reasons plant leaves turn yellow

 10 reasons why outdoor plant leaves turn yellow

When the leaves of outdoor plants turn yellow, it is usually associated with chlorosis, a symptom caused by insufficient chlorophyll production by the leaves. This pigment is essential for photosynthesis and gives the leaves a green color. There are many causes for chlorosis. Yellow leaves can also be caused by pests and diseases or maybe a sign of a plant’s normal aging process.

Read more about what causes the leaves of your outdoor plant to turn yellow, and read more if you can do something about it.

1. Lack of light

Light is very important for photosynthesis, so if a plant does not get enough sunlight its leaves will fade. Examine the light needs of your diseased plant and see if it needs full sun or can tolerate partial shade.

For pot plants, the remedy is as easy as moving to a sunny spot. Changing the light level of underground plants is more involved. If it falls in the shade of a nearby tree or shrub, you can cut it down. If that is not possible or a wall or a building casts shade on your plant, you may need to relocate it to a sunny spot.

2. Lack of water

Yellow leaves are a common sign that the plant needs water. Often, it does not require an actual drought to happen. Some warm days that lose more moisture through the leaves than the roots absorb are enough to make them appear yellow.

Pour water slowly and deeply into the plant and repeat as needed to keep the soil evenly moist.

3. Excess water

Excess leaves can also cause yellowing of the leaves. Soils with poor drainages, such as clay soils, become tightly packed when it rains, leaving water and oxygen to escape. In this environment, the plant roots can not breathe or worse, can not be damaged or shrunk, all of which the leaves and stems turn yellow and brown.

Do not plant or correct the soil in areas with poor drainage before planting. Another option for vegetable gardens is to consider raised beds.

4. Malnutrition

Nitrogen is often remembered as the culprit when the leaves turn yellow, but it is not the only one. The yellow color of the leaves may also indicate that the soil is free of other nutrients such as iron, manganese, or zinc.

Although the method of how the yellow color of the leaves progresses can give the trained eye some traces of malnutrition, the most reliable way is to test the soil. It will provide accurate information about the nutritional content and the nutritional supplements you need to make.

5. High soil pH

Yellow leaves can also be caused by very spicy soil for the plant. Alkaline soil is directly linked to nutrient deficiency. In soils with a pH above 7, nutrient iron is less soluble and therefore less available. That is why plants that need more iron, such as blueberries, rhododendrons, and azaleas, need acid soil in which enough iron is absorbed.

Combine soil testing with pH testing. That way you can add the necessary nutrients and lower the pH by adding nutrients at the same time.

6. Fertilizer combustion

If the leaves appear to be burnt or burnt, it may also indicate that you have applied too much fertilizer. Damage can occur in two ways: when the soluble salts in the fertilizer attract moisture from the roots or when the fertilizer particles or liquid fertilizer are poured on the leaves. Not all plants are equally sensitive to foliar fertilizer combustion, and hot, dry weather increases damage.

To prevent this from happening, if you use granular fertilizers, make sure to water the plants immediately so that no particles accumulate on the leaves. Or use slow-release organic fertilizer, which has a lower concentration than mineral fertilizer.

7. Pesticide or herbicide burning

When sprayed with pesticides or insecticides above 85 degrees F on a humid or cloudy day, the leaves will burn easily. The same thing happens when you spray plants that have already been stressed by drought, frost, pests, or disease.

After the damage is done, nothing can be done but to remove the affected plant parts.

Regardless of whether you spray organic or mineral pesticides such as pesticides, choose a dry, cool and quiet day - these pesticides will dry quickly on the plant, and steam will not escape to hot air and air.

This also applies to herbicides to avoid getting rid of the weeds you want to remove.

8. Fungal or bacterial diseases

If you grow tomatoes, you may want to carefully monitor your plants for two fungal diseases, both of which start with yellow leaves and eventually kill the plant. These are an early blight and Fusarium wilt.

The early flight begins with dots of yellow halo at the beginning. In tomatoes affected by Fusarium wilt, the leaves turn yellow, often on only one side of the plant or one side of the branch.

Once the disease strikes, you can do little more than removing and destroy the plants.

To avoid these diseases, as pathogens have been abundant in the soil for many years, select varieties that are resistant to the disease and practice good garden hygiene and thorough fall cleaning.

9. Insect damage

Damage by many pests can cause yellowing of leaves, especially in vegetables. Common culprits are Harlequin bugs, spider mites, squash bugs, and whiteflies.

Although they do not need to destroy plants, it is important to monitor your vegetable garden so you can detect the disease early and take appropriate control measures before they spread.

10. Normal aging

The yellowing of the leaves and subsequent shedding, especially the old leaves on the underside of the plant, maybe part of the foliage aging process. It all depends on the frequency and number of leaves, but the occasional yellow leaves on a mature plant are usually nothing to worry about.