Question
What causes the leaves to turn brown on several house plants that I have? One grows very tall, the other sits on the dining room table. I water both of them once a week. The one on the table wilts quickly if it is not watered at least once a week.  

Answer
Helen,

It can be caused by several things, I will list them and you will have to decide which is most likely.
1. Too much water, the leave tips will brown on many plants if they do not have sufficient time between waterings for the roots to breathe.
2. If the humidity is low in your house and the plant is sitting close to a heat duct the leaf tips can brown.
3. If the water that you use to water the plants (especially dracaenas)has flouride and chlorine in it or if it is soft water that can cause brown leaf tips and brown spots. If you leave water sit in an open bucket for 48 hours the flouride and chlorine will evaporate. If you have soft water you need to find another source, such as bottled water, rain water, melted snow or hard water from a friends home.
I hope you can use this info to determine your problem, good luck.
                                             Darlene