Yellow leaves on Pothos? When considering the ideal plant for your garden that is easy to handle and maintain, then the pothos plant should the first plant crossing your mind.
When it comes to caring for these plants, it is relatively easy, and it can be a great project, to begin with for you houseplants as well. The pothos enjoys a wide variety of environments; they do well in low indirect light as well as bright light and can be grown in either vase filled with water or dry soil.
Their leaves are dark green, with the shape of the heart attached to stems that are long and cascading. Yellow leaves on pothos are a common sight, and when you start noticing some of these leaves are turning yellow, you will notice that something is wrong with your plants. So what do you do when this starts to happen? Let’s find out.
Yellowing Leaves in Pothos Plants
Yellow leaves are a clear indication that something is wrong. However, that does not inevitably mean that your plants are done for, or indicating a particular disease. The primary cause of yellow leaves on pothos is direct sunlight and too much of it for that matter.
Temperate sunlight for the pothos plants is a requirement, and in many cases, the plants thrive in shallow light. Still, direct sunlight is harmful to pothos plants; therefore, yellowing leaves on your plants may be a clear indication that they are getting way more direct light. If you have your plants facing in a particular direction, say east of the window, you try changing the direction and facing elsewhere that is further away from the light. Then again, you can solve this issue of yellow leaves on pothos by placing barriers in the form of a curtain opposite the plants if they are located close to the window.
Furthermore, the use of excessive fertilizer on pothos plants is another cause of yellow leaves in these plants. To solve this problem, you can opt for an indoor plant food that is water-soluble and feed your plants monthly. This is a sufficient problem that will help with the problem of yellowing leaves in your pothos plants.
Pothos plants prefer growing in a moderate temperature; therefore, steady changes in the temperature will lead to the eventual damage of the plant’s foliage resulting in yellowing leaves. These plants do not do well in harsh conditions that include extreme cold temperatures or hot temperatures as this will also result in yellow leaves on pothos plants.
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Alternative Reasons Causing Pothos Leaves to Turn Yellow
Change in color from green to yellow of pothos leaves can indicate fungal diseases have infested your plants. Other diseases include Pythium root rot as well as bacterial leaf spot. Soil inhabiting fungi are the primary cause of Pythium root rot. The other cause is the overly moist soil. Plant crowding together with inadequate drainage of the soil is also other causes of root rots.
Pothos leaves that yellow in color may be a clear indication of Pythium root rot. This disease is characterized by mature leaves turning yellow and falling off the plant. Also, the roots turn to appear black and are mushy.
Bacterial leaf spot can be diagnosed by observing the underside of the pothos leaves. If at all you notice water spots having yellow halos, then this is a clear sign that your plants have bacterial leaf spot.
Diseases
These diseases are, however, manageable, so there is no need for the alarm. If you pothos plant with yellow leaves has pythium root rot, then the best social care is what your plant needs. Ensure that your pothos plant is located in an area where it gets sufficient sunlight. Besides, you need to make sure that the soil has proper drainage and guarantee that the water is limited to suitable amounts. Since root rot fungi thrive in moist conditions, you should avoid misting your pothos plants.
Use disinfected scissors when snipping off the yellow leaves on pothos plants. When disinfecting the scissors, be sure to use a mixture of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. After each cut with the scissors, you need to disinfect them before moving to other yellow pothos leaves. If almost one-third of your pothos plant has yellow leaves, you should try trimming from time to time rather than trimming the whole plant at once. If the disease has further advances to the leaves, then chances of you saving the plant are very narrow.
Pests are another problem for the pothos plants, and they are mostly spider mites among other pests. You can avoid these pests by running lukewarm water on the pothos leaves. Once you have destroyed all the pests infesting your plant’s foliage, you can use insecticidal soap on your plant to prevent further infestation. You need to use the soap weekly appropriately mixed with water.
Conclusion
There you have it, everything you need to know on yellow leaves on pothos plants. First, yellow leaves are a clear indication that something is wrong with your plants. Still, that does not automatically mean that your plants are done for, or an indicating of a specific disease. Reasonable sunlight for the pothos plants is a requirement, and in many cases, the plants thrive in shallow light. Moreover, the use of excessive fertilizer on pothos plants is another cause of yellow leaves in these plants.
To solve this problem, you can opt for an indoor plant food that is water-soluble and feed your plants monthly. In addition to this, Change in color from green to yellow of pothos leaves can indicate fungal diseases have infested your plants as well as other diseases such as the pythium root rot and the bacterial leaf spot. These diseases are, however, manageable, so there is no need for the alarm. So now you know what to do whenever you start seeing yellow leaves on your pothos plants.
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