The string of hearts is a beautiful plant that can be found in many homes around the world. However, if you notice your string of hearts leaves turning brown it could mean trouble. This blog post will discuss what causes the plant to turn brown and how to fix the problem so that your plant stays healthy and looks great!

Why Is My String of Hearts Turning Brown?

Your string of hearts has turned brown as a result of overwatering or leaf burn. Brown leaves from overwatering tend to be moist, rather than dry and crispy like burnt leaves.

Determining what caused the leaves to brown is so essential. I’ll go over these two possibilities in more depth, as well as what you can do to prevent it from happening again.

Brown String of Hearts from Too Much Water

The string of hearts plants are water-loving plants, but brown leaves will appear if you give it too much water or leave the plant constantly wet. This is one of the biggest mistakes that plant owners make.

String of hearts plants needs to be watered once every week. If you give it too much water, the roots cannot get enough oxygen and will begin to rot. This leads to brown leaves because there is no longer a healthy root system supporting your plant’s growth process. 

It’s important to only give water when the top inch of soil is dry. You can test this by sticking your finger down one inch into the soil. If it’s moist, wait until the top layer of soil is dry before watering again.

You could also use a moisture meter to test the soil’s moisture level. Moisture meters are inexpensive and will take all of the guesswork out of watering your string of hearts plant.

If root rot has already taken hold, you are going to need to re-pot your string of hearts plant. Start by removing the old soil, and then pruning any rotten roots that are black and mushy.

Make sure you’re using good quality potting soil, as poor quality soils can lead directly to root rot issues in plants. You also want to make sure that the new container is the same size as the old one.

Re-potting a plant into a larger container will shock it, and you don’t want that to happen when your goal is trying to save this plant from dying!

The type of water matters too… You should only use filtered water when watering your string of hearts plant. This is because tap water has minerals and chemicals in it that can damage the plant’s leaves.

Brown String of Hearts from Leaf Burn

The other possible reason why your string of hearts plant is turning brown might be leaf burn. Leaf burn occurs when the leaves are exposed to either too much heat or direct sunlight.

The string of heart plants needs bright but indirect light in order for their leaves not to turn brown and crispy. Direct sun will scorch the leaves while leaving them under a heat lamp for too long will cause the leaves to dry out and turn brown.

The string of heart plants needs a lot of humidity in order to prevent their leaves from drying up, so you shouldn’t let them sit under any type of heating vent or fan.

If your string of hearts plant has been scorched by direct sunlight and is now turning brown, you will need to move the plant away from direct sunlight.

Use curtains or other items to block out the sunlight when you’re not home. Blinds are great for allowing dappled light through the window.

Browning String of Hearts Leaves FAQs

The string of hearts isn’t the easiest plant to care for. As such, I will now answer some common questions I get asked about the leaves of this beautiful plant.

Will brown string of hearts plant leaves turn green again?

No, it is unlikely for brown string of hearts leaves to turn green again. The good news is that new foliage will be green if you can find and fix the issue.

Should I remove brown leaves from my string of hearts?

Yes, prune out any brown string of hearts leaves you to see. This will encourage new growth, which is what you want to happen! Your plant will grow new leaves in a few months.

Will too much water cause the string of hearts to turn brown?

Yes, if you’re giving your plant too much water, the roots will begin to rot and not be able to get enough oxygen. Your leaves will turn brown if there is no healthy root system supporting them anymore.

Why are my string of hearts leaves wet?

This is likely due to guttation, or excess water coming out of the leaves. This is common with plants that are overwatered or sitting in very wet soil.

Will direct sun cause my string of hearts to turn brown?

Yes, direct sunlight will cause your string of hearts leaves to burn. You should always provide this plant with bright, but indirect light.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are a few reasons why your string of hearts plant is turning brown. It could be due to lack of water or excess moisture in the soil, root rot, leaf burn from too much heat exposure, direct sunlight scorching the leaves, etc.

I hope this blog post helps you to figure out what’s going on with your string of hearts plant and that it doesn’t die! You can also contact me if you have any questions.