The plant problem diagnostic walks you through your plant's symptoms step by step. Click the symptom card that best matches what you see — the tool narrows down the diagnosis with each selection until it identifies the specific cause and tells you exactly how to fix it.
Cause
How to fix it
Prevention
How to Use the Plant Problem Diagnostic
The plant problem diagnostic uses a branching decision tree to identify the most likely cause of your plant's symptoms. It covers the 8 most common visible symptom categories and narrows down to 30+ specific diagnoses, each with a cause, solution, and prevention advice.
Step 1: Select the Primary Symptom
Start by clicking the symptom card that best describes what you see. The 8 starting symptoms are: yellow leaves, brown tips or edges, drooping or wilting, spots on leaves, leggy or stretching growth, mushy stem or base, visible pests, and leaf drop. If you see multiple symptoms, start with the most prominent one.
Step 2: Answer Follow-Up Questions
After selecting a primary symptom, the tool presents 2–4 follow-up questions to narrow down the specific cause. For example, "yellow leaves" branches into "which leaves are yellow?" — lower or older leaves yellowing is normal aging, while all leaves yellowing points to systemic problems like overwatering or low light.
Step 3: Read the Diagnosis
The final diagnosis card shows the specific problem, its cause, step-by-step fix instructions, and prevention advice. For pest diagnoses, the card identifies the specific pest type (spider mites vs mealybugs vs fungus gnats) since treatment differs for each.
How to Check for Pests
Many plant problems are pest-related, but the pests themselves are often too small to see easily. Always inspect the undersides of leaves — this is where spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects prefer to feed. Use a magnifying glass for best results. Fungus gnats are identifiable by the tiny flies hovering near the soil surface when you water or disturb the plant.
FAQ
Why are my plant's leaves turning yellow?
Yellow leaves are the most common houseplant symptom with many causes. Lower leaves yellowing on older growth is usually natural aging. Upper or all-over yellowing is typically overwatering, root rot, nitrogen deficiency, or low light. Use the diagnostic tool above to narrow down the specific cause based on the pattern and other symptoms.
What causes brown leaf tips on houseplants?
Brown leaf tips are almost always caused by low humidity, fluoride or salt buildup in the soil from tap water or over-fertilizing, or inconsistent watering. A few plants with crispy edges near a heating vent indicate temperature stress. The diagnostic tool above walks you through distinguishing between these causes.
Why is my plant drooping even after watering?
A plant that droops even after watering is usually root bound (roots have no more room to absorb water) or has root rot (overwatered roots can no longer uptake water). Check the drainage holes — if roots are growing out, the plant needs repotting. If the soil smells musty and roots are brown/mushy, root rot has set in.
How do I know if my plant has pests?
Common signs include: sticky honeydew residue on leaves (scale insects or aphids), white cottony masses on stems (mealybugs), fine webbing on undersides of leaves (spider mites), or tiny flies hovering near the soil (fungus gnats). Inspect the undersides of leaves under good light — most pests hide there. The diagnostic tool identifies which pest you're dealing with based on specific symptoms.
How do I fix overwatered plants?
Stop watering immediately and move the plant to bright indirect light to encourage evaporation. Remove from the pot to inspect roots — trim any black, mushy roots with sterile scissors. Repot in fresh, dry potting mix. Wait until the top 2 inches of soil are dry before watering again. For severe root rot, a fungicide drench may help.
What nutrient deficiency causes yellow leaves with green veins?
Yellow leaves with green veins (interveinal chlorosis) on young leaves indicates iron deficiency — usually because the soil pH is too high (above 6.5), which locks out iron even if it's present in the soil. Treat with chelated iron fertilizer or acidify the soil with sulfur. If it affects older leaves first, it's likely magnesium deficiency — treat with Epsom salt solution (1 tsp per gallon of water).
Is this tool free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required. The diagnostic tree runs entirely in your browser.
How many plant problems can this tool diagnose?
The tool covers 30+ diagnosis endpoints including overwatering, underwatering, low light, sunburn, nitrogen deficiency, iron deficiency, magnesium deficiency, root rot, spider mites, mealybugs, fungus gnats, scale insects, aphids, fungal leaf spot, bacterial infection, temperature stress, humidity stress, and more.