I love ivy plants as I think they lend an air of grandeur to my mantlepiece that other houseplants can’t replicate!
But to be honest, I’ve had my share of problems keeping my ivy, with the leaves turning yellow and brown at different times…So, I’ve become an expert at diagnosing what’s wrong with my ivy and also saving it if it’s dying!
Let’s get to the point, shall we?
In my experience, a dying Ivy plant is usually because of underwatering, overwatering, or because the Ivy is planted in a pot that is too small with limited access to moisture and nutrients. If your Ivy is turning brown and dying back this is most likely due to dry soil, too hot, too much sun, and underwatering.
We need to keep in mind that English Ivy is adapted for living outdoors in England, and therefore, as a house plant, it is suited to much cooler rooms such as porches or unheated extensions rather than rooms with central heating and low humidity…
To revive dying Ivy, it is important to water it appropriately, plant it in the right-sized pot, and use a fertilizer if necessary. Dying foliage should be cut back to promote healthy green growth.
So, if your ivy is looking sad then don’t worry! In this article, I’ll share with you all my tips and tricks in a step-by-step guide so you can troubleshoot why your ivy is dying and how you can revive it.
Please keep reading to learn why Ivy turns brown or yellow, does not grow properly, or has a dying appearance and how to revive it…
Dry Soil?- Ivy Leaves Turning Brown
So, in my experience and from talking to my customers, the leaves turning brown is the most prevalent problem. But why is this? Well the most common cause of a dying ivy plant with leaves turning brown is drought.
When watering our ivy plants we need to water with a generous soak around once per week to stay healthy, however, as I’ve found out myself, you may have to increase the frequency of your watering depending on your conditions.
I used to hold a houseplant clinic at the garden center I worked at and while dry soil was the most common problem I’d see with Ivy plants, there were other reasons for drought stress… If the soil dries too quickly it could be because of small pots with less soil, high temperatures, or intense sunlight the ivy turns brown and dies back. Why is this?
- Small pots and containers have less capacity for soil and, therefore, retain less moisture, causing them to dry out too quickly for your ivy.
- Ivy requires a generous soak when watering. If you water too lightly, then this may only reach the top inch of the soil and not drain down to the roots of your ivy.
- High temperatures and low humidity can both increase evaporation from the soil, so there is less moisture available, which causes your potted ivy to turn brown.
- If your Ivy is outdoors and in full sun then the afternoon light can increase evaporation.
We also have to be aware of another phenomenon. Hydrophobic soil (which is when the soil bakes hard in the sun or dries out completely and causes the water to trickle off the surface of the soil and down the side of the pot without infiltrating the soil properly).
The first thing I would do to diagnose the problem is to pick the pot up. Evenly moist soil makes the pot feel heavy. If the pot is very light despite watering, then I often find that the water has trickled down the side of the pot and out of the drainage hole in the base.
If you look at the potting soil, you can often see it has shrunken away from the edge of the pot due to a lack of moisture in the soil.
All these factors can contribute to your ivy leaves turning brown and dying.
How to Revive an Ivy Dying Back with Brown Leaves (Step-by-Step)
So we’ve diagnosed why your leaves turn brown, but how do we solve it? The key to saving your ivy is to water the plant appropriately for your climate or house conditions. In my experience, this also involves changing the pot to a larger pot; let me explain…
Watering once per week in most climates is optimal as this allows the soil to dry out somewhat between bouts of watering which is the ivy’s preferred balance of soil moisture.
However, if you are in a dry climate with low humidity (like me), you have to adjust the watering schedule so that the surface feels dry, but the soil does not dry out completely at the roots.
If you are unsure when to water your ivy, my favorite method is to test the soil to a finger’s depth to see if I can detect moisture. Ideally, the surface of the soil should feel dry, but you should be able to detect some moisture so that the soil does not dry out completely.
But what if your soil has dried out completely, like we talked about? My method for revival is to place the pot in a basin of water for 20 minutes or so. This allows the soil to draw up moisture through the bottom of the pot and ensures that the soil around the rootball is evenly moist.
As you lift the pot out of the water you should notice how much heavier the damp soil is now it has been properly hydrated. This is by far the most effective way to treat your ailing brown ivy and you should see any wilted leaves sigh in relief after a few days.
We need to water our potted Ivy till we can see a trickle of water from the drainage hole out the base of the pot to ensure that the water has reached the roots so that the ivy can stay healthy.
Pro tip: Always pick up your pot before and after watering to assess the weight. If the pot feels heavier after watering, you know the soil has infiltrated well, and you are watering properly. If the poot s light, place your ivy in a basin of water as I described so it can get a proper drink.
So when I try to revive an Ivy with brown leaves, one thing I always consider doing is repotting it in a pot one size larger than the previous one. But why is this? It is also important to plant your Ivy in an appropriately sized pot or container.
A larger pot has more capacity for soil and can retain moisture more effectively, particularly in high temperatures. This also prevents the roots from becoming pot-bound and allows the roots to access more nutrients.
Whenever I see a drought-stressed Ivy, the pot is often too small, and the soil dries out in one afternoon during hot days, which is inevitably going to turn the leaves brown.
If your Ivy’s roots are noticeably pot-bound, then transfer your Ivy to a larger pot with a pot that is one or two inches across, which is suitable for hot climates to avoid drought and brown leaves.
I know recommending only a slightly larger pot may seem perplexing and specific, but the reason for this is to avoid ‘overpotting’, which is where you plant your ivy into a pot that is a lot larger than the previous pot, which can retain perhaps too much moisture for your ivy to tolerate!
This is why I always recommend planting any houseplants in pots that are proportionate to the size of the plant, rather then just using a large pot.
I then cut back any brown leaves or dying parts of the plant with a pair of pruners to help stimulate new green growth.
I must emphasize that if the leaves are entirely brown, then the individual leaves are unlikely to revive; however, whenever I have cut back the leaves and vibes, new healthy growth emerges in the Spring and Summer (as long as the ivy is watered properly) so I can assure you that your Ivy can recover.
(Read my article, on how to water ivy plants for all the best watering practices).
Too Much Sun can Scorch Your Ivy’s Leaves
So, as we know, ivy s an adaptable plant and it can grow in some direct sun, but it s too much sun that can damage the foliage giving the leaves a scorched appearance.
What are the symptoms? Typically, the green leaves look faded and perhaps a bit yellow. When ivy leaves are severely scratched, I tend to see them turning brown and crispy, often at the edges first.
We have to again think in terms of our ivy plant’s natural habitat to understand its needs and replicate that in our homes and gardens. Ivy is a woodland climber that prefers shade, partial sun, or dappled light.
So, I recommend moving the Ivy to an area with bright indirect light or an area with morning sun followed by afternoon shade.
In my experience, most problems with sun exposure occur because a potted ivy has been moved to a different location of the house or garden with a different intensity of light.
What do I mean by this exactly? Well, if Ivy is accustomed to the shade, then when it’s moved to a sunny location, the leaves can’t acclimate to the higher light intensity that quickly, which causes the leaves to scorch, and the plant may look as though it is dying.
But I can assure you from experience that Ivy is an adaptable plant that can adjust to an area of more sun.
There is a very specific method that I have tested many times to achieve this…What I found works is to gradually expose the plant to more sun by moving the pot or container to a sunnier area for 20 minutes or so more each day for two weeks. The reason this works is because the ivy can adjust to the differing levels of light rather than having to adjust to a sudden contrast from a shady area to a sunny area.
Another thing we need to consider, is that more sun can increase evaporation from the soil and water loss from the leaves.
To mitigate any potential negative impacts, ensure that your ivy is in a pot or container that is well-sized (larger pots can retain more moisture) and keep the plant well-watered (I give my ivy a good soak once per week).
Monitor your Ivy for any signs of excessively dry soil and increase the frequency of your watering accordingly and the ivy should recover.
As I mentioned before, any excessively scorched or brown foliage can be pruned back to stimulate new growth, as badly damaged leaves are unlikely to recover. I just select the most damaged vine and trim them back to healthy growth or even back to the base if necessary. I can assure you the ivy does regrow as gardeners in England can tell you ivy is very hardy and resilient to heavy pruning!
Is Your Ivy Turning Yellow/Brown and Dying? It Could be due to Over Watering
So, while dry soil turns ivy leaves brown, I have personally observed that overwatering (or too much moisture around the roots) turns ivy leaves yellow and brown simultaneously. So, I should highlight that too much moisture around the ivy roots isn’t just because of overwatering.
This can be due to overwatering, pots without drainage, or a slow-draining soil mix.
But why does too much water turn leaves yellow and brown? Excess water in the soil starves the ivy roots of oxygen, which means that the ivy’s roots can’t respire. If the roots can’t respire, then they can’t function properly and take up nutrients or moisture to transport to the leaves. Without moisture and nutrients, the ivy leaves turn yellow and brown, and the plant can die.
Let’s think about how Ivy grows in the wild. It is adapted to growing in woodlands with soil rich in leaf litter. Therefore it requires the potting soil to be lighter, aerated, and, importantly, well-draining as this mimics the soil conditions of its native environment.
As we discussed, ivy prefers the soil to dry out somewhat between bouts of watering rather than stay consistently damp.
I’ve seen ivy suffer because of too much moisture at the roots for a few reasons:
- Pots or containers without drainage holes in the base or saucers are collecting water underneath the pot preventing water from draining properly.
- Watering the ivy too frequently.
- Compacted or heavy soil prevents good drainage and reduces the oxygen in the soil. Have you firmed the soil too much when potting up your ivy?
- Naturally boggy or low-lying areas of the garden if planted outdoors.
How I Revive Dying Ivy Turning Yellow Due to Overwatering
If you are watering your Ivy every day then I can tell you that you are overwatering your plant. Scale back the watering to around once per week as this allows the soil to dry out between bouts of watering.
Consider the pot that your ivy is growing in. Does it have drainage holes? Ivy should be planted in pots and containers with drainage holes in the base, otherwise, the soil quickly becomes saturated, which is a very common mistake I see people make.
What I sometimes see is in supermarkets they sell Ivy that is planted in decorative plant pots that don’t have drainage, so I would check your pot and transplant your Ivy to a pot with drainage holes in the base to allow excess water to escape and you should see an improvement quickly.
A very common mistake when growing Ivy is to use a drip tray to catch the excess water that trickles out the base of the pot and not emptying them regularly.
This water collects underneath the pot, and the soil stays saturated which mimics a pot without drainage holes, causing the ivy to turn yellow and die back.
If you are concerned about water draining from the bottom of the pot and trickling out, then I recommend placing your pot in the sink after watering or perhaps using a saucer to avoid spilling water but ensure that you empty any excess water that is pooling underneath the pot and keeping the soil too damp.
Without the soil being saturated the ivy should start to revive, however, I’m afraid to say that in my experience, if the Ivy has been in persistently damp soil for a long time it could have root rot and it is difficult to recover.
What I would do is cut back any yellow and brown foliage to promote the growth of healthy green leaves. If it your ivy is dying then I would use a pair of pruners to cut any healthy remaining vines for propagation.
Propagating ivy is very easy any I have always had a very high success rate when making cuttings for new plants. Watch this video to see how easy it is…
(Read my article, why is my ivy turning yellow?)
Is Your Ivy Turning Yellow Due to Lack of Fertilizer?
We need to consider that overwatering and fungal disease are not the only reason your Ivy plant may have yellow leaves.
Ivy is predominately a foliage plant that requires a good nitrogen source to stay healthy and green.
If your Ivy is planted in soil with a deficit of nitrogen then the Ivy can stop growing and the leaves can turn yellow and die off.
From my personal journey of reviving ivy plants, I can say I see 2 reasons why an ivy plant doesn’t have enough nitrogen for its leaves to stay green.
- Has your Ivy has been growing in the same pot for a long time? If so, then the roots can exhaust the potting soil of nutrients, causing the leaves to turn yellow.
- Is the ivy is planted in a relatively small pot or container? If so, then the roots may be pot-bound and they cannot access the nitrogen and other nutrients required to grow and for the leaves to stay green.
How to Revive Your Potted Ivy that is Turning Yellow
So my method for revival is to transplant the Ivy to a larger pot or container with new potting soil.
As I mentioned earlier, it is essential to choose a pot that is only 2 or 2 inches larger in diameter than your previous pot to avoid problems associated with overpotting.
I have personally observed that if I leave my ivy in the same pot for two years, the rate of growth slows, and the size of the leaves becomes smaller. Therefore, as a preemptive measure, I repot my ivy usually every year, and I have not had any problems with the leaves turning yellow or the vines growing quickly (so quickly that I have to trim them often!).
The new potting soil provides more nutrients so that your Ivy can begin to recover. Also, a larger pot contains more potting soil so that the roots have greater access to nitrogen in the soil without being pot-bound.
Pro tip: I personally prefer to repot my ivy into clay pots as clay is breathable, which allows the soil to dry out around the roots of my ivy. This is a great way to prevent problems associated with overwatering.
As before, I recommend that you cut back any yellowing foliage as it is unlikely to recover and pruning helps to stimulate new growth with healthy green leaves.
These improvements can help your ivy to recover, however it is best practice to use a fertilizer for the Ivy to help keep the leaves green and the plant healthy.
I just use an ordinary house plant fertilizer every 2 months during Spring and Summer, which ensures your Ivy has all the nutrients it requires to grow and stay green.
Why is My Indoor Potted Ivy Dying?
So there are some other problems that are specific to growing Ivy indoors, are that I felt I needed to cover more specifically:
- Fluctuating indoor temperatures. Our Ivy plants prefer more consistent temperatures, so we need to avoid placing our ivy plants next to a radiator, source of heat, or in the air current or forced air or air con as this can dry the ivy out and cause brown leaves and dying foliage.
- If you live in a very dry climate then spider mites can be a problem. Spider mites tend to be more prevalent in warm and dry homes with climates of low humidity.
I have always found that my ivy prefers a much cooler location than most of my other houseplants, so I keep mine on a shelf with the vines trailing down in my kitchen (which is usually much cooler than the rest of the house because it is an extension).
If you live in a warmer house, what I find works is to keep the ivy misted occasionally to prevent dry air sapping the leaves dry.
Do you have yellow spots on your ivy? Spider mite damage to Ivy leaves typically looks like pin-sized yellow spots on your Ivy leaves which eventually turn brown and wilted with a dried-out appearance.
The easiest and most effective way to deal with a spider mite infestation from experience, is to wash the ivy’s leaves with soapy water from dishwashing liquid.
Washing the leaves or using a spray bottle can wash away the spider mites responsible for the damage and prevent them from coming back for a time.
It may take several washes to completely eradicate the mites if the infestation is severe.
Trim back any significantly affected foliage, which should help to stimulate new healthy growth, and the Ivy should recover.
(Read my article, How to Care for English Ivy Indoors).
Do you have any more questions or insights into reviving your ivy? Please leave a comment below! I’d love to hear your perspectives!
Key Takeaways:
- A dying Ivy is usually caused by underwatering, too much sun, or a pot that is too small, and the soil dries too quickly, turning the leaves brown and dried out. Overwatering and a lack of nutrients also turn the Ivy’s leaves yellow.
- Ivy is a woodland plant that prefers shade and does not always tolerate full sun. Move your Ivy to an area of bright, indirect light.
- Yellow Ivy leaves can be caused by low nitrogen, overwatering, or a spider mite infestation. Ivy prefers the soil to dry out between bouts of watering and requires occasional fertilizer for the leaves to stay green. Cut back any yellowing leaves to promote new growth of green leaves.
- Indoor potted Ivy can suffer due to fluctuations in temperature or air currents. Keep the Ivy in a room where the temperature is consistent, and keep the pot away from sources of heat or air conditioning. Ivy is a hardy, adaptable species and usually recovers with the right care.