Spring
Growth season starts. Resume regular watering and consider a light fertilizer. This is the best time to repot if roots are crowded. Watch for pests that wake up with the warmth.
Something's off with your plant.
Let's figure out what.
Pick your plant type, click the symptoms you see, and get a ranked list of likely causes with clear recovery steps. No account. No fluff. Just answers.
Plant Diagnostic
Select your plant type, then click every symptom you see on your plant. Results update instantly.
Symptoms — Pothos
Click each symptom that matches what you see. Selected: 0
The 5 Most Common Plant Problems
These come up again and again. Tap any one to jump straight to its diagnosis.
Seasonal Warnings
Plants change with the seasons even indoors. Watch for these shifts.
Summer
Plants drink more. Check soil every few days instead of on a schedule. Move plants away from hot south windows that can scorch leaves. Increase humidity if you run AC constantly.
Fall
Growth slows. Cut back watering by about a third. Stop fertilizing. Plants may drop a few old leaves as they prepare for dormancy. This is normal.
Winter
The danger zone. Heaters drop humidity to desert levels. Water much less often but mist tropical plants. Keep plants away from cold drafts and hot radiators. Light levels drop, so move plants closer to windows.
How This Diagnostic Works
You pick your plant type, then click every symptom you actually see. The tool cross-references your selections against a database of the most common indoor plant problems and ranks them by match strength. Each result shows a confidence level, a severity rating, and step-by-step recovery instructions. It is not a lab test. It is a fast way to narrow down what Google makes confusing.
Common Mistakes People Make
Watering on a schedule instead of checking the soil first is the biggest one. Most houseplants want the top inch or two of soil to dry out before you water again. Another common error is moving a plant to a new spot every time it looks unhappy. Plants need a few weeks to adjust. Also, more fertilizer is not better. Too much burns the roots and causes more problems than too little.
When to Give Up vs When to Save It
If the stem is mushy all the way down and the roots are black and slimy, the plant is probably too far gone. But if there is any firm stem left and even a few healthy white roots, you can often save it. Cut away all the dead parts, repot in fresh dry soil, place it in bright indirect light, and water very sparingly. Some plants bounce back from what looks like certain death.
What You Need Before You Start
A clean pair of scissors or pruning shears, fresh potting mix, a pot with drainage holes, and patience. That is most of what you need. A moisture meter is helpful if you keep overwatering. They cost less than five dollars and remove the guessing. Do not use garden soil in pots. It compacts and suffocates roots.
Questions People Actually Ask
My plant has yellow leaves. Is it always overwatering?
Not always. Yellow lower leaves often mean overwatering, but yellow upper leaves can signal nitrogen deficiency. Yellow edges with brown tips usually point to low humidity or mineral buildup from tap water. Use the symptom selector above to narrow it down based on the full picture.
How do I know if it is root rot?
Gently slide the plant out of its pot. Healthy roots are firm and white or light tan. Rotten roots are dark brown or black, mushy, and may smell sour. If more than a third of the roots are affected, trim the dead ones with clean scissors, repot in fresh dry soil, and water very lightly for two weeks.
Can I use this for outdoor plants?
The database is built for indoor houseplants. Outdoor plants face weather, different pests, and soil types that this tool does not cover well. It may still help with basic light and water questions, but take outdoor results with a grain of salt.
Why does my plant keep getting brown tips even though I water it?
Brown leaf tips are usually about humidity, not water volume. Indoor air gets dry, especially in winter. Try watering with filtered water instead of tap, mist the leaves a few times a week, or run a small humidifier nearby. Inconsistent watering (bone dry, then soaked) also causes this.
How accurate is this diagnostic?
It matches your selected symptoms against the most common problems for your plant type. It is not a substitute for a plant pathologist, but it is faster and more focused than scrolling through 14 contradictory blog posts. Think of it as a smart first opinion.