Plant leaves drying up

[renee275]

Some of my plants' leaves are drying up from the bottom of the stems to the top. They are bee balm, salvia, and phlox that I have noticed so far. Only part of the plant, the rest is OK, for now. I cut off the dry parts. Any ideas as to what's going on?

[Guest]

As the plant continues in the flowering stage, some of the leaves will dry like that. Just give them a gentle tug and if they come off easily it won't hurt. Just make sure that you're not burning the plants with too much fertilizer.

[WindChimes1]

You may want to check the ph of the soil and the water quality. Sometimes changes in your water will creat this problem.

[Guest]

The first inclination may be to think that the plant isn't getting enough water. This may be the issue 50% of the time. However, there are many funguses that cause plant leaves to dry up and crumble. Fungus is typically indicative of too much water, so in this case, the plant is getting water, but a fungus is on the leaves causing stress and the leaves are drying up. Insects can also be a cause of this.

[walter80]

Chlorine and water softeners will do that too, so consider what type of water you are using.

[Pippi]

I just posted a similar question about the brown leaves on my tall garden phlox. I have looked for signs of mildew and there are none. I have applied Miracle gro plant food to all my flowerbeds, but only twice so I know they are not being over fertilized.