When you see an entirely yellow leaf, you should remove it from your plant using a sterile cutting tool. Removing the leaf will let the plant focus its nutrients on healthy leaves. A yellow leaf has lost its chlorophyll (pigment) and it can’t turn green again even after you correct the problem. Don’t worry, if the plant regains its health, it’s possible that new leaves will fill in during the next growing season. Growing plants is always a matter of patience. Do your best to eliminate these common reasons for yellowing leaves, then wait to see what happens. Read on to find out reasons why your indoor plant’s leaves are turning yellow, how to fix yellowing indoor plants, and how yellowing in different areas of the plant can help diagnose what’s wrong. If you have a plant with yellow leaves, check the soil in the pot. Is it dry? Is it soaked? If plants don’t receive enough water, they drop leaves to prevent transpiration (essentially, a plant’s way of sweating) to conserve water. Before they drop, though, the leaves will typically turn yellow, sometimes at the tips, and sometimes with brown spots. If the soil is dry and this is happening, make it a point to get the plant on a regular watering schedule. Too much water can be just as damaging to leaves. When the soil doesn’t drain well, an overdose of water leaves the soil waterlogged and root systems can literally drown. Without oxygen, roots start to die. In this case, don’t worry. If the plant becomes too leggy, consider trimming back the main stem to promote new growth and bushiness. 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. A plant that is yellowing from a lack of light will typically yellow on the side that is turned 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. 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 varies 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 infections in plants may not be able to be cured and can infect all susceptible plants nearby. As soon as you notice a sick plant, 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’ll have to discard any plants that you cannot bring back to health. Wash and sterilize any pruning tools or pots before using them on other plants.
