Moisture
Inadequate soil moisture, particularly overwatering, is the most frequent cause of yellowing leaves in Dracaena plants. Keep in mind that your Dracaena prefers to be maintained damp—not wet or saturated—so maintaining a regular watering regimen is essential.
Make sure to water your Dracaena thoroughly enough for the water to drain into the saucer through the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. It’s crucial to empty the saucer of any extra water and to avoid letting your plant stay in any standing water. Wet feet are not good for your plant since they will cause the roots to rot and eventually cause the plant to die. The first indication that root rot might be taking place are yellowing and browning leaves.
In order to properly and consistently care for a Dracaena plant, the soil must be adequately hydrated. Stress and yellowing of your plant can result from the soil changing from bone dry to wet due to improper watering timing. This plant is not resistant of drought.
The yellowing of your Dracaena’s leaves could possibly be a result of the quality of your water. The majority of tap water contains compounds that are toxic to dracaena plants. Use filtered water or let your tap water hang out overnight without cover before watering so that fluoride and chlorine can vaporize.
The edges of leaves begin to droop and brown in low humidity and dry soil, and then the entire leaf begins to yellow, brown, and shrivel. Regular misting, using a humidifier, or using a pebble tray will all increase the humidity in your Dracaena’s environment.
Dracaenas are more vulnerable to pest infestations when they are stressed or feeble. Spider mites and other sap-sucking insects can dehydrate your plant. Leaflets and fronds quickly start to yellow as a result of this issue. In an interior environment, scale, mealybugs, and spider mites are usually present. These tiny pests multiply and travel into nooks and crannies along frond portions if they are not eliminated at an early stage. The insects’ piercing jaws fatigue your plant and hasten yellowing, particularly if your Dracaena is already unwell due to inadequate lighting, nutrient inadequacy, or insufficient soil moisture. Find out how to deal with common indoor plant pests here.
Is new growth appearing on your dracaena? This yellowing is normal if your plant is experiencing new development and the yellowing leaves are older, especially near the base of the plant. Old leaves on your plant are shed, and new growth is energized.
How can I cure my dracaena’s yellow leaves?
The cultural requirements for dracaena plants are generally the same: bright or filtered sunlight, constant moisture at the roots, monthly feedings during the growing season (March through October), and sufficient humidity in the surroundings.
One of the most frequent causes of issues with dracaena is a lack of humidity. Low humidity is indicated by the browning of leaf tips, leaf loss, and yellowing of the leaf margins. Plant humidity can be increased by setting your plant on top of a dish containing small stones and water. (Avoid letting the water reach the plant pot’s base.) Mist your home with water every day, and in the driest months, think about using a humidifier.
The similar result can be obtained by being exposed to cold air (from an open window or an air conditioner). The chilly nights can be hurting your plant if it is situated next to a window.
Given how your plants look, it is less probable that watering frequency is a problem, but you will be able to tell for sure by closely analyzing the brown patches. Underwatering is characterized by brown stains and sharp edges on the leaves, leaf curl, and stem weakening. Given that your plant’s leaves look to be generally straight and strong, this seems like a less likely cause of the issue. You are overwatering if there are soft areas on the leaves or any rotting, wilting, or bleaching.
If your plant is being affected by overwatering, freezing, or insufficient light, a bacterial disease called leaf spot may also be present. To tell if you have leaf spot, look for wet or blistered spots on the leaves. If so, get rid of the damaged plant material, raise the temperature, add more light, improve ventilation, and cut back on watering.
Additionally, you should be aware that when dracaena leaves age, they turn yellow and drop off, so you will notice the bottom leaves deteriorating after a year or so.
Our Guide to Dracaena contains more details on how to care for this plant.
Should I remove the dracaena’s golden leaves?
Age is one pretty straightforward cause of leaves turning yellow and dropping off. Lower leaves naturally mature and fall off as a plant becomes higher and matures. Trim them off or remove them away if this occurs. At the top of the plant, fresh growth replaces the old leaves.
What should you do if the leaves of a maize plant turn yellow?
For the past five years, we have grown corn with different degrees of success. I’ve attributed it to the fact that our summers are often cold and that the large pine trees in the rear block the majority of the sun from reaching the vegetable garden. So, with full sun exposure, we cultivated maize in containers on the patio last year. Bingo! Naturally, we chose to plant maize in containers once more this season. Up until nearly immediately after we realized the corn leaves were turning yellow, everything was going according to plan.
I thus used the handy dandy internet to research the reasons why my maize plant was turning yellow and discovered a few potential causes.
First of all, one of the garden’s biggest feeders is maize. Yellowing maize leaves are most likely a sign of nutritional deficiency, usually nitrogen, in the crop. Since grass depends on nitrogen to grow, corn is a grass. Since the plant transports nitrogen up the stalk, a nitrogen shortage shows up as yellowing maize leaves at the plant’s base. You may find out whether your plants have too little nitrogen by doing a soil test. Applying a side dressing of a high-nitrogen fertilizer is the remedy.
Yellowing of maize plant leaves is another effect of cool temperatures. Again, a deficiency in nitrogen is at blame. Corn has a hard time taking nitrogen from the soil when it’s chilly and moist. This doesn’t imply that the soil is devoid of nitrogen; rather, it only means that the unfortunate plants are too cold to effectively absorb enough. The good news is that if cool weather is to blame, once the weather heats up, the plants will recover from this yellowing.
Yellow leaves will also occur from a lack of water. Corn requires a lot of water, at least once every week and sometimes even every day, depending on the weather. Given that it was cultivated in containers and spent the most of the day in full sun, this was a likely instance of our maize turning yellow.
In addition to stunted growth, disease such as maize dwarf mosaic virus can also result in yellowing of the leaves. Aphids hiding in neighboring weeds, such Johnson grass, propagate this disease. It’s over as soon as the plants become sick. Sterilize any equipment or work gloves that have come into touch with the canes before removing and discarding them.
Nematodes may also be to blame for the fading of corn leaves. Again, a shortage of nutrients is the cause of this. The nematodes, which are tiny roundworms that dwell in the soil and cling to plant roots, hinder nutrients from being sufficiently absorbed by the plant.
What does a dracaena that is overwatered look like?
- The dracaena’s leaves become pallid and lose its green hue.
- They start to feel soft and limp and lose their clear, rather stiff bearing.
- They drop down and droop towards the floor instead of rising for the sky.
- At the center and borders of leaves that wither and dry out, yellow-brown patches appear.
- Compared to older, lower leaves, the highest, younger dracaena leaves are less impacted.
- The roots are swollen, transparent, and mushy or squishy to the touch when you remove the plant out of its pot. This is the beginning of root rot.
- Even the stems of the dracaenas begin to become floppy and pliable if nothing is done.
These alarming symptoms typically appear over the course of a few weeks to a month.
Be aware that plant necrosis caused by fluoride and salts in water is another issue unrelated to overwatering that may be causing the browning of the tips of dracaena leaves.
Can yellow leaves revert to green?
Yellow leaves are beautiful in the autumn on trees like gingko and quaking aspens. However, if you notice a large number of them on your fern, green-leafed pothos, or other indoor plants, it can be a concerning sight. However, it’s not always a terrible thing.
All year long, tropical plants maintain their leaves. But the life cycle of houseplant leaves exists (like all living things). Each leaf ages, gets yellow, and eventually dies. It’s not a problem if one or two leaves are yellow. However, if several leaves start to turn yellow, it’s time to intervene.
The most frequent causes of yellowing leaves are inconsistent watering (either too much or too little) or improper illumination (too much, too little). You must determine the cause of the issue in order to prevent other leaves from becoming yellow. Learn more about additional reasons why leaves could yellow.
Usually, when a leaf on a houseplant turns yellow, it is about to die. A leaf’s green tint is caused by chlorophyll. The plant abandons the leaf after it stops producing chlorophyll and starts utilizing any remaining nutrients in the leaf. Because of this, you usually can’t convert a leaf back to green once it turns yellow. (However, in instances of nutrient deficits, yellow leaf color occasionally becomes green again with therapy.)
There are numerous types of plants that naturally produce leaves with splashes and streaks of yellow. Variegation is what we refer to as when this occurs in healthy plants. When plants are exposed to more light, variegation may appear brighter.
Conclusion: It’s not necessary to panic if a few leaves turn yellow. The yellow leaf is like a warning light, therefore you should pay attention to it. It might be a normal shedding process or it might be an indication that something is wrong.
How frequently should dracaenas be watered?
PRO TIP: If you’re unsure, let it rain! Overwatering is the most frequent error with these plants.
Always evaluate your plant’s watering requirements as soon as you get one. It is important to check the soil’s moisture content first to make sure it isn’t wet directly under the surface before giving your plant a drink. Additionally, think about aerating your plant’s soil before to the first watering. Aerating can help the soil breathe and enable rainwater to escape since we compact the soil to prevent it from shifting while being transported.
Dracaena trees prefer the soil to be moist but not fully dry between waterings. Usually, watering once every 10 to 14 days will keep the soil’s moisture content good and even. The soil should never be wet as this plant is susceptible to root rot; yet, if the earth becomes completely dry, the plant’s leaves will have brown tips. The Dracaena Lisa Cane will respond favorably to routine waterings after you establish a routine. The Dracaena also enjoys moisture, so a humidifier, pebble tray, or routine misting will be appreciated.
To maintain balanced growth on all sides, rotate your plant occasionally, and dust the leaves frequently to help the plant photosynthesize well. Take the chance to check the undersides of the leaves when dusting them and keep an eye out for bugs.
Keep in mind that every plant is a distinct living creature with different demands depending on where it is. You can have a long and fulfilling relationship with your dracaena lisa cane if you pay attention to its health and watering requirements.
How frequently do I need to water my corn plant?
Little maintenance is needed for the corn plant. Long leaves on the corn plant grow from a stalk that resembles a wooden cane. The name comes from the way the variegated leaves resemble maize foliage. The foliage being used has a dark green center with a yellow or cream center.
Low light is ideal for the corn plant, making corners and hallways the ideal places for it. Moderate irrigation is required for the corn plant. When the soil is dry or once every 7 to 10 days, water deeply, touching down 1 inch into the ground. The corn plant’s canes and roots are in close proximity to one another. Additionally, the root system is relatively shallow, therefore while watering, water should be applied close to the base of each cane to ensure that the roots can effectively absorb the liquid. Reduce the amount of watering you give the plant if the leaves start to droop or turn yellow. You can be watering it excessively.
The majority of pests that other houseplants are susceptible to are typically not as bad for the corn plant. Spraying the plant with a soapy solution made of water and dish soap should solve the issue if your corn plant does get afflicted with bugs or mites.
There are numerous toxic houseplants, including this one. Keep it away from kids and pets for your own safety.