
Can A Tradescantia Brown Leaves May Turn Normal Again?
The leaves which are already completely green, cannot be turned green again. The best solution for them is to remove them. Keeping them unremoved is harmful to the plant.
But the leaves that have recently started to become green and have a brownish tint in a few spaces may turn green. But you cannot be sure of that. You may try some techniques for their improvement.
Pruning
Remove the affected plant parts in the early spring or late winter when the plant starts to produce matured brown leaves. Cut off stems along with brown leaves if the plant is affected by any pest or disease. In this way, the unaffected plant parts will be saved from attack.
Repotting
Repotting will be beneficial to you for certain stages.
- Whenever the plant root is destroyed, repotting will create a new favorable environment for a new healthy root division.
- If you have overwatered your plant and the drainage system is in problematic condition, repotting will save the roots from demolishing.
- Repotting in a big pot will help in root development if the root system becomes suffocated in a small pot.
- In case of increased moisture level in soil, repotting will help the plant from pest and disease attacks.
Tradescantia Nanouk Care
| Soil type | Well-drained and fertile sandy loam soil |
| Soil pH | 5.5-6.5 |
| Sunlight | Bright indirect sunlight |
| Watering | Water when the soil is dry |
| Temperature |
|
| Humidity | 40-60% |
FAQs
Do nanouk plants need repotting?
Yes. If your plant faces problems such as pest attack, overwatering, over-fertilizing etc., it will need repotting. Otherwise, repot your nanouk plant every 2 or 3 years though they are healthy.
How can I easily propagate nanouk?
By stem cutting. It is the easiest procedure to multiply nanouk plants. Just take a cutting from a healthy and matured plant, prepare a pot with soil, perlite, and coco peat mixing and plant the new cutting in there.
Is tradescantia nanouk poisonous?
Not at all. It can cause mild irritation to sensitive skin and children. But it won’t create any massive hazardous conditions.
Is tradescantia nanouk easy to care for?
Yes. It is a very hardy plant that can be drought resistant. You need to supply their necessary things properly. That’s enough for their nourishment.
Final Thoughts
So, here I want to finish my detailed discussion about the tradescantia nanouk brown leaves. Here, the main solution remains for you. You have to observe your plants’ leaves changing.
You need to identify if the plant tips are browning or the whole plant. Then, you also have to keep a clear knowledge about your atmosphere changing.
After examining the problem, match it with the problems that I experienced earlier and then get your solution that was extremely beneficial for me. Thus, get a beautiful nanouk plant without any unwanted happenings.
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