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Some leaves on my house plant are turning yellow...

According to Google, this is either because of too much water, or not enough.

I feel like Dr House on the long running tv show 'House'. Whatever I choose to do, will either kill it or cure it and the only way to find out is to choose one 🤣

I'm almost certain actually that it can't be too much water. I only give it a small amount every other week.

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AbbySvenz · F Best Comment

It’s lupus.

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ronnie · 56-60, M

Yellowing sounds like a mineral deficiency and can be caused by many things.

Overwatering can cause leeching in which the nutrients leech from the compost leaving the yellowing of the leaves.

Yes, it can be caused by under watering but you would normally expect other symptons here such as browning of leaves. Dropping and wilting. And since you mention you only give it a little water each week, that does not sound like the issue.

It may even be the wrong light conditions indoors - depending on the type of plant.

So there is no quick answer to this. Firstly, check the type of plant you have and have a look online for the correct maintenance regime for that plant. Depending on where you live, you will find loads of reputable groups specialising in most plant genres. In the UK the RHS are a good place to start. As is Gardenner's World guides.

If the plant is old and has never been repotted, then it may need repotting. That may also mean potting up a size if it is becoming 'pot bound' - when the roots are dominating the compost and need more room to develop. It may simply be that the compost is now 'spent' and dried out. No longer retaining moisture and without any nutrients.

I am not sure if you ever feed your plant, but they do need feeding - even indoor plants. Well, most do.

So, there are a number of things to do. But start with checking the maintenance regime for your plant oonline. Then consider repotting if old.

AntisocialTroll · 56-60, F

Do you ever give it plant food? It sounds hungry to me...

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AntisocialTroll · 56-60, F

@helsbels Plants either need repotting in fresh soil or plant food, if you haven't changed the way you water it in the last 2 years then it needs plant food in order to survive in the same pot.

A bottle of baby bio or something similar will only cost you a couple of quid, it'll last you years and is a lot less faff than repotting if you aren't confident enough to repot it.

helsbels · 26-30, F

@AntisocialTroll Thank you! I will do this

4meAndyou · F

@helsbels She is right. If the plant has been in the same pot for two years or more and hasn't been repotted, I put plant spikes in and around the soil. The spikes contain fertilizer, and dissolve over time. The spikes also aerate the soil.

4meAndyou · F

My mother had a fabulous green thumb, and probably 50 thriving houseplants. I did, too, for a while, when I had a big bay window.

My mother taught me to stick my finger in the soil. If the soil was damp, the houseplant did not need more water. If it was hard and bone dry, it definitely did.

Mistakesmakeus · M

Me: *coughs*
Parents: its a cold
School nurse: its nothing take some saltines
Doctor: its a minor cough
Google: you have 2 weeks to live. It's cancer

Mistakesmakeus · M

@Mistakesmakeus had to edit the google search to give it a bit of flare

Fairydust · F

Maybe repot it too?

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Fairydust · F

@helsbels
I bet you find it’s a big squashed down there.

helsbels · 26-30, F

@Fairydust oh no 🥺

Fairydust · F

@helsbels
Get a bigger pot and fresh soil.
I bet it comes back to life.🪴

Quetzalcoatlus · 46-50, M

Soil should be moist to the touch but not spongy…

helsbels · 26-30, F

@Quetzalcoatlus I do usually wait until it's pretty dry, because I was scared of [i]over[/i]watering. I think it's the lesser of two evils to go a bit longer between watering it to be safe.

I did buy one that is specifically sold as being 'unkillable' 😆

SatyrService · M

It depends on the species. It doesn’t hurt that almost anything that goes wrong with a plant results in yellow leaves. Do you know what kind it is?

helsbels · 26-30, F

@SatyrService Devil's Ivy

SatyrService · M

@helsbels That could be a number of things including Pothos Auriens or one of the
Vast family of philodendron.
Either of those are appropriate to use your finger stuck into the soil to figure out how moist it is overwatering will also cause yellowing. Here’s another question have you moved them recently from where they have been previously

helsbels · 26-30, F

@SatyrService No, never moved it

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