Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Feel the soil to see if it has dried out completely.
- Check the humidity levels in your room.
- Examine the roots to ensure they are not sitting in stagnant water.
Likely causes
Inconsistent Watering
PossibleHow to tell: The tips of the grass blades turn dry and crispy while the soil feels completely dry to the touch. This happens when the plant dries out between waterings.
What to do: Water your grass every 2 to 5 days, ensuring the soil never fully dries out. Keep the soil consistently moist to the touch at all times.
Low Humidity
PossibleHow to tell: It is less common for this plant, but dry air usually causes the tips to brown even when the soil is moist. This is most frequent in homes with central heating or air conditioning.
What to do: Place a tray of water and pebbles near the plant to increase local humidity. You can also mist the foliage lightly once a day.
Find out what's wrong with your barnyard grass
The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.
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When to worry
If the browning spreads rapidly down the entire blade, the plant may be suffering from severe dehydration. A few brown tips on older leaves are normal as the plant matures.
Stopping it coming back
Maintain a strict watering schedule and keep the soil damp to mimic the plant's natural wetland habitat.
Barnyard grass: brown tips? Check yours with a photo
Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your barnyard grass and Pocket Botanist tells you which cause is most likely, how serious it is, and what to try first. A few checks a day are free. Save the plant and you get care reminders timed for it.
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
Get the app · Or check it from a photo now, free
Questions people ask
- Should I cut off the brown tips?
- You can snip off the brown tips with clean scissors for aesthetic reasons. It will not harm the plant, but it will not fix the cause.
- Can tap water cause brown tips?
- Sometimes high mineral content in tap water can cause tip burn. If you suspect this, try using filtered or rainwater for a few weeks.
More problems with Barnyard grass
Back to the Barnyard grass guide
This article was generated with AI on from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.