Why do the leaves of potted flowers turn yellow easily?

The 13 reasons and remedies for yellow leaves of potted flowers are as follows:

(1) Excessive watering

If the potting soil is too wet for a long time, it will cause oxygen deficiency in the soil, causing some fibrous roots to rot, hindering normal breathing and the absorption of water and nutrients, and causing the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. After being infected, the young leaves first turn light yellow, and then the old leaves gradually turn yellow. You should immediately control watering, stop fertilizing, and loosen the soil frequently to ensure good ventilation.

(2) Drought and dehydration

If you forget to water the flowers or only water them halfway for a long time (i.e. wet on the top and dry on the bottom), it will affect nutrient absorption and easily cause the leaves to become dull and wilt. First, the old leaves at the bottom age and gradually turn yellow and fall off from bottom to top. At this time, a small amount of watering and spraying is required to allow it to gradually recover before returning to normal watering.

(3) Long-term weight loss

If ammonia fertilizer is not applied or the pot and soil are not changed for a long time, the soil will lack nutrients such as nitrogen, resulting in weak branches and leaves and thin and yellow leaves. It is necessary to turn the pot over in time, replace it with new loose and fertile culture soil, and gradually apply thin and well-rotted liquid fertilizer or compound flower fertilizer.

(4) Excessive fertilization

If too much fertilizer is applied, the new leaves will become thick and uneven, and the tips of the old leaves will become dry, brown and fall off. Stop fertilizing immediately, increase the amount of watering, so that the fertilizer flows out from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, or immediately turn the pot over, rinse the soil with water and then replant it in the pot.

(5) Hot weather

If flowers that prefer cool weather (such as cyclamen, fuchsia, and begonia) are placed in a high temperature place and exposed to direct sunlight in the summer, it will easily cause the tips and edges of young leaves to burn, or the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. It needs to be moved to a well-ventilated, cool place in time.

(6) Excessive shading

If flowers that love sunlight are placed in the shade or in a place with insufficient light for a long time, their branches and leaves will grow too long, their leaves will become thin and yellow, and they will not bloom or bloom very rarely. Be sure to move the flowerpot to a sunny location.

(7) Alkaline soil and water

The soil and water in most areas of the north contain a lot of salt and alkali. If you plant flowers that prefer acidic soil, such as rhododendron, camellia, jasmine, gardenia, orchid, white orchid, osmanthus, etc., the leaves will gradually turn yellow due to the lack of soluble iron and other elements that can be absorbed by them in the soil. When planting, choose acidic soil and water with alum fertilizer frequently during the growth period.

(8) Airtight and not ventilated

If too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, the branches and leaves will grow too luxuriantly, and if they are not pruned for a long time, the inner branches and leaves will not receive enough light, which can easily cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. Reasonable fertilizer application and increased pruning should be carried out to ensure ventilation and light transmission.

(9) Air drying

When the indoor air is too dry, some flowers that prefer a humid environment, such as spider plants and orchids, often have dry leaf tips or scorched leaf edges. Attention should be paid to increasing the air humidity by spraying water, covering with plastic film, etc.

(10) Improper temperature

The room temperature is too low in winter, and flowers that prefer high temperatures are often susceptible to cold damage, causing the leaves to turn yellow, and in severe cases, they may wither and die. If the room temperature is too high, the plant will transpire too much, and the roots will not be able to meet the demand for water and nutrients, which will also cause the leaves to turn yellow. Please pay attention to adjust the room temperature in time.

(11) Soil is acidic

The red soil in the south is acidic, and magnesium and other elements are easily lost. When planting flowers and trees that are alkali-resistant or prefer slightly dry soil, such as oleander, boxwood, and forsythia, the veins between old leaves often lose their green color and turn yellow. Calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer can be applied or magnesium sulfate solution can be sprayed.

(12) Disease and insect damage

Leaf spot disease caused by fungi and other pathogens can easily cause local necrosis of leaves, with yellow spots or plaques appearing, and in severe cases the entire leaf will turn yellow and fall off. After being infected by the mosaic virus, yellow and green spots will appear on the leaves. When attacked by scale insects, red spiders, etc., the leaves will also turn partially yellow and wither, or even wilt and fall off. All should be sprayed with pesticides in time for prevention and control.

(13) Strong sexual stimulation

Using too high a concentration of pesticides when preventing and controlling pests and diseases, or being polluted by toxic gases in the atmosphere, or suddenly watering with cold water when the temperature is high, can easily cause the leaf tips or parts of the leaf surface to turn yellow and wither, or even cause the entire plant to die. Therefore, we should pay attention to the rational use of pesticides and try to eliminate the sources of air pollution. Avoid watering flowers with cold water around noon in midsummer. Finally, it should be mentioned that the yellowing leaves of potted flowers are sometimes caused by one reason, but often it is caused by multiple factors. A correct diagnosis should be made before the right medicine can be prescribed.