Why Are My Potted Palms Turning Yellow?

Wondering why your potted Palms are turning yellow?

Potted Palms look stunning when they are flourishing and thriving in your home garden.

However, it's not going to be the case all the time.

Your plant will have yellow leaves at some stage of its life cycle.

So, why do they turn yellow?

Let's find out in the following guide.

Why Are My Potted Palms Turning Yellow?

Here is a list of reasons for such problem in your indoor Palm plant - 

1. Low Humidity 

Low humidity and dry air are some of the common reasons why the Palms turn yellow.

When the weather conditions turn unfavorable, it starts affecting the plants as well.

And in the case of potted Palm, they thrive in moderate to high humidity areas.

So, if you are living in a place where the humidity drops significantly, you will see leaves turning yellow or brown.

It's a natural phenomenon, and you can't do much about it.

Once the leaves start changing their colors, there is no way to turn them green again.

2. Irregular Watering

Another important issue is irregular watering!

When the plant doesn't receive an adequate amount of water at the right time, it affects the leaves.

The leaves start to drop down when there is not much water in the pot.

And once this condition prolongs for too long, you will see some of the leaves changing their color from green to yellow.

If the condition persists, you will also see the color of the stem turning yellow.

Is there any solution to this issue?

Well, you need to follow the watering schedule.

Potted Palms require a good amount of water, and they should be watered at least once a week.

You may increase the frequency in summers.

However, it's important to check the moisture in the soil regularly.

3. Overwatering

Are you watering your potted Palms too much?

Does your plant container have drainage holes?

These are the two questions you need to ask yourself when you see signs of yellow leaves on the plant.

Overwatering is something that can be controlled and fixed easily.

You just need to follow a specific time schedule to water the plant.

And if the potting mixture seems too wet, you just have to stop watering and wait for it to become dry again.

In some weather conditions, the roots won't require a lot of water.

And they will reduce the water conditions, as the weather might just have turned cooler.

In such times, you must stop watering the plant altogether.

Otherwise, it might lead to an overwatering problem.

4. Spider Mites

Spider mites are one of those pests that you don't want to see in your potted Palms.

It just makes life tougher for the plant, as these little pests feed on the leaves and stem.

They extract the juices from the plant, which eventually makes the plant weaker.

Initially, you will see small spots on the leaves.

These spots may be yellow or brown in color.

And if you don't address this issue quickly, it might spread to the entire plant.

In a few weeks, some of the leaves will turn yellow or brown.

And the plant may not survive for too long.

So, you need to use pesticides to tackle this issue at an early stage.

Don't wait for the mites to spread all over the plant, as they may also move to other plants in your indoor garden.

5. Lack Of Moisture In Soil

As discussed earlier, the potted Palms do well when they receive a constant supply of water.

So, apart from looking at the watering frequency, you should also consider changing the soil.

You should use the soil that retains the water well.

For e.g.,

You can make use of a mixture of cocopeat and regular potting mix.

It can turn out to be an excellent growing medium for your potted Palms.

And more importantly, it will significantly help in decreasing the watering requirements of this type of plant.

Therefore, it's essential to think about changing the soil for the plant.

6. Plant's Natural Life Cycle

The leaves may turn yellow if the potted Palm has completed its life cycle.

Sometimes, the older branches shed their leaves as they become less productive in producing food for the plant.

Instead, the plant focuses on keeping the green leaves alive, which really play an important role in maintaining the whole internal processes.

Hence, if you see a couple of leaves turning yellow on an aged plant, it's not a big issue.

You can simply remove those leaves, as they will anyway fall off sooner than later.

While removing these leaves, make sure you don't remove all of them at once.

Let the few ones with slightly light green shade remain on the plant.

If you get rid of them at a time, the plant may come under stress and find it difficult to carry out its daily activities.

So, to avoid further damage, you must perform light pruning instead of hard pruning.

7. Fungus Issues

Fungus is another reason that leads to yellow leaves and stem of potted Palms.

In most cases, this issue arises from the wet soil.

Of course, the environmental conditions do play a role in it, but it's the moisture in the soil that boosts the growth of such fungus.

If your Palm gets fungus, it will affect the fresh leaves and stems.

And that's where you need to keep an eye on it.

Check for the damage on the affected leaves and get rid of them as soon as you can.

Also, use something like Neem Oil to spray on the plant and follow the second round in 7-10 days, depending on the intensity of the issue.

In the following section, you will find the answers to some of the frequently asked questions by the readers.

FAQs

Over To You

Now, I hope the above guide helps in understanding why your potted Palms are turning yellow.

If you still have any questions, you can leave a comment below.

I will get back to your queries as soon as possible.

Do share the guide if any of the suggestions help in fixing the problem.