So you’re proudly showing off your garden to friends when you notice that some of the plants have patches of yellow. Don’t fret. Actually, it is relatively common for plants to turn yellow for all sorts of reasons. Here is an explanation why plants turn yellow and what you can do about it.
There are a plethora of reasons why plants turn yellow and there are as many remedies to fit it.
(Courtesy: Ranjith Siji at flickr.com)
Reasons why plants turn yellow include:
· Pest Problems
· Overwatering
· Lack of Sunlight
· Dehydration
· Potassium Deficiency
· Nitrogen Deficiency
· Calcium Deficiency
· Zinc Deficiency
· Iron Deficiency
· Magnesium Deficiency
Here is what you can do about it.
· Pest Problems. It should be easy to figure this one out. Simply observe the plant to see if insects are living and eating it. An easy remedy is to spray the plant with neem oil or insect killing soap.
· Overwatering. Overwatering is a common mistake that beginning gardeners tend to do. The yellowing of plants is probably the result of poor soil drainage leading to the drowning of the roots. The remedy is to add sand to your soil or replant the flora in a raised garden bed.
· Lack of Sunlight. If your plants appear faded and droopy, then they may be suffering from lack of sunlight. It is suggested that you simply reposition the plant in another location where it can get good, direct sunlight.
· Dehydration. If the leaves of your plants look dry and feel crunchy when you touch them, then they could be suffering from dehydration. The fix here is to ensure that you give at least 1-inch of water to the plant each week and water all of your plants regularly.
· Potassium Deficiency. The sign that your plants are suffering this problem is that telltale color yellow on the edges and tips of their leaves. The easy remedy is to buy citrus rinds in the soil at the base of the plant and add compost that has a lot of fruit and vegetable waste.
· Nitrogen Deficiency. If the tips and center veins of the leaves of a plant turn yellow, then this issue could be the culprit. The fix here is to add organic compost like manure or coffee grounds to the soil.
· Calcium Deficiency. If the leaves of a plant become twisted or deformed, then it may be suffering from calcium deficiency. The problem is the soil. It is either too acidic or too alkaline. Perform a pH level test on the soil to determine which one of the two is dominant, then mix gypsum into the soil if it is too alkaline or lime if it is too acidic.
· Zinc Deficiency. If the leaves of a plant display light discoloration between its large veins, then it is lacking enough zinc. To fix it simply spray kelp extract on to the plant.
· Iron Deficiency. Leaves that turn yellow and have small, green veins could be suffering from lack of iron. To remedy this, perform a pH level test of the soil. The pH level is probably above 7. Reduce that number by decreasing the amount of phosphorus in the soil. To do this, stop using a fertilizer with phosphorous, increase the amount of nitrogen in the soil, and spray foliar zinc and iron on plants in high phosphorous soil.
· Magnesium Deficiency. If the leave of a plant displays white stripes along its veins, then a lack of magnesium is the culprit. In this case, simply add organic compost that is rich in magnesium or add Epsom salts or lime to the soil.
