Mahfuzul Alam Siam

@mahfuzulsiam · 05 Dec 2021

Follow Following

Why is my succulent turning yellow?

As you will know if you are a lover of succulents, these can be grown both as indoor plants or as outdoor plants in warmer climates.

In general, succulent plants require low maintenance as they store water in their leaves or stems so it is not necessary to water them regularly, but one of the common problems that they can develop is that their leaves turn yellow when the growing conditions do not. meet the needs of the plant.

Symptom: succulent leaves turn yellow
Most succulents are naturally green, but some varieties have variegated leaves and occasionally other colors mixed with green.

Very few varieties of succulents have yellow leaves or shades when perfectly healthy, although there are.

If you notice that some of your succulent leaves are starting to turn yellow, it's time to intervene and quickly fix the problem to avoid major damage to the plant.

Possible cause: overwatering
Overwatering is the most common cause of succulent leaves turning yellow.

If the soil is constantly moist it can rot the roots of the plant, interfering with its ability to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. This disrupts photosynthesis, or energy production, in plant leaves and other aerial parts of the plant, and their green color fades to yellow.

If not treated promptly, excessively humid conditions can cause leaves to drop or the tops of a succulent plant to soften and rot, eventually killing the plant.

Check your plant's soil with the tip of your finger, and if it feels damp and you haven't finished watering, overwatering is likely causing your succulents' leaves to turn yellow.

Possible solution: don't water for a while and watch
If a succulent has only a few yellow leaves, the problem can be corrected relatively easily if you stop watering the plant for a while, waiting until the soil dries out, and then water only when the top 3-5 centimeters of the soil is dry.

When a plant begins to drop leaves, it may be necessary to change its soil, transplanting the plant into a new pot with dry soil, gently shaking the old, moist soil from the roots.

Replant your plant in a commercial mix designed for cacti and succulents, or make your own mix with 2 parts potting soil, 1 part perlite or vermiculite, and 1 part small-sized gravel or coarse sand.

Replace the pot in a container with a large drainage hole and use an unglazed ceramic pot, which allows the soil to dry quickly.

Let the plant adjust to its new soil and pot for a few days before watering it again. When watering the replanted plant, make sure that the dish where the pot is placed does not get waterlogged.

Check for other possible causes
If your plant's soil is a well-draining mix formulated for succulents and overwatering isn't the cause, the problem could be lighting conditions.

Most succulents can withstand a lot of light, but some green succulents can yellow or become lighter when exposed to too much light. Moving the plant to a location that receives bright but indirect light should correct this problem.

A pest-infested succulent can also develop yellow leaves, a sign of general discomfort. For example, mealybugs, which form cotton covering on leaves, or spider mites, small insects that can cause yellow spots as they feed, could cause the problem. Spraying a plant with ready-to-use insecticidal soap kills these pests.

#whyismysucculentturningyellow
#succulentturningyellow
#succulentturning