Spathiphyllum - leaves turn yellow: causes and treatment

If spathiphyllum is grown, the leaves turn yellow for various reasons. A change in the color of the bush can be associated with improper plant care, the development of diseases, and pest attacks. To cope with the problem, you must first of all establish the provoking factor. After that, you can choose an effective care and treatment methods.

How does the yellowing of spathiphyllum leaves appear?

Spathiphyllum (Spathiphyllum) is a popular houseplant that has beautiful green leaves and white inflorescences. The flower is often called “female happiness”. There is also a similar plant, the anthurium, known as the "male flower". It can also be grown at home.

Yellowing of the leaves is the result of improper care

The yellowing of the leaves is an abnormal process, during which they completely or partially change color, becoming yellow, and lose their turgor.

If the violation of the shade of the leaves becomes massive, you need to pay attention to the condition of the plant and identify the causes of the problems. This will help you find the right ways to treat the flower.

In most cases, there are such types of yellowing of the culture:

• Peduncles and leaves become yellow and wither. Such symptoms indicate improper plant care.
• The leaves turn yellow and lose their integrity. In this case, you should pay attention to the back of the leaves. They probably contain insects.
• The leaves have changed color and wilted. This situation is observed with excessive watering.
• The leaf plates are covered with white cobwebs. This symptom indicates attacks by spider mites.
• The leaves become flabby and wither. Most often, this symptom is caused by too low room temperature.

Other symptoms that accompany the appearance of a yellow tint on the leaves include brown spots, rotting stems, mold on the surface of the earth. Sometimes the leaf plates can turn black.

Possible Causes of Yellow Leaves and Dry Tips

Many gardeners are interested in why the leaves of spathiphyllum sometimes turn yellow. There can be quite a few reasons.

Natural aging of the flower "female happiness"

The appearance of yellowness on the leaf plates is due not only to the presence of diseases. For spathiphyllum, certain features are characteristic. The dying off of old leaves is considered a completely natural situation. Before that, they lose their natural color.

Viral and fungal infections

Spathiphyllum is considered to be a sufficiently resistant crop, which is rarely exposed to the development of diseases. At the same time, violation of the rules of care leads to infection with fungi and viruses.

Problems can be caused by illness

When the bush is infected, there is a risk of brown-brown spots. They grow rapidly and gradually infect all leaves.In addition, the back of the plates can be covered with plaques, thin cobwebs, and white lumps.

To avoid the development of the disease, you need to follow agrotechnical recommendations. The risk of developing viruses and fungi increases with excess moisture or if the plant is kept in a room with too cool air.

Harmful insects

The yellowing of the leaves may be due to parasite attacks. Most often, the flower suffers from attacks of mealybugs, thrips, spider mites.

If parasites are detected, the bushes should be immediately treated with insecticidal preparations. The appearance of soil pests is the basis for plant transplantation and fertilization.

Deficiency of essential trace elements and minerals in the soil

With a lack of nutrients, the plant changes color unevenly. It usually looks like a mosaic. In this case, yellow spots appear on green leaves, or vice versa. Sometimes veins lose their color or only they retain their color.

To avoid problems, the plant must be properly fed.

In most cases, these symptoms indicate a deficiency of boron, iron, calcium. To deal with the problem, you need to do the following:

• replace the soil in the pot with a lighter and looser one - it should be slightly acidic;
• sprinkle the bush with iron chelate or add a mineral complex;
• use complex fertilizers 2-3 weeks after transplantation;
• use warm soft water for irrigation and spray 2 times a day.

Insufficient or excessive lighting

Spathiphyllum needs enough light. However, direct sunlight on foliage provokes burns. They resemble spots or stripes of yellow.

Such a plant must be immediately moved to a new location or a shadow must be formed. It is advisable to place the spathiphyllum on the north or east window.

Dry air

With insufficient air humidity, the edges of the leaves begin to turn yellow. At the same time, the color of a small part of the leaf plates changes. They turn yellow at the ends - no more than 1-2 mm. The rest retains their natural green color.

An increase in humidity will help to cope with the problem. If the tips of the leaves dry on the spathiphyllum bush, you need to spray the bushes with warm and soft water twice a day. Also, near the pot, it is worth placing a container with water or pouring wet expanded clay into the pallet.

Low room temperature or drafts

A decrease in room temperature or the presence of drafts provokes a change in the color of the leaves. In this case, a yellow color appears along the edge of the leaf plates. There is also another reaction to cold, which manifests itself in the form of darkening of the leaves. This is due to the cooling of the roots due to cold watering.

In this case, you need to stop using cold liquid and move the flower to a warmer place. To speed up the recovery of the culture, it must be sprayed with Epin's solution.

Improper watering

If the irrigation regime is violated, there is a risk of excess or lack of moisture.

• In the first case, the foliage dries and darkens. At the same time, black or brown spots appear on it. Such processes are associated with the constant wetting of the root system. It is worth reducing the number of watering so that the soil dries well. Then you need to moisten the soil only when it dries.
• If spathiphyllum is faced with a lack of moisture, its foliage withers and turns yellow. Drought poses less danger to the flower than waterlogging. In this case, it is enough to water the bush. If this does not help, put the pot in a container of water. This must be done for a quarter of an hour.

Stress in a recently purchased spathiphyllum

Sometimes flower growers are faced with yellowing of the foliage of recently purchased plants. This is due to the adaptation of culture to new conditions. Therefore, after purchase, it should be transplanted into a new nutrient substrate. If necessary, it is worth changing the pot. It should be the same size as the root system.

A new plant is worth replanting

After transplanting, the flower should be placed in a warm and well-lit place. If necessary, it must be watered. It is allowed to feed the culture only a month after moving to a new place.

Flower treatment "female happiness"

If the flower is already sick, it requires resuscitation measures. At the same time, assistance should be started as early as possible in order to save the plant. Actions depend on the provoking factor.

When the crop is depleted, many growers begin to apply a large amount of fertilizer. It is not recommended to do this - it is better to move the flower to a new soil.

When transplanting, the root system is sprinkled with earth at the same level. It is strictly forbidden to deepen the growth point - this will negatively affect the flower.

Leaves may turn pale immediately after transplanting. This is a natural process. Therefore, you do not need to cut them off. When the foliage has fallen off, fertilizer can be applied. In this case, the dosage is reduced by 2 times.

When a bush is damaged by pests, insecticides are used

With a strong growth of culture, replanting it is very problematic. In such a situation, it is worth carefully pulling out the top layer of the soil and replacing it with a new fertile substrate. In such a situation, the feeding regime does not need to be changed.

If the culture is affected by parasites, they must be removed. For this, the flower should be washed with soap or tobacco solution. If there are a lot of pests, it is better to use an insecticide. It should be used 2-3 times with an interval of 7-10 days.

How to care for spathiphyllum so that the leaves do not turn yellow and dry

Picture 6 Proper care will help to achieve lush flowering and beautiful color of the leaves.

In order for a plant to grow and develop normally, it needs high-quality care. To do this, you should follow these rules:

• provide optimal temperature conditions and air humidity parameters;
• at the stage of bud formation, increase the amount of dressings;
• protect the plant from direct sunlight;
• replant the plant every spring;
• do not allow the soil to dry out;
• avoid excess moisture.

Any irregularities in plant care can cause undesirable consequences. One of the manifestations of the problem is the yellowing of the sheet plate. If you do not take action in time, there is a risk of complete death of the bush. But if the problem is detected in the early stages, it is quite possible to save the plant by intelligently changing the maintenance regime.