Croton Plant Care: Leaves Falling Off

Crotons are known for their ornate leaves. Their leaves come in many shapes, sizes, and color patterns. That being said, it can a bit concerning if your Croton's leaves are falling off. Crotons are known to be a bit dramatic though. In this post, I'll discuss the best practices of Croton Plant Care to prevent leaves falling off.

Water Issues Can Cause Leaves Falling Off

Both over and underwatering can cause your Croton to drop leaves. First, you need to figure out if you're overwatering or underwatering. You should be able to tell by sticking your finger in the soil about a knuckle deep. If it feels wet (not just moist), then you may have overwatered. If the soil feels dry you may be underwatering your Croton. For me, the best way to tell if there are water issues is to use a soil moisture meter. Something simple like this soil moisture meter works well and I've had the same one for years.

I tend to be closer to an underwaterer for most of my plants. Crotons actually hate that because they're tropical plants and like humidity. In my experience Crotons are actually pretty good at visibly drooping when they need water. A good visible sign like this helps you catch underwatering before it becomes too big of a problem.

How to Fix Water Issues

Underwatering is fixed by watering more frequently or a larger amount. Don't overdo it though, you could go too far the other way. Experiment and keep track of soil moisture so you know what works. It's also worth noting that in the dormant season, winter, your Croton will require significantly less water. If you have been underwatering and now the water just runs through your plant, your soil may have become hydrophobic. If this happens you should water from the bottom. That just means to stick your plant pot in a bowl or the sink with water and let the soil and roots soak up water from the base of the plant.

If you have overwatered, it will be more complicated. The first thing you need to do is remove your Croton from its pot. That will let the root ball and soil dry more quickly. Let the root ball dry enough that you can handle it without mushing everything up. Now you need to inspect the roots for rot. Healthy roots are white or light brown and firm. Rotten roots appear brown, feel mushy, and might smell. If you have rotten roots you need to cut them away with a clean sharp knife. Then you can repot your Croton in new soil and hope for the best. The main goal is to be as delicate as possible with the roots in this situation. I have a whole post dedicated to fixing an overwatered plant if you want to follow along in more detail.

Fertilizing Issues Can Cause Leave Falling Off

Like water, you can also over and under fertilize. An interesting sign of an overfertilized plant is that they are more likely to exhibit slow growth and possibly leaf drop. Typical houseplant fertilizers have a balanced ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, or n-p-k, which you see on the label of plant fertilizer. Nitrogen is the nutrient for healthy leaf growth, phosphorous is for blooming/fruiting, and potassium is a more all-around plant health nutrient. So you're most likely looking for nitrogen or potassium issues.

Fertilization issues will affect all the leaves on the plant but the older leaves toward the base of the stems may show visible signs first, such as yellowing. A great tool to determine your plant's nutrients is with a soil rapitest which allows you to test for ph and each nutrient individually. It's the only way to be totally sure you have a nutrient deficiency, and if you have a lot of plants it's a good investment.

How to Fix Fertilization Issues

If you discover you have overfertilized your Croton, the best course of action is to try to flush the soil by watering it a lot. You may even want to remove the plant from its pot when you do this because you don't want to end up overwatering either.

To fix an under fertilized plant you will need to fertilize it. Water-soluble or liquid fertilizers work best for quicker absorption. If you don't opt for a soil rapitest that I linked earlier, you should stick with a balanced fertilizer that has the same number in the n-p-k ratio. If you know from the tests that you specifically have a nitrogen or potassium deficiency, then you can find fertilizers that have higher ratios of the nutrient you need. It's important to use the instructions on the fertilizing product as well. Some require dilution or that you water the plant beforehand, so be sure to check.

Pests Can Cause Leaves Falling Off

A wide variety of pests can attack indoor plants. The main pests that attack foliage, causing drop, are aphids, scale/mealybugs, spider mites, and thrips. They like to munch on your leaves and will ultimately destroy them. Your leaves will look pretty gnarly before they fall off if this is the cause. Leaves that have been attacked by pests may appear spotty where the pests have attacked or limp. If you suspect you might have pests, the first thing you should do is a close visual inspection of your plant. Use a flashlight to help you see contrast and shadows. Look at the underside of the leaves and toward the base of the leaf, those are popular pest hangouts.

How to Fix Pest Issues

If you have pests, first quarantine your plant away from any other healthy plants you have. You really have to check all your plants once you discover pests on one because they can spread mind-blowingly well. Next, you'll need a multipronged approach to address pests. The first order of business is removal. A strong spray can remove most pests in the shower or outdoors with a hose. Other pests, like scale and mealybugs, actually require manual removal. People often use alcohol-dipped cotton swabs to remove them.

Next use an insecticide. There are organic versions like neem oil that seem to do well. I have personally used neem oil on spider mites successfully. Nonorganic insecticidal soap also works well on most pests. The most important thing to do is to repeat removal and spraying insecticide until you do not see signs of pests for over a week. Pests have short lifecycles, so although you don't see them, their eggs may still remain.

Thank you for reading Croton Plant Care Leaves Falling off. I hope these tips help you diagnose why your leaves are falling off. Have additional questions? Post in the Comment section below.