Why are my plant's leaves turning yellow?
Yellow leaves are a general stress signal, not a disease on their own. The most common cause is watering, especially too much. Which leaves turn yellow first is the most useful clue.
Common causes
Overwatering or poor drainage
The most common cause. Soil stays wet for days, the pot feels heavy, lower leaves yellow and go soft.
Underwatering
Soil is bone dry, lower leaves turn yellow then crisp and brown.
Nutrient shortage (often nitrogen)
The oldest, lowest leaves turn evenly pale yellow first while new growth stays green.
Root problems
The plant looks thirsty even in wet soil. Roots are brown, mushy or smell bad.
Sap-sucking pests
Tiny insects, white cottony patches, fine webbing or sticky leaves, usually under the leaves.
Light, heat or a recent move
Yellowing after shifting the plant, a change of season, harsh sun or a very dark corner.
How to check at home
- Push a finger 2–3 cm into the soil: is it wet, moist or dry?
- Lift the pot: does water drain out of the bottom hole?
- Look under the leaves and at leaf joints for insects, white fluff or webbing.
- Note which leaves are yellow: old lower ones, new top ones, or all over.
What to do now
- If the soil is wet, stop watering until the top few centimetres dry out.
- Make sure the drainage hole is open and the pot is not standing in water.
- Remove fully yellow leaves; they will not turn green again.
- If you moved the plant recently, give it a week or two to settle before changing anything else.
Avoid
- Adding fertiliser to a plant with wet, soggy soil.
- Watering more because the plant looks droopy, without checking the soil first.
When to call a specialist
- Yellowing keeps spreading to new leaves.
- The base of the stem is soft or dark, or the roots smell bad.
- You see insects or webbing you can't identify.
How TerraFormLife helps
A TerraFormLife specialist checks the soil, roots and leaf undersides, finds the actual cause, treats it and records it in your Garden Health Card, so we can see on the next visit whether the plant is recovering.
First visit ₹299 + GST (50% off)
General guidance only. Every plant and garden is different; a specialist confirms the cause on site before treatment.