Why are my plant leaves turning yellow?
Overwatering, lack of light, drainage issues, or even just age can cause yellow leaves. Check that the soil isn't wet before watering again, and make sure your container has drainage holes. Let the soil dry out if it's consistently wet, and check the roots. Occasionally, one older leaf turning yellow might be normal, but multiple yellow leaves appearing at the same time could indicate an issue with the plant's care.
Why are plant leaves turning yellow?
There could be a few causes of yellow leaves, but overwatering is among the most frequent. If the soil remains wet for too long (several days), the roots might not receive enough oxygen and start to rot. Always check the moisture in the soil a little deeper than the surface before watering your plant again. Also, you want to ensure that any extra water can easily flow out of the pot.
Another possibility for yellow leaves is too little light, which can happen when the plant is growing slowly or is producing new leaves that appear pale and spindly. If this is the case, you can relocate the plant closer to a good source of light, but do so slowly if the new spot receives direct sunlight.
Yellowing leaves may also be a sign of underwatering, drafts, moving the plant to a new location, infestation with pests, or lack of nutrients. Check both sides of the leaves and the stems and surrounding soil area for fine webbing, sticky material, cottony patches, or tiny bugs. If you find any of these, then your plant likely has a pest problem rather than simply a water problem.
What you can do
- Dig a few inches down into the soil to see how wet it is.
- Check the pot and drainage holes for standing water or clogged soil.
- Check the leaves, stem and the area around the soil for pests.
- Check how much light the plant is getting and if there are cold spots or drafts.
- Snip off any damaged leaves using clean scissors.
If you see just one old leaf turning yellow, it might not be a problem at all. If the rest of the plant seems healthy, it could just be getting old. Don't fertilize yet, especially if your plant isn't growing fast, or doesn't have good drainage and lighting conditions. Fertilizer won't fix wet feet or low light issues.