Why Houseplant Leaves Turn Yellow
I will provide the answer to the one of the most frequently asked question why leaves on my plant is turning yellow.
I explain in this article, what can cause leaves to turn yellow and how to recognize and identify issue behind this. All this information will help you to figure out why the plant is showing some signs of distress.
Okay, guys, let’s start
Table of Contents
Acclimation
If you have your plant for less than one month, most likely, this is just the result of acclimation. It is very common for lower leaves to turn yellow during this period. Nothing to worry about.
Simply remove the yellow leaves. Once The plant is acclimated and I adjusted to its new pot, home and watering raoutine the yellow issue should stop.
But If you have your plant for a while and the leaves are turning yellow. The yellowing of leaves might be the sign of a few things.
- Watering issue
- Insufficient light
- Lack of nutrients or
- Pest Infestation
Water issue
Yellow leaves can be the result of under or over watering. To establish a proper watering frequency, I recommend testing the soil once every 7 to 10 days. Soil for plants like Snake Plant needs to be completely dry all the way through before the plant gets a drink.
Plants like Aglaonema like to get water when most of the soil is dry but not all the way through. Plants like Bird of Paradise prefer moist soil and should be watered when the soil is dried just halfway through.
Using your finger to test the soil is common, but it does not allow you to test the soil on the lower level of medium or large plants. That is why I use and strongly recommend testing the soil with soil moisture meter to avoid over or underwatering.
You need just one tool for an unlimited amount of plants.
Lack of Nutrients
Loss of leaf color drooping and yelling, might be the sign of the lack of nutrients. If you have your plant for over a year, it should be fed. The best time to fertilize your plants is during Spring and Summer when the plants are actively growing and need some extra vitamins to support a healthy growth.
Insufficient Light
Leaves discoloration, loss of color vibrance and shape, yellowing and sometimes droopiness may happen when the plant is not getting enough light. There are three main types of light: low light, medium light and bright light. Here’s the basic definition of light intensity-
Low light means when there is not much sunlight in your space, like North facing window, or when the sunlight is blocked by the nearby building . Apartments that are facing the backyard will located on the lower floors. Usually don’t get a lot of light. Also an area where there is not enough natural light but plenty of fluorescent light throughout the day is considered to be low light environment.
Important note, if in your space, in the middle of the day, you can’t read a book without turning the light on then, it’s too dark for any plant to survive.
Medium light is partial, filtered or indirect sunlight. Partial sunlight, when you have sun during the day for a couple of hours in the morning or later afternoon from east or west facing windows.
Filter sunlight when you have the direct sunlight in your space all day, but it is filtered but not blocked by curtains or blinds. Indirect sunlight is the shady area next to a sunny spot.
Bright Light is when you have sunlight in your space all day long, like South, Southwest or Southeast facing window. Remember, most plans do not like long direct sun exposure and to best in a medium light environment.
If you have bright light in your space, move plants away from Windows or filter the sunlight with curtains or place them in a Shady area of the room.
Pests/Fungous Issue
Leaf yellowing and or discoloration can be the sign of pest infestation fungus on mold issue. Take a closer look at your plant. Check both sides of leaves, stamps and topsoil.
Do you see any white fluffy spots on your plant? These are mealy bugs. Do you see flat brown oval shaped bugs? Is there a sticky residue on leaves and the planter? These are scale. Do you see web and all leafs feel like they covered with a very fine sand? These are spider mites.
Do you see black flies circling around your plant? These are gnats. Do you see white silverish patches on leaves? This is fungous mildew issue. Do you see white or yellow residue mushroom growing on the top soil. This is mold/fungus issue.
Here are some extra tips for you:
First is temperature requirements. Ideal temperature for plants is 65 to 80 Fahrenheit. Don’t forget to rotate your plan to provide equal light, exposure to all sides. Last but not least, always always test the soil before watering to make sure it is dry enough and you plant is ready for a drink.
Now, you know what can cause leaves to turn yellow. Happy Gardening!
 *(Include an image of droopy leaves)* Some plants, such as calatheas, prefer moist soil at all times; otherwise, they develop that signature brown tissue damage on the leaves. The annoying thing here is that the damage cannot be reversed and can only be cut away, leaving you with a damaged plant. If the soil of your plant is bone dry, you'll notice that it's pulling away from the sides of the pot. This is because the soil has shrunk due to a lack of moisture, so make sure you are not letting this happen by watering a little more frequently. #### Signs Your Plant is Overwatered (darkgreen) Overwatering plants is a really common way that people kill their plants. Beginner plant enthusiasts often have a common misconception that houseplants need lots of water, but the reality is that these plants are native to hot climates where they may get periods of drought followed by large rain which rehydrates them. **Yellowing leaves** (red) can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem. If you are watering your plant too often and the soil is always wet, this can lead to root rot, which will begin to affect the leaves of your plant. **Limp and mushy leaves** (red) also indicate that you are overwatering your plant. This is particularly true with succulents such as Echeverias. Echeverias store water in their thick leaves and have difficulty storing excess water if you are watering your plant too often. This leads to mushy plants that eventually fall off.  *(Include an image of yellowing leaves)* Philodendron and Pothos plants tend to get mushy leaves that fall off if the soil is consistently soggy. My Philodendron Birkin recently developed some new brown leaves that fell off because I was overwatering it. Whereas crispy brown edges on leaves indicate an underwatering problem, if the whole leaves are turning brown, this tends to mean that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water. You may also notice some water droplets on the ends of the leaves of some of your plants. This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate that you are giving the plant too much water. Now, this tends to happen on plants that prefer drier soil, and I notice it quite often on my Philodendron Birkin and my Tradescantia Nanook. **Increased presence of fungus gnats** (red) can also be a sign that your plant is too moist. Fungus gnats like a moist top two inches of soil to breed and lay their eggs, so if your soil is wet, it creates a breeding ground for gnats. If you see lots of flea-like flies jumping around the top of your soil, I would just dial back on the watering and let the top two inches of the soil dry out before watering again. #### Watering Tips (darkgreen) It is important to allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out between waterings. This prevents the possibility of over-watering, which is one of the most common reasons people kill their plants. **Check the soil moisture** (red) before watering your plant by sticking your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels wet, leave it a few days and then check again. An even better way to check the soil moisture is to invest in a moisture meter. This device needs no batteries and tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil, giving you control over watering your plants.  *(Include an image of a moisture meter)* When you identify that your plant needs water, make sure you give it a thorough soaking. Take your plant to a sink area and soak the soil four or five times until water drains out of the bottom each time. This ensures that all the soil in the pot gets moistened and there are no dry patches. **Bottom watering** (teal) is a method that has changed the health of my plants since I implemented it a couple of years ago. Place your plant in a container of water and let it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method prevents water from getting on the leaves, which can cause leaf tissue damage. I hope this article was helpful. Now you know when to water your plants and when not to. Apply this knowledge to your plants and see the growth. Happy gardening! --- Incorporating these visual and formatting enhancements will make your article more attractive and engaging for your readers.](https://growinggaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-artempodrez-7242495-scaled.jpg)
