Fertilizer build-up
Brown tips on a plant that's fed heavily usually point to salt build-up in the soil.
Diagnosis
Fertilizer build-up
What's happening
Polka dot plants are small and don't need much food, so it's easy to overdo it. Excess fertilizer salts accumulate in the soil and burn the fine root tips, which shows up as browning leaf tips and edges, often alongside a whitish crust on the soil surface or the rim of the pot.
How to fix it
Flush the pot to clear the salts: run plenty of plain water through the soil until it drains freely from the bottom, and repeat that flush two or three times. Let it drain fully so it doesn't sit soggy. Then cut back to feeding only during the growing season — a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength, roughly once a month, is plenty for a plant this size.
What fixes it
- A balanced liquid fertilizer — A balanced liquid feed used sparingly at half strength gives steady color without the salt burn of heavy feeding.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Polka Dot Plant care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this