One of the most frustrating things is when you work so hard to maintain and care for something and it doesn’t end up perfect! Here at Stonercentral we have methods to help keep your indoor plants from turning yellow and can help you keep your plants happy and healthy for a long time.

Here at Stonercentral, we are able to chat with our horticulturalist, Matt Kostelnick, to ask him why this is happening. He said that it is very common for leaves on plants to turn yellow due to stress to the plant, which can be caused many different ways. Since this is such a common topic for prospective green thumbs, our experts thought they’d share what we have learned from Matt on how to prevent indoor plants from turning yellow. Here’s to keeping plants happy and healthy!

Moisture stress

The most common reason that plants’ leaves turn yellow is because of moisture stress, which can be from either over watering or under watering. If you have a plant that has yellow leaves, check the soil in the pot to see if the soil is dry.

If you believe that the problem is due to under watering, water the plant more often and consider letting the pot sit on a dish to recollect any water that has overflowed, so that the roots can absorb the extra water.

On the other hand, over watering can contribute to the leaves turning yellow as well. If you feel the soil and it is too wet then you know that you have been putting too much water on the plant. In this case the solution is simple in that you should not add as much water or water less frequently.

Cold Draft

Cold drafts on tropical plants will often cause the leaves to turn yellow and drop.2 This is different from short periods of exposure to intense cold, which will cause outright browning on the foliage or pale, transparent spots to appear between veins.

If your plant is near an air-conditioner vent in summer or a drafty window in winter, move it to a less turbulent place. Keep an eye on it to see if the yellow leaves spread any further. It’s also a good idea to mist tropicals that you’re overwintering to increase the humidity.

Plant nutrition

The yellowing of your plants can also be a good indication of their nutrition. Specifically, if there is an strange pattern to the yellowing, like if the veins on the leaves are green and the tissue is yellow then it is almost always a nutrient problem.

Common sources of nutrient issues are under-fertilizing or over-fertilizing, so it is important to use fertilizer at the labeled rate.

Frequently people tend to use too much fertilizer on their plants to make them grow faster, but what it actually does is create a toxic environment which “burns” the leaves out causing them to turn yellow.

In addition to the problems listed above, other conditions that lead to the yellowing of the leaves include infectious diseases (fungi or bacteria), poor soil, natural aging of the plant and plant destroying pests.

As many plants age, the lower leaves will turn yellow and drop off. This is simply a normal part of their growth.

In this case, don’t worry. If the plant becomes too leggy, consider trimming back the main stem to promote new growth and bushiness.

Lack of Light

Plants that receive too little light will often start to yellow on the lower leaves before those leaves drop. If this is your issue, there is a clue that you can look for.

A plant that is yellowing from a lack of light will typically yellow on the side that is away from the light source. The leaves near the window, for instance, are getting all the light and blocking the opposite side. A great way to remedy this is to turn the pot a bit once a week, so all sides have access to natural light.

If this is the case, move the plant to a sunnier location and see how it does. If window light is tough to come by in your home—especially in winter—you might need to rig up an artificial plant light or two.

Nutrient Deficiency

Plant leaves may also turn yellow if a plant is not receiving all of the nutrients it requires. This can be caused by too much calcium in the water if you’re using hard water or by a nitrogen deficiency.3

If this is the problem, the plant’s top leaves may be the first to go yellow. In other cases, you might notice an unusual pattern to the yellowing. For instance, the veins may remain dark while the tissue between them turns yellow.

The nutrients a plant requires vary based on the species and some are pickier than others. It’s important to try and diagnose the problem properly or you might kill a plant that can otherwise be brought back to health. It can be a good investment to purchase a small soil kit for at-home soil tests. Being able to accurately pinpoint the needs of your plant will greatly help. This will help keep your plants happy and healthy.

Viral Infection

If your plant has a viral infection, it might show up as blotchy, spreading yellow patches on leaves throughout the plant. This may be accompanied by deformed leaves and stems, as well as discolored flowers.

Viral infections in plants may not be able to be cured and can infect all susceptible plants nearby.4 As soon as a sick plant is noticed quarantine it from the rest of your plants. Check the neighboring plants to ensure the spread is contained. You can take steps to save the plant, but you must first attempt to identify the virus. Some remedies can involve fungicides, while others may require removing healthy parts and propagating. While it may be painful if it’s a favorite, you may have to discard any plants that you cannot bring back to health. Wash and sterilize any pruning tools or pots before using on other plants.