Are Your Pothos Leaves Turning Yellow? This is a fairly common problem, but don’t worry, we’re here to help.
Pothos is the ideal plant for the brown gardener or anyone who wants an easy-care plant. It offers heart-shaped dark green leaves on long, straight stems. When you see pothos leaves turn yellow, you’ll know that something is wrong with your plant.
Pothos is extremely easy to grow, making it a great candidate for anyone looking to start a new indoor garden. This common plant does not require much maintenance, but it is important to pay close attention to how it is watered and its moisture level. Taro plants can grow up to 30 feet when properly maintained, but most plants grown for indoor use do not exceed six feet.
RECOMMEND READING:
Do you have a pothos that isn’t looking healthy as it should? The leaves may start to wilt or even turn yellow. If you are concerned about your plant and are curious about what could cause the leaves to turn yellow, we can help. Below, we cover some of the reasons why your pathos plant develops yellow leaves, and treatments that may help.
INCORRECT LIGHTING
Houseplants can adapt to life indoors, but they still need specific types of lighting to thrive. Some plants grow in the shade while others need direct sunlight. Pothos needs medium to bright light, but it should be indirect.
Too much sunlight will burn the leaves and too little sunlight will cause the leaves to turn yellow. The best way to make sure your plant has the right contrast is to place it in a room that receives a lot of natural light but also faces the sunrise.
This will ensure your plant receives the bright light it needs to grow without burning its leaves. If your plant isn’t getting enough sunlight, consider moving it to another room or installing a UV lamp near the plant to simulate sunlight. This will help prevent yellow leaves from growing properly and ensure your plant will grow properly.
INAPPROPRIATE MOISTURE LEVELS
Pothos is very sensitive to dry air and low humidity. If your plant is exposed to dry soil and low levels of humidity, the leaves will start to turn yellow and then turn brown along the edges. It will also begin to wilt, become flabby and lethargic.
If your leaves are brown around the edges, you still have plenty of time to correct the moisture around the Pothos plant. If the problem persists for a long time, the leaves will begin to turn yellow, and leaf fall will follow. There are several ways to make sure your Pothos plant contains the moisture it needs to grow.
Increasing humidity is very simple. Make sure to spray the leaves of your plant once a day or every other day. This will increase the moisture around the plant and prevent it from forming yellow leaves.
If you live in a dry climate or if the room your plant lives in is very dry, there are other options. A gravel tray is a great way to maintain moisture levels around a plant without much effort. The water left over from your watering plant will stay in the box and help reduce moisture levels.
You can also put a cool room humidifier along with your Pothos plant. This will ensure that your plant has the right level of moisture to grow.
EXCESSIVE MOISTURE
Pothos plants need soil moisture balance in order to thrive. Most plants can tolerate a little bit of over-watering, but Pothos plants don’t tolerate that at all. Too much water will lead to leaf yellowing, wilting, and possibly root rot if the moisture balance is not restored. There are several things you can do to avoid overwatering and damp soil.
Maintaining soil moisture and proper watering is extremely important when caring for a Pothos plant. Inconsistent watering and constant shifting between very wet and completely dry soil will stress the plant. Stress associated with low soil moisture will cause plant leaves to turn yellow and wilt.
SPRAY POTHOS
Using well-drained soil will help prevent stagnant water. When watering a Pothos plant, be sure to allow the water to pass through the soil so that it comes out from the other end of the pot. The drainage holes in the bottom of the pot should be large enough to allow the water to pass unobstructed. Once the water drains into a saucer, throw it away. If your plant has been placed on a pebble tray for moisture, throw in just enough water so that the roots don’t touch the puddles.
It is important to water only the plant, the top quarter of which is dry. Never let the soil dry out completely, but make sure you don’t overwater it to the point that it gets wet. Light moisture is the best balance for a Pothos plant. During winter, Pothos needs less water, but be sure to maintain a constant level of moisture around the plant via a pebble tray or humidifier.
TROUBLESOME PESTS
Houseplants are not susceptible to some of the more harmful pests that outdoor plants face, but that doesn’t mean they are immune. Houseplants have their own class of common pests that can seriously affect the health of their leaves or even their roots.
If your Pothos plant has been stressed or weakened for some reason, it is easy for insects to invade its leaves. Some pests are more harmful than others, although all pests have the ability to turn leaves yellow or even wilt.
RECOMMEND READING:
- ECHINOCEREUS TRIGLOCHIDIATUS GUIDE: HOW TO GROW, PLANT& CARE FOR “CLARET CUP CACTUS”
- WELL DRAINING SOIL FOR SUCCULENT CONTAINER GARDENS | BEST SOIL FOR SUCCULENTS IN POTS
Neem Oil for Plants and Its Uses: A Complete Guide to Its Benefits
Spider mites are suckers that slowly drain moisture from plants. For Pothos, this is a particularly bad bug because the plant relies heavily on a constant level of moisture. If your plant has leaves and fronds that are starting to turn yellow and there is no other reason, check the stems and lower leaves for spider mites.
It is a pest that tends to affect indoor plants more than outdoor plants. It is important to eliminate them as soon as possible because they tend to multiply in abundance. When left untreated, spider mites can absorb all the moisture and nutrients from the pothos plant, which will eventually kill it.
POOR DRAINAGE OF THE POT
Poorly drained soil can lead to yellow leaves. Make sure there’s nothing but potting soil, perlite, and plants in the pot. Each container should have medium-sized drainage holes but check them every now and then to make sure there are no stones blocking the holes.
Other items in the plant pot can also poison the plant. Check the roots to make sure they are white, which means they are healthy. If the roots of the pothos are brown or tan, then the roots are diseased; There is a good chance the leaves will turn yellow.
LACK OR TOO MUCH FERTILIZER
Every plant needs fertilizer to grow, and pothos is no exception. Well, you can decide not to use it, especially if you are growing the plant in a suitable location for planting.
However, if you notice yellowing of your pothos leaves, you can enrich the soil either in large or not enough quantity. When you plant your Pothos in potting soil, the soil may lack sufficient nutrients for the plant to grow.
The fix: This problem is easy to fix. Enrich the soil with fertilizers every 3 months as the plant continues to grow. Adding too much compost can stunt plant growth. This is because fertilizers build up in the soil, which affects your pothos. This is when you’ll start seeing the leaves turn yellow.
RECOMMEND READING:
- POINSETTIA FERTILIZER | HOW AND WHEN TO FERTILIZE POINSETTIA
- HOW TO PLANT, GROW, AND HARVEST AVOCADOS
You can get a good, balanced home vegetable fertilizer at most stores. Just make sure you have a schedule so you don’t over-fertilize or under-fertilize your beloved plant.
When you notice a lot of fertilizer accumulating in the soil, you can drain the soil with water. You can even transfer the plant to another pot.
NATURAL DEGRADATION
It can be painful to see that even after giving a Pothos plant the care and attention it needs, the leaves still turn yellow. If you check your plant for pests and make sure your plant is watered properly, there is a good chance this is part of a natural process.
As your Pothos plant prepares new leaves, the old leaves at the bottom of the plant may begin to wilt. In addition to wilting, it will begin to turn yellow and brown before it wilts and falls off. This is not a sign of disease, but rather a loss of old leaves to make room for new leaves at the top of the plant.
By shedding old leaves, the Pothos plant is able to expend more energy and nutrients on new leaves and buds.
WHAT IS THE BEST GROWING CONDITIONS FOR POTHOS PLANTS?
While it is relatively easy to grow and maintain Pothoss as a houseplant, it does need a few elements to thrive. Cooler temperatures and bright but indirect lighting are ideal. Temperatures ranging from 55 degrees to 60 degrees are most favourable. Partial shading is important because it prevents the leaves from burning and helps the soil to retain moisture.
It needs well-draining soil to avoid wet soil and root rot. While any soil type is acceptable, it is advisable to add perlite to ensure it flows freely. Fertilize with a diluted household vegetable fertilizer once every two weeks.
Avoid overwatering the plant, but don’t let it dry completely. It is toxic to pets, so be careful if you have any inquisitive creatures living in your home. It is also toxic to humans. The plant contains natural calcium oxalate which, if ingested, can cause small wounds in the mouth and throughout the oesophagus and digestive system. Keep the plant out of children’s reach at all times.
POTHOS LEAF YELLOW MAY NOT BE A BAD SIGN
Like any other houseplant, old pothos leaves will turn yellow or even begin to drop at some point to allow new leaves to grow.
So if you notice any yellowing of the pothos leaves, do not panic, especially if you look at all of the above and find that everything is in order.
Inspect your pothos closely to see any leaves that fall off or turn yellow. If the ones that turn yellow and fall off are the ones near the bottom of the plant, this is just a natural process that shouldn’t give you a headache.
HOW TO FIX POTHOS LEAVES TURNING YELLOW
1. Grow your Pothoss wherever you want in your home, but if you must allow the light in, make sure your plant receives indirect sunlight. Of course, we did that by telling you that the pothos can survive in low-light areas. This means you do not need to place your booths in direct sunlight.
Just make sure the pothos get moderate sunlight, but not direct sunlight. You can choose a window that lets in partial sunlight or put a curtain to keep direct sunlight from hitting your sinks.
2. Plant Pothos, moderate temperatures. Do not expose the plant to temperatures higher or lower than the limits mentioned above. Expose your leaves to very high temperatures, and the leaves will begin to turn yellow.
Once you notice yellow leaves on your pothos plant, take them out and place them in a place with moderate temperature. Sometimes yellowing of the leaves can be a result of the flow of air into the room. You can change where you plant your scales.
3. Always make sure the water you added earlier is completely absorbed into the soil and is dry before adding the water to the plant again. Do a simple soil test to see if it’s time to water your plant with your finger or a stick. If you push a stick or finger into the soil and find it wet, do not water the plant right away. Wait for the soil to dry to water the pothos plant.
Also, make sure that the water can flow well into the soil but not stay in one place. You can also remove the plant from the pot to check the rootstock. White roots indicate that the plant is in good health, but brown roots indicate a problem. You can prune it and move the plant to another pot of fresh soil.
4. Ensure that the pothoss is well watered, keeping in mind Solution # 4 above.
5.The first thing you do here is to remove the hell out of your beloved plant, which can be tricky. Well, that’s easy, start by spraying lukewarm water on the leaves to kill spider mites. Once removed, spray the insecticidal soap on the leaves again. Make sure to do this at least twice a week. Make sure to clean up any dead leaves that fall around the plant.
6. Always wait for the soil in your pot to dry before watering the plant again. You don’t need to add water frequently.
source: succulentsandsunshine.com
