There’s no good news if your snake plant has a bit of yellow on it. We’ve put together this guide to help you get it straightened out as soon as possible. Snake plants with yellow leaves will usually have yellow stripes all over the plant, and yellow leaves will be bordered by yellow.
It is caused by the plant’s inability to renew its chloroplasts, which is usually caused by too much water, but can be caused by an infection as well. There is probably too much water present due to overwatering, the wrong size pot, or the environment. These problems can be resolved by not overwatering the plant, putting it in the right size pot, and changing the environment.
About Snake Plant Leaves Turn Yellow
What Yellow Leaves Look Like
While most of us think of “yellow” leaves as being yellow, if you were to look closer, you would see that they are actually green in color. Despite being a much lighter green than a healthy snake plant. When compared to a healthy snake plant, the green is so light that many will mistake it for yellow.Yellow is usually found around the edges. However, there will also be streaks of yellow throughout the plant- some may say it resembles the stripes of a tiger. Despite the fact that this might look nice to some of you, it is not healthy for the plant.
The Science Behind Yellow Leaves
Chloroplasts are tiny little things inside the cells of all plants. Chloroplasts are responsible for photosynthesis, as you may remember from high school biology. In nature, most plants tend to be green due to chloroplasts. Other shades of flowers may be used to attract bees, but that is the only exception. A plant’s shade of green will be lighter when it has fewer chloroplasts. When your plant turns yellow, it has not been able to repair all of its chloroplasts.
Yellow Leaves Causes
Overwatering
The most common reason why house plants get too much water is that their parents overwater them. We get plants in order to learn responsibility by taking care of a living thing.Watering is part of this process. Watering is necessary for snake plants as well.It’s easy, however, to think that just because you have to water it, you need to water it constantly. Your plant may actually end up suffering more harm by developing root rot as a result of trying to keep it hydrated.
Wrong Size Pot
How much water the pot contains can also be affected by its size. Make sure it’s neither too big nor too small.An overly small pot will result in roots that extend beyond the edge of the container. Therefore, the water will not be able to flow away from them, and it will remain stagnant around them. Roots are deprived of nutrients when this occurs.A large pot will essentially suffocate the roots because it holds so much moisture. Additionally, root rot can be caused by this.
Environment
There are certain things that plants require in order to be able to thrive, such as a specific climate. It is actually quite hardy compared to other houseplants. Yellow leaves, however, can be caused by environmental factors.Snake plants thrive in temperatures between 55 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Water in cells may freeze at temperatures much lower than this. It may evaporate if it is much higher.Additionally, you should avoid having more than 20% moisture in the air, since this can oversaturate the soil and make it seem as if you’ve overwatered it.
Pests or Diseases
Even though water is the most common cause of yellow leaves, pests and diseases can also cause them.Spider mites and mealybugs are two of the most common pests.Snake plants can be infested by a variety of critters. It is possible that they are attached to your clothing. Perhaps they are in the watering can. Your plants may have hitched a ride with another plant you brought.The problem of these horrible things is that they come from everywhere, but there is still hope.
How to Fix Yellow Leaves
How Often to Water a Snake Plant
Imagine you’re overwatering (or sometimes underwatering) your snake plant. When that happens, you should determine how often it must be watered. The majority of people water theirs every two to ten weeks.You don’t have to use a schedule, however. There’s no way for your plant to know when its next watering is, so it needs to use up its remaining water quickly.Check the soil to see how wet it is instead of a schedule. Water it if the top 2 inches are dry. Put the watering can away if it isn’t!
Find the Perfect Pot
The moment your plant is rootbound (meaning roots fill the entire pot), take it up a size. If you move it, don’t put it in a pot that’s too big.Every time you report your plant, only move it up by one size. I mean two inches by one size.You should move a snake plant from a 12-inch pot to a 14-inch pot if it becomes rootbound.Snake plants in 10-inch pots should be moved to 12 inches pots if they become rootbound.
Ideal Environment
It is also important to take care of the environment.If your snake plant is in a room with more than 20% humidity, you should move it to a different room. Alternatively, you might want to check out a dehumidifier. They are cheap and small devices that remove water from the air.Also, they dislike sudden temperature changes. Avoid drafts, heaters, and air conditioners if you have snake plants. Temperatures between 55 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal.As with any plant, it will also require plenty of sunlight.
Infection Prevention
You should cut off any yellow leaves as soon as you see them. If you do so with dirty tools, make sure the tools are clean.Whenever there is only one yellow leaf, you should pray that the infection was contained to that one leaf, and by disposing of it, you are preventing it from moving to the rest of the plant.You may need to use a fungicide or insecticide if that doesn’t work. Your yellow leaves might be caused by someone else.The snake plant will not be able to be revived (or grown) if that doesn’t work. I am very sorry to be the one to tell you this. So it’s best to start planning the funeral now.
Are Yellow Leaves Common?
Snake plants can have yellow leaves, but that doesn’t mean you’re a lousy plant parent. Even though it probably means you’re relatively new at plant parenting.A plant parent is likely to give their plant more water than it needs, just as a dog parent might give their dog more baths than he or she needs. In my opinion, becoming a plant parent is a right of passage.This is the kind of mistake you can learn from.