My Plant Has Yellow Leaves - Help!
Why Are My Plant’s Leaves Yellow?
Have you spotted a yellow leaf or two on your plant? Don’t panic. There are several reasons a houseplant’s leaves will turn yellow and we’ve got advice on how to treat each one!
It can take a bit of trial and error to diagnose yellow leaves, because they can be caused by opposite issues (overwatering vs. underwatering, or sunburn vs. not enough light).
We’ve broken down what to look for so you can know exactly why your plant has yellow leaves.
Root Rot & Overwatering
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering and are especially a sign that your plant’s roots are dying. Check the soil and roots for root rot or fungal damage. Repot if needed and treat with a fungicide from your local garden center to control mold growth. Be sure to drain excess water after watering and allow the soil to dry out more between waterings.
Most foliage needs to be watered approximately once a week to maintain moisture in the top inch or two of soil. Succulents and drought resistant foliage needs to be watered minimally once a month.
Look for: Waterlogged soil; fungus/mold growth; root rot
Treat with: Repotting, fungicide, more appropriate watering schedule
Underwatering
If plants aren’t getting enough water, they’ll drop leaves to conserve what water they do have access to. Before dropping, the leaves will turn yellow. Check the soil for moisture and if it’s dry, get back on a regular watering schedule while you identify any other causes of your yellow leaves. If you don’t notice any further yellowing issues, you’ve found the culprit.
Look for: Dry soil; yellowing and dropping of older leaves
Treat with: More appropriate watering schedule, repotting if soil is hardened throughout
Cold Damage
In colder temperatures, it’s possible that your leaves turn yellow as an indicator of cold damage. If you can’t identify any other major causes of the yellow leaves, this may be the culprit - especially in the fall or winter when temperatures drop quickly. Move your plant to a warmer location in your home, away from drafty windows or doors that open to the outside.
Look for: Pale yellow color; drafts from vents, air conditioning units, doors, and windows
Treat with: A warmer spot in the house
Sunburn
Plants need light, but too much of a good thing can affect your plant’s health and cause leaves to turn yellow. Sunburn may cause dark burn-like spots on leaves or can cause full yellowing of leaves receiving too much sun. Move a sunburned plant to an area with less direct light, away from windows that might magnify the sun’s rays.
Look for: Yellowing or dark burn spots on leaves receiving direct sunlight
Treat with: A new spot in the room away from direct light (or put up some sheer curtains to diffuse the light)
Not Enough Light
The opposite problem from sunburn, yellow leaves can also indicate a lack of sunlight. In the event of too little light, plants will react on a cellular level to conserve energy and this leads to discoloration of the leaves. You might be able to find a helpful clue if lack of light is your issue; look for yellowing on one side of the plant (the side furthest from the light source). Moving the plant to a place with better light will allow it to photosynthesize normally again.
Look for: Yellowing leaves on the side of the plant furthest from a light source
Treat with: Brighter light
Nutrient Deficiency
Plants need nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to help fuel the plant’s development of new leaves. If the plant isn’t getting enough nutrients from the soil, it will start to pull nutrition out of older leaves, which causes yellowing in the oldest leaves. If you only notice that older leaves are yellowing, try fertilizing with a balanced houseplant fertilizer to replenish the soil’s nutrient balance.
Look for: Oldest leaves gradually yellowing
Treat with: Balanced houseplant fertilizer, repotting in new soil if plant has outgrown pot
Should I Prune Yellowing Leaves?
Yellow leaves can still photosynthesize and provide energy for the plant, and in the case of a nutrient deficiency, yellow leaves are also providing nutrition for the rest of the plant. In these cases, leave them alone until the problem has been solved and the plant recovers.
However, if the leaf begins to wilt and die, it’s time to prune. Dying leaves can harbor bacteria and pests.
Got Yellow?
If your leaves are turning yellow and you want to shoot us a photo for a better diagnosis, email a picture to info@wildinteriors.com or DM us on Instagram and we’ll get back to you right away.