Yellow leaves

Symptoms of a dying corn plant include yellow drooping leaves. This can also be caused by underwatering or not allowing the soil to completely dry between waterings.

One of the easiest ways to keep your corn plant alive is by giving it a pot with plenty of drainage, a soil mixture that drains well by including Perlite (Amazon link), and only watering the plant until it pours through the drainage holes.

Another way to help the plant survive is by using warm water instead of cold water, which will prevent the chance of shock.

Sunburn

Symptoms of over-sunburn include a brown spot with a yellow outer rim.

To save a sunburned corn plant, move it away from the window or use curtains to filter sunlight.

When the sun is too hot for your corn plant it will curl its leaves in to protect them. So look out for that, too.

If your corn plant starts to grow inward, please do take some preventative action before leaf burn takes over.

Brown leaves

If your corn plant has brown leaves, this can be due to humidity issues or too much sun.

Make sure there are no wind drafts that could be drying out your plant. This means moving your plant away from open windows, along with using a humidifier to raise the humidity level. Corn plants need 50% humidity, which is why a humidifier can be helpful.

In winter, indoor humidity levels tend to be much lower than in summer. You can also use an indoor humidity gauge (Amazon link) to monitor humidity levels.

Finally, brown leaves can be due to a lack of water in the soil. If you have noticed that your plant has had unusually dry feet for quite some time now, then it is likely that there’s not enough moisture available to sustain the plant and prevent these discoloration issues from happening.

Lack of nutrients

In order for plants to thrive, they need the right mixture of water and nutrients.

When you notice that a corn plant is dying, it may not be too late to save it. The growing season runs April to October, so use a fertilizer to help growth. I love using Miracle Grow (Amazon link) on my plants.

Soil and potting

Corn plants require a pot that has at least one drainage hole to prevent becoming waterlogged. Waterlogged roots can lead to root rot.

I like using peat potting mix with my corn plants, which is great for most house plants. It keeps the soil moist but does well at helping with drainage.

You shouldn’t have to re-pot your corn plant too often. However, there is a chance that your plant has become root-bound. If so, place it into a large pot that allows the roots to grow to their maximum potential.