Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Check the soil moisture two inches deep.
- Observe if the browning happens after a period of high heat.
- Review your recent fertilizing schedule.
Likely causes
Underwatering
Most likelyHow to tell: The tips turn dry and crispy while the rest of the leaf may start to wilt. This happens most often during the peak of summer.
What to do: Increase your watering frequency to every 2 to 4 days. Make sure the water reaches the root zone deeply rather than just wetting the surface.
Salt Buildup
PossibleHow to tell: Brown tips appear even when the soil feels moist. This often happens if you use too much fertilizer in a container.
What to do: Flush the soil with plenty of plain water to wash out excess salts. Reduce your fertilizer application to once every 4 to 6 weeks.
Find out what's wrong with your hops
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
Worry if the browning is moving inward toward the center of the leaves. A tiny bit of browning on the very oldest leaves at the base is normal.
Stopping it coming back
Maintain a consistent watering schedule and use mulch to keep the soil moisture steady.
Keep your hops healthy from here
Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked. Identification and a health check are free.
Questions people ask
- Should I trim the brown tips off?
- You can snip them off for aesthetic reasons. Use clean scissors and cut just outside the green tissue.
- Does this mean my plant will stop growing?
- Not necessarily, but it does mean the plant is stressed. Correcting the water or salt issue will help it resume normal growth.
More problems with Hops
This article was generated with AI from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.