Journal/Authors

Camille Fournier

Camille Fournier

Plant Rescue & Troubleshooting

34 articles

Camille spent years behind the counter of a plant shop where every customer arrived with the same question: what's wrong with it? She writes the Journal's rescue guides — calm, diagnosis-first, no guilt — because most 'dying' plants are one correct decision away from recovery.

Articles by Camille Fournier

Yellowing leaves on an indoor houseplant

Troubleshooting · 5 min read

Yellow Leaves: Causes & Fixes

Yellow leaves usually mean one of five things. Learn how to tell overwatering from nutrient deficiency, sunburn, pests, or old age.

Close-up of green foliage with dappled sunlight

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Identify Plant Diseases from a Photo

A field guide to identifying leaf spot, powdery mildew, rust, blight, and root rot from a photograph — plus how AI diagnosis works.

Hands watering a potted plant with a small watering can

Troubleshooting · 4 min read

Overwatering vs Underwatering: How to Tell

The symptoms look identical — droopy, sad leaves. Here's the simple checklist to tell overwatering from underwatering in 30 seconds.

Fiddle leaf fig in a modern living room

Troubleshooting · 5 min read

Fiddle Leaf Fig Brown Spots: Diagnosis & Treatment

Brown spots on a Fiddle Leaf Fig point to one of four things. Here's how to identify which — and exactly what to do about it.

Macro shot of a green leaf with tiny insects

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Identify the 8 Most Common Houseplant Pests

Spider mites, thrips, mealybugs, scale — a visual guide to the 8 pests you'll actually meet indoors, with a treatment plan for each.

Damp potting soil in a houseplant pot

Troubleshooting · 5 min read

Fungus Gnats: How to Actually Get Rid of Them

The complete four-step plan to eliminate fungus gnats — dry the soil, break the cycle, trap the adults, and stop re-infestation.

Small houseplant on a wooden table beside a window

Troubleshooting · 5 min read

Why Your Plant Stopped Growing (and How to Restart It)

A stalled plant isn't a dying plant — but it is telling you something. The seven reasons houseplants stop growing and what to do about each.

Curled green leaves on a tropical houseplant

Troubleshooting · 5 min read

Curling Leaves: What Your Plant Is Trying to Tell You

Curling leaves are one of the most common houseplant SOS signals — and one of the most decodable. Here's what each curl direction means.

Freshly repotted houseplant on a wooden surface

Troubleshooting · 5 min read

Transplant Shock: Symptoms and Recovery

Repotted your plant and it's suddenly wilting? That's transplant shock — not death. Here's the full symptom list and a two-week recovery plan.

Terracotta pot with soil surface visible

Troubleshooting · 4 min read

White Mold on Soil: Harmless or Dangerous?

White fuzzy mould on your plant's soil is usually saprophytic fungus — mostly harmless, always a signal. Here's how to get rid of it.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Brown Leaf Tips: Why They Happen and How to Stop Them

Brown, crispy leaf tips come down to five causes: dry air, inconsistent watering, tap-water salts, fertiliser burn, or cramped roots. Here's how to tell which.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Spider Mites: How to Get Rid of Them for Good

Fine webbing and speckled leaves? A complete spider mite treatment plan: washing, insecticidal soap, neem, predatory mites — and why one spray never works.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Why Is My Peace Lily Drooping? Causes and Fixes

A drooping peace lily is usually thirsty, but it can also mean overwatering, root rot, cold or a cramped pot. Here's how to read the wilt and revive it.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Root Rot: How to Save an Overwatered Plant

Root rot is reversible if you catch it early. A step-by-step rescue: how to spot it, trim the dead roots, and repot so your plant recovers.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Mealybugs: How to Get Rid of the White Fluff on Your Plants

White fluff on your plant is probably mealybugs. How to identify them, get rid of them with alcohol, soap and patience, and stop them coming back.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

How to Get Rid of Aphids on Plants

Aphids on your plants? How to spot greenfly and blackfly early, get rid of them naturally, and keep them from coming back.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Thrips: How to Get Rid of Them on Houseplants

Thrips leave silvery, speckled leaves and tiny black dots. Learn to spot them and clear an infestation for good with a simple, repeated treatment routine.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Powdery Mildew: How to Get Rid of It (and Stop It Coming Back)

White dust on courgette or rose leaves? How to identify powdery mildew, treat it with simple sprays, and stop it coming back every summer.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

How to Get Rid of Scale Insects on Houseplants

Those little brown bumps on your plant's stems could be scale. How to spot scale insects, remove them, and stop the sticky mess they leave behind.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

How to Get Rid of Whiteflies on Plants (Indoors and Out)

Tiny white flies rising off your plants? How to identify whiteflies and clear an infestation with soap sprays, sticky traps and smart timing.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Whiteflies on Plants: How to Identify and Get Rid of Them

How to get rid of whiteflies on houseplants and greenhouse crops: identification, sticky traps, soap sprays, and why late summer is their peak season.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Why Is My Hydrangea Not Blooming?

Six reasons hydrangeas fail to flower — wrong-time pruning, frost-killed buds, shade, nitrogen, drought — and exactly when to prune each type.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

How to Get Rid of Ants in Plant Pots

Ants nest in dry pots and farm honeydew pests. How to evict a colony with the soak method, baits and barriers — and keep it from returning.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Sticky Leaves on Houseplants: Causes & Fixes

Sticky leaves usually mean honeydew from sap-sucking pests like scale, aphids or mealybugs. How to identify the culprit and clean it up.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

How to Get Rid of Slugs and Snails in the Garden

Proven ways to stop slugs and snails eating your plants: barriers, traps, iron phosphate, habitat fixes — and the popular remedies that don't work.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Holes in Plant Leaves: What's Eating Your Plant?

Ragged holes, neat circles, pinprick shotholes or notched edges — the hole pattern tells you exactly what's eating your plant and how to stop it.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Orchid Leaves Turning Yellow: Causes & Fixes

Yellow orchid leaves explained: how to tell normal leaf drop from overwatering, sunburn, cold stress or salt build-up — and save your phalaenopsis.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Why Are My Plant's Leaves Falling Off?

Houseplant dropping leaves? The causes are short: shock, watering, cold draughts, low light, humidity, or pests. How to tell normal shedding from a real problem.

Troubleshooting · 5 min read

Why Is My Peace Lily Not Flowering?

Peace lily not flowering? The six real reasons — light, age, feeding, watering, temperature and nursery forcing — and how to get white spathes back.

Troubleshooting · 7 min read

Why Are My Plant Leaves Turning Brown? Causes and Fixes

Brown leaf tips, edges, or spots? Learn what each browning pattern means — watering, humidity, salts, sunburn, or disease — and how to fix it fast.

Troubleshooting · 5 min read

Yellow Mushrooms in Your Houseplant Soil? Here's What They Are

Little yellow mushrooms in your plant pot are Leucocoprinus birnbaumii. Harmless to the plant, not for eating — here's why they appear and what to do.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Monstera Leaves Not Splitting? Here's How to Get Fenestrations

No splits on your Monstera's new leaves? Learn why fenestration needs age, light and a pole to climb — and how to get those iconic holes.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Snake Plant Leaves Falling Over? Causes and Fixes

Snake plant leaves falling over, bending or drooping? The five causes — overwatering, low light, top-heavy growth, loose potting, cold — and how to fix each.

Troubleshooting · 6 min read

Orchid Air Roots: What They Are and What to Do

Those silvery roots reaching out of your orchid's pot are normal — and useful. What air roots do, how to read their colour, and why you shouldn't cut them.

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