Brown, crispy leaf tips top the list of problems we see in Gardenix scans. Spider plants, dracaenas, calatheas and peace lilies account for most of them. Tip burn rarely kills a plant. It tells you something in the plant's routine is off.
Cause 1: Inconsistent watering
The leaf tip sits at the end of the plant's plumbing. When the root ball swings between bone-dry and soaked, the tips lose their water supply first and die back. If you water whenever you remember, start here. Push a finger into the soil and water thoroughly once the top 2-3 cm feels dry, not before.
Cause 2: Salt and mineral buildup
Tap water minerals and leftover fertiliser salts collect in the soil and burn the root tips, which shows up on the leaves as brown tips with a yellow halo. Look for a white crust on the soil surface or around the pot rim. Flush the pot every month or two by running water through the soil for a minute and letting it drain. Calatheas and other sensitive plants do better on rainwater or filtered water.
Cause 3: Dry air
Tropical foliage plants evolved in 60-80% humidity. A heated living room in winter drops below 30%, and tips and edges dry out first. Group your plants together, stand them on a pebble tray, or run a small humidifier. Misting raises humidity for a few minutes and then it is gone.
Cause 4: A rootbound pot
Once roots circle the pot and displace the soil, nothing is left to hold moisture and the plant dries out within a day of watering. Check the drainage hole. Roots poking through mean you should repot one size up.
Should you cut the brown tips off?
You can. Brown tissue will not turn green again, so trim it for looks: cut with clean scissors a millimetre inside the dead area, following the shape of the leaf. Leave that thin margin, because cutting into living tissue opens a fresh wound that browns in turn. Fix the cause and the next leaves come in whole.