Every gardener knows that indoor flowers, like any Living being, require constant attention, care and guardianship. Today I propose to talk about a problem that sooner or later faces everyone who grows indoor flowers. We will talk about the reasons for yellowing of plant leaves. I do not mean the natural aging of leaves, which is manifested in their yellowing, but cases where the yellowing and loss of leaves is not normal for the plant. If the leaves turn yellow from old age, needless to say that this disease cannot be cured...

So, why do the leaves turn yellow indoor plants? Let's look at the main causes and ways to eliminate them.

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Why do the leaves of flowers turn yellow?

Leaves may turn yellow due to overwatering. For most indoor plants to feel normal, it is enough moderate watering and moderate air humidity. Before you buy a new indoor flower, be sure to study its real needs for light, water and fertilizer.

What to do if the leaves turn yellow due to excessive watering?

Curb your enthusiasm. The bad habit of taking a watering can and watering everything on the windowsill can cause irreparable harm to plants that don't need that much moisture. But it also happens the other way around - the leaves turn yellow because the soil in the pot is not moistened for a long time. Use individual approach for each plant and create a watering schedule that you follow strictly.

Constant drafts are the second reason for yellowing leaves indoor flowers , especially sensitive to drafts tropical plants. Remember that indoor plants do not like proximity to drafts, fans and air conditioners - with everything that is cold and blowing.

What to do if the leaves turn yellow due to drafts?

Rearrange the flowers so that they are not in the way air flow so that, being in a secluded place, the plants receive their share of ventilation fresh air without the risk of catching a cold and turning yellow.

Leaves turn yellow from both lack and excess of light. A characteristic sign that the leaves have turned yellow due to lack of sunlight is that the leaves turn yellow precisely on the side of the plant that is turned into the shade. Although it was the other way around for me: the violet turned yellow, and when I put it in the shade, the leaves regained their green color. Sunburn is just as harmful to plants as light deficiency.

The leaves are turning yellow - what to do?

If you cannot arrange the plants so that each of them has enough natural light, use artificial lighting. Best help in this regard – fluorescent lamps.

Due to lack nutrients the top leaves of plants usually turn yellow in the soil. To save indoor flowers from starvation, increase the dosage of fertilizing or simply fertilize the plants more often. But don’t go too far: excess fertilizer can also cause problems for indoor flowers.

Very often the leaves of plants infected with viruses turn yellow. Characteristic sign infection: the leaves not only turn yellow, but also become covered with spots. For example, chlorosis of indoor plants is a disease that disrupts the natural processes of photosynthesis. Leaves turn yellow and fall off, and the tops and weak roots of the plant may die. If signs of chlorosis are detected, feed the diseased plant with a complex mineral fertilizer type "Uniflor-Micro".

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Indoor flowers love and require due attention, like all living things on earth, they want to be forgotten, to be treated with love. Every gardener knows about this. But we often notice the problem of yellowed leaves in indoor plants.

Every gardener, and not just beginners, faces this problem. Why the leaves turn yellow is impossible to say the reason if you don’t know what conditions the flowers are in. But there is one common reason that is characteristic of all plants.

Natural aging is when the leaves of indoor plants turn yellow; such a disease cannot be cured. The plant may be young and pleasing to the eye, but the change of leaves is natural.

If the plant does not wither and continues to grow, but gets rid of the leaves that are located below, then we can conclude that everything is in order. But there are many other causes of plant diseases in which yellow leaves.

Why leaves turn yellow and how to avoid it

1. One of the most common reasons is excessive soil moisture. The frequency and amount of watering varies for many types of plants. Some require a lot of water, while others do not need it for a month, or even they generally cannot be watered during dormancy, for example, in the winter months. Also, many species do not like spraying; this process provokes the appearance of yellow spots. And also vice versa, there is moisture-loving plants who suffer from lack of water. But even here you need to be careful, since the water must settle and not be cold, this can also affect the color of the leaves of houseplants. Like spraying, it should be gentle, with water at room temperature. What to do in this case?
   

   You need to take a delicate approach to each plant living in your home. You don’t need to water everyone the same way, find out which plant likes and doesn’t like moisture, how it feels about spraying, and from this knowledge, make each plant its own individual watering schedule. It is better to water more often and in smaller volumes so that the yellow leaves do not spoil appearance plants.

2. Another reason for yellow leaves in plants is turning on the heating. The air becomes dry, which negatively affects the flowers, and if the plants are standing near heating radiators, the flower experiences discomfort and sheds its leaves. There is also no need to place flowers close heating devices. If you see yellow leaves on your flowers, then you need to spray them as often as possible or cover the radiator with a wet towel, and also place bowls of water nearby. And if you have a humidifier, then turn it on in the direction of indoor flowers.

   

3. No less dangerous factor This draft. Flowers may become sick, begin to wither and turn yellow. Keep your “pets” away from air conditioners, fans, and frequently opening windows during the cold season. If you see that the plant is suffering from this reason, simply move the flower to a location that suits its needs.
4. You need to choose the right one how to fertilize your indoor plants so as not to destroy them. This is also not an unimportant fact. What is good for one plant may be detrimental to another. The most common disease in plants is chlorosis, the leaf of the plant turns yellow, but the veins on it remain green. Read the instructions carefully before use, how and for which plants this additive is allowed, which you want to use in a particular case. Otherwise, yellow leaves can seriously ruin your pet's life.

   

5. Our indoor plants may suffer and turn yellow from lack of iron in the soil. The most dependent on this are hydrangea and azalea.
6. Fungal diseases can also cause illness. The leaves are stained dirty yellow, then the entire leaf blade wilts. Fungus - contagious disease, passing from flower to flower; moreover, in this case, the soil in which the plant is located is also susceptible to the disease.
7. There is also a variety of flowers called “capricious beauty”. It would seem that all the rules and features are observed, but the flower turns yellow. This suggests that the plant is not comfortable with its neighbors, he begins to waste away for no reason. So, change the pots or remove all other plants from such a flower, this should help. This flower includes the indoor rose, a very harmful plant.
8. Also, the leaves may turn yellow because the flower unsuccessfully transplanted or incorrectly selected substrate. Or the flower has changed location, this also plays a big role for the health of the plant.

Viruses in indoor plants

Houseplants are also susceptible to infections. This is one of the most unpleasant reasons yellowing of leaves. If you see that the leaves of a plant have shriveled and turned yellow, then immediately isolate it from other plants, as the infection is a contagious disease. And all plants can become infected and die. This disease needs to be treated, but first find out what kind of “infection” has consumed your flower.

Insect pests

Very often, insect pests settle on indoor flowers; they carry the infection on their paws, and also slowly kill the plant from the inside. The first sign that there are any bugs on our flower is again yellow, withered leaves. Look closely and you can see these small insects: aphids, thrips, house ants and many other plant enemies. The flower also needs to be isolated, since pests can easily move to neighboring flowers. The problem can be solved with the help of chemicals.

How to save flowers

Leaves can turn yellow for various reasons; our further actions should be to save our “green pets”. Damaged leaves should be cut off immediately. Try to find the true cause of yellow leaves on flowers.

In case of infectious diseases and illnesses from pests, it is best to transplant the flower into new soil, having previously treated the plant.

Pour the roots with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and treat the sections with powder activated carbon. Remove pests with various types of chemicals, specially designed individually for each type of harmful insect. Careful care of sick plants will give new life to your flowers.

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Whatever one may say, this is one of the most common causes of yellowness on leaves. In this case, it will be enough to simply remove the old branches. A transplant wouldn't hurt either. In general, caring for the plant should continue as before. But since some leaves, even old ones, die off, it is recommended to root the flower specimen in a new pot, spacious and filled with nutrient substrate.

Give your attention the right choice material for the flowerpot. If you previously preferred plastic, it would be appropriate to temporarily transplant the flower into ceramic pot. Through the porous walls of such a flowerpot, the plant’s rhizome will be able to “breathe.” It is also recommended to enter organic fertilizers into the soil. Thus, the problem of aging home flowers will be solved.

Lack of moisture for the plant

If the tips of the leaves of indoor plants begin to actively turn yellow, it is quite possible that the reason lies precisely in the lack of moisture in the substrate. It is not always enough to pay attention exclusively to upper layer soil. It would seem that your earthen ball never particularly dries out, but for some reason the plants do not receive the moisture they need so much sufficient quantity. And all because the tiny amount of moisture that you give to the flowers remains in the soil, while the rhizome cannot get enough of it.

If you grow moisture-loving plants in your home, be sure to add spraying to regular watering. If desired, you can also place a small container of water near the flowerpots. Thus, the microclimate will not be too dry in the room.

Lack of lighting

What to do if the tips of the flower turn yellow? Try to soberly assess the extent of the conditions you have created for growing indoor plants. Sometimes the reason for yellowing foliage is banal - bad light in the apartment.

You can solve the problem in the following way: simply move the flower pots to another place, much better lit. If you don’t have this option, it’s time to find out about the benefits of additional lighting. However, remember that a lot depends on the characteristics of your plants. Not everyone prefers bright light, therefore, by placing such specimens on the windowsill, you will only harm them.

Excess or lack of fertilizers

Yellowed indoor plants are unlikely to please the gardener's eye. This problem must be dealt with quickly. But first, determine the cause of yellowness.

It is quite possible that this is a deficiency of mineral substances in the substrate:

• magnesium Inspect the plant carefully. If spots have formed between the veins on the leaf plate, which only increase over time, the problem lies precisely in the lack of magnesium;
• copper Foliage indoor flower loses firmness and elasticity, spots also appear;
• manganese The plant gradually acquires a yellowish-gray tint;
• molybdenum Plants appear between the veins yellow spots, the leaves themselves curl;
• nitrogen. The leaf blade is actively fading;
• calcium. Yellowness does not appear on the entire leaf blade, but only on the tip.

If the leaves of indoor plants have turned yellow, it is imperative to restore the balance of mineral elements in the soil.

Dry air

In winter, the air in the room is usually excessively dry and hot. The plant is often located near switched-on batteries, which is already a mistake. As a result, the indoor microclimate becomes not very favorable for the growth and development of flowers. You can correct the situation using conventional humidifiers. Spray the plants more often, place a container filled with water near the flowerpots with indoor greens. Perfect option– find a place for flowers with a less dry microclimate.

Attack of diseases and pests

Roses are especially susceptible to spider mite infestations. Aphids love cell sap, as does scale insects. Such insects are capable of very quickly increasing the number of their colonies. Therefore, as soon as home flower becomes infected, it is necessary to begin its comprehensive treatment.

A yellowish tint often appears on plant leaves due to various ailments. What exactly does the flower suffer from are fungal diseases. In this case, it is recommended not only to treat indoor greenery, but also to replant it, completely replacing the soil composition. The fungus lives in the soil, so treatment with medicinal preparations alone will not bear any fruit.

When growing indoor plants, every gardener hopes for the health of the plantings and believes that the effort and time spent will result in abundant and luxurious flowering of indoor plants, rapid growth and diversity of green plants. No gardener wishes sickness to his wards. But sometimes it happens that the leaves of indoor plants begin to turn yellow. At first the gardener is lost and frightened, but there is no need to worry: each yellow leaf has its own reason, and knowledge possible reasons yellowing leaves will help you be more confident and prevent this problem from spreading in your home garden.

Causes of yellowing leaves

Indoor flowers and plants for a gardener, like pets for a breeder, are a lot of investment, effort and time, and besides, they are the gardener’s pride, an indicator of his knowledge and skills. Yellowing of the leaves of indoor plants causes frustration and disappointment, especially if everything was fine until that moment, and then suddenly changed. Meanwhile, there are not so many reasons for yellowing of leaves, and they are all divided into four functional groups:

1. violation of the conditions for keeping indoor plants;
2. violations of the care of indoor plants;
3. damage to a houseplant by a disease;
4. attack on a houseplant by pests.

Let's take a closer look at each of these groups and find out what to do to prevent this problem from affecting our plants.

Violation of the conditions for keeping indoor plants

The concept of plant agricultural technology includes a set of rules for caring for indoor plants. Among these rules, the conditions for growing a houseplant are always clearly stated. Violation of these conditions leads to the expected problems: the leaves turn yellow, dry out, and the flower begins to hurt. I recommend studying violations in the maintenance of indoor plants that cause yellow leaves.

• Lack of lighting. Examine the plant carefully. A lack of lighting is characterized not so much by yellowing of the leaves, but by their loss of color, acquired pallor, and the shoots stretching upward in search of a light source. In this case, move the pot with the indoor plant to the south windowsill.
• Direct sunlight. Contrary to the belief that all flowers love the sun, it is important to know that most plants require shading. Direct rays cause sunburn of leaves; in this case, yellow spots will be located only on the window side. The solution is the same: change the location or hang a thin curtain on the window.

• Draft in the room. Unlike garden plants, indoor flowers are not adapted to wind and air movement. It’s easy to check the reason: if the leaves turn yellow on a plant standing under air conditioning or open window- look for a new place for the flower.
• Temperature difference. Like a draft sudden change temperature, a jump in degrees in one direction or the other can cause yellowing of the leaves. It is possible to fix the problem, but it will take time and patience: leave the plant alone and protect it from temperature fluctuations.
• Cold surface. This often happens in winter, when a flower stands on a windowsill, heated by a radiator, and its leaves touch the icy window. The situation is dangerous because it is impossible to restore overcooled leaves; they die and rot. Remove diseased leaves and move the pot away from the window.

• Wrong size pot. If the pot is large, free space Stagnation of moisture forms in the soil, causing rotting of the leaves of the indoor plant. If the pot is small, the flower will not have enough nutrients. Choose the right pot for your indoor plant. For the same reason, the leaves of a plant in a pot without drainage holes turn yellow.
• Mistakes in choosing soil for indoor plants. Using a universal soil for all types of plants is fundamentally wrong. Each plant requires its own qualitative and quantitative soil composition. Follow the recommendations for growing a particular plant.
• Low air humidity. This problem is typical for tropical plants that are accustomed to high humidity. Buy a humidifier or place the pot on damp expanded clay or moss.

Problems with caring for indoor plants

Now let's turn to violations in the care of indoor plants.

• Incorrect frequency and volume of watering a houseplant. Excessive watering provokes stagnation of moisture, which causes rotting of the root system of the indoor plant. Lack of watering dries out the roots, cutting off the supply of food to the plant. In the first case, you will need to replant the indoor plant and remove the affected roots; in the second, you will need to increase the frequency of watering.
• Incorrect watering. Irrigation problems are a broad topic; yellowing of leaves can result from using the wrong water. If watering is carried out with hard tap water, the yellow leaves will also begin to dry out. Let the water settle before watering the flower.

• No transfers. The plant may be cramped in the pot, or the soil may have become so poor that it affects the color of the leaves of the indoor plant. Replant the flower in new soil and pot.
• Malnutrition of a houseplant. Deficiency is easy to recognize: if you do not feed the plant, there is not enough nutrition. An overabundance of fertilizers is even more dangerous, since the resulting chemical burns to the roots are not restored. In the first situation, increase the feeding; in the second, stop completely and wait until the plant comes to its senses.

Infection of a houseplant with a disease

Among the diseases of indoor plants, there are also several causes of yellowing leaves.

• Fungal infection of a houseplant. Fungal diseases that cause yellowing of foliage are physaria, late blight and anthracnose. Plus fungal disease is its instability to treatment. Plants affected by fungal diseases must be treated with fungicide solutions, and after some time repeat the treatment, following the instructions on the package.
• Viral infection of a houseplant. In this case the situation is more sad. There are no cures for viral diseases; the affected parts of the plant must be removed and taken outside the apartment. Treat the remaining parts of the plant and all neighboring plantings with an antiviral prophylactic agent in the dosage specified in the instructions.

Pest attack on a houseplant

And the final group of reasons for yellowing of leaves is associated with the appearance of insect pests on plants. The yellowness of the leaves due to insects is due to the fact that insects feed on the juices of the plant, which is why the flowers lose their richness of color. Insects that love to feast on plant sap include spider mites, aphids, whiteflies and thrips. Ways to combat yellowing leaves obviously involve driving pests out of the pot. There are two methods for this: chemical and physical. Treating indoor plants with insecticides will protect flowers from repeated invasion, but it is important to understand that chemicals Not recommended for use in residential areas. The physical method is to collect insects from the plant by hand and regularly wash the leaves with a solution laundry soap, the aroma of which is a prevention against many insect attacks.

Preventing yellowing of leaves

To summarize, I will list the main methods for preventing yellowing of the leaves of indoor plants.

• To water the plant, wait until the top layer of soil is dry.
• Don't forget about nutrition, but try to feed a little less than what is indicated on the package.
• Provide the flowers with long daylight hours; during winter, use a phytolamp.
• Monitor the air levels in the apartment, avoid changes in temperature and humidity.
• Choose the right pot for indoor flowers. The selection criterion is the size of the plant and root system.
• Inspect the plant regularly for signs of disease or evidence of insects. Spray indoor plants in a timely manner.

Having studied the above rules, remember: before you start saving the situation, carefully study life cycle specific plant. It may happen that yellowing of the leaves is its normal and traditional stage of development (), in which case there is no need to do anything.