Alocasia thrives in bright, hot environments. Some species require more sunlight or water than others. It’s critical to do some study on the type of plant you have. Overwatering is the most common cause of yellowing Alocasia Leaves. A heavy, retaining soil can exacerbate the issue.
Alocasia Yellow Leaves Treatment Tips – Should They Be Cut? First, you must attain an ideal balance of conditions: Lighting, Temperature, Humidity Levels, Lack or Over Fertilization, Pests, Acclimatization and Dormancy. Let the yellow leaves die naturally before removing them as they provide more energy for the plant.
Reasons Why Alocasia Leaves Turning Yellow
Several factors could cause yellow leaves on your Alocasia. It’s most likely a watering issue—too much or too little water might produce discoloration.
Alocasia drinks a lot of water; they drink many inches of water every week. It’s possible that the yellowing is due to the amount of food you’re feeding them.
Let’s look at why the Alocasia Leaves are becoming yellow.
Due to Lighting Problems
Alocasia Leaves turning yellow is caused by a variety of factors, including poor lighting.
Because they thrive in tropical shade, Alocasias are commonly referred to as low-light plants, but forest shadow is relatively bright compared to most indoor situations.
Indoors, Alocasias prefer to be near a bright window that is shielded from direct sunlight.
Seasonal shifts can sneak up on you. As the autumn light diminishes, a plant that thrived near a sunny window may begin to struggle.
Consider shifting the plant to a brighter spot or adding a grow light if you’re noticing pale or mediocre growth while it’s in moderate light.
It’s also possible that the light is too bright. Overexposure causes yellowing or browning of the foliage, as well as burnt or bleached leaves.
To assist you to get your plants in the optimal position, there are produced articles that go into greater detail about lighting for houseplants.
One option is to position your plant in a room with plenty of light but just indirect sunlight.
Sheer curtains are another fast fix! This enables for a gentler illumination of your Polly.
Make sure these plants aren’t left outside since they won’t be able to protect themselves from the hot, dry heat.
Due to Temperature Problems
Yellowing of leaves and their decline are indications that your plant needs to be moved to a warmer location.
Alocasias are heat-loving plants that thrive in temperatures ranging from 65°F (18°C) to 85°F (29°C).
The plant isn’t frost resilient and suffers when temperatures drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius).
If you keep your house cool, your Alocasia might not obtain the heat it needs to thrive. Some kinds are difficult to handle inside due to their strict predilection for the warm end of the range.
It’s also crucial to maintain the temperature from changing too much or too quickly. To maintain their plant’s roots warmer than ambient temperature, some gardeners use a heating pad.
Ensure your Alocasia isn’t in front of a heater or air conditioner; the high heat and cold can be harmful.
Also, if placed near hot or cold drafty openings, it will have a similar impact on the plant.
Due to Humidity Level Problems
Alocasias thrive in humid environments. They may adapt to lower levels, but they will thrive at 60 percent or even 70 percent.
Low humidity causes yellow, lackluster leaves with brown margins or tips. Yellowing appears progressively on all the plant’s leaves. Once yellow, they stay yellow.
A safe minimum humidity level is around 50%, while some growers have reported success with much lower levels.
If your humidity is below normal, you can raise it somewhat by grouping your Alocasia with other plants, particularly tropical, and placing water-filled trays nearby.
If your Alocasia is suffering from low humidity, you can help it out by watering it carefully and frequently.
Purchase a humidifier to alleviate these problems. A humidifier adds moisture to the air by dispersing water vapor for a misting effect.
This accurately matches the humidity that an Alocasia encounters in its native environment.
Changing the location of your Alocasia Polly could help it thrive. If you have a place in your home with ample light and better humidity conditions, moving your plant can be a good idea.
Humidity levels are best in places like kitchens and bathrooms. Because of the steamy showers and humid climate, bathrooms work extremely well!
Wet stones in a pebble tray are another approach to induce humidity. You can generate the humidity with a DIY pebble tray, which can be a little costly for a few stones on a plastic tray.
Due to Lack of Fertilizer
A scarcity of nourishment can cause Alocasia Leaves to turn yellow, albeit this is not the most prevalent cause. During the warm growing season, Alocasias grow quickly and benefit from regular feeding every two to four weeks.
If they run out of nutrients, they can retire older leaves sooner to save the resources.
If you feel the plant is hungry, don’t give it more food right away. To prevent stress, start slowly. if you’re not fertilizing yet, start with a regular feeding schedule.
If you have been fertilizing, keep the same schedule but raise the amount somewhat.
In the weeks following application, keep a close eye on the foliage.
If you don’t see any improvement, go back to the plant’s original feeding schedule, and investigate other possibilities.
Whether the plant’s color and/or vigor improves, continue feeding the corrected dose to see if the problem goes away. If there is no progress, don’t keep raising.
Due to Overfertilization
Overfeeding an Alocasia is simple. Burned leaf tips and edges are the signs. If the roots of the plant are scorched by fertilizer or toxified soil, the leaves will turn yellow and die.
Slowly alter your current feeding routine and observe how the plant responds. Feed only in the spring and summer; do not fertilize throughout the winter.
Overfertilization can cause leftover ions in the soil to poison it. Flushing the mix at the watering time, or at least every month or two, is a good idea.
Allow surplus water to wash out the drain holes after thoroughly wetting the soil.
Due to Pests
Alocasias are susceptible to typical houseplant pests such as aphids, thrips, scale, and spider mites, as well as a variety of other diseases.
Those huge, soft, juicy leaves are a big draw, so keep an eye on your plant regularly. An Alocasia that has been weakened or stressed is more prone to insect infestations.
Sap-sucking insects such as spider mites can deplete the moisture in your plant. This condition presents very soon in the form of yellowing leaflets and fronds.
Scale, mealybugs, and spider mites are all common pests found in indoor environments.
They reproduce and spread throughout the fronds, occupying every crevice and corner. If not dealt with promptly, they can do significant damage.
Your plant is fatigued by the piercing mouths of the insects and cause it to yellow more quickly.
This is especially true if your Alocasia is already suffering from poor lighting, nutrient deficiencies, or insufficient soil moisture.
Here’s where you can learn about how to deal with common houseplant pests:
A great anti-insect remedy begins with preventing the problem from occurring in the first place, rather than simply correcting it each time.
Determine why these insects are targeting your plant by first identifying the source of the problem.
One way to deal with this is to maintain the plant as dust-free as possible. In dusty environments, certain pest insects are at their most aggressive.
In addition to preventing bugs, washing off the leaves or just wiping them off regularly promotes improved circulation in the plant while also decreasing stress on the plant
Try using insect oil to kill the bugs and prevent additional hatchlings if you want to keep these small pests under control.
Due to Acclimatization and Dormancy
When an Alocasia is introduced to a new environment, whether it is for the first time or after returning from a summer season, it may require some time to adjust.
A sudden change in lighting might also cause dormancy to be triggered. As the plant adjusts, the leaves may turn yellow and die.
The solution to this is to move them. While moving a plant about to find the perfect location for it could cause more damage.
You might want to move it to the top of the stack – or somewhere else.
This is a common mistake that causes yellowing of the leaves. So, it may exacerbate the condition and make it worse.
Once the yellowing has begun, it cannot be reversed to green again, and the yellow will spread throughout the leaf.
Make certain that a new location will be an improvement.
More Information on The Alocasia Plant
An outstanding houseplant, the Alocasia family make great indoor plants.
You and your Alocasia should be able to live well enough together. It has developed itself quite a reputation for being temperamental. However, if you get all the required conditions correct things should go well.
This plant simply requires higher standards of maintenance to ensure the plant has a more successful growth experience.
Unfortunately, yellow leaves seem inevitable in certain instances.
As when some of its older leaves at the bottom of the plant are being shed to make room for new growth,
The most common of all problems is that your Alocasia, is being overwatered.
Other factors include insufficient light, low humidity, and a lack of warmth, as well as nutritional deficits, bug infestation, and disease.
The first step in determining the likely cause of yellow leaves and resolving the problem is to rule out overwatering.
If this isn’t the problem, look at the other options till you identify them.
It’s usually better to wait until an Alocasia’s yellow leaves have turned fully yellow and perished before cutting them off.
Even a slightly yellow leaf can provide energy to the plant, so removing it too soon can cause more harm than benefit.
The only exception is when a sickness causes yellow Alocasia Leaves. In this case, it’s critical to remove the diseased leaves as quickly as possible to prevent the disease from spreading.
Despite our best attempts, their leaves are prone to turning yellow. This article will explain why your Alocasia Leaves are yellowing and how to remedy the situation.
Lastly, remember to keep them far away from children and pets aa their leaves and stems contain oxylic acid – toxic to children and pets if ingested.
Final Thoughts
There are 13 different types of the Alocasia Plant:
Alocasia Amazonica ‘Polly’, Alocasia Micholitziana ‘Frydek, Alocasia Zebrina
Alocasia Reginula ‘Black Velvet’, Alocasia ‘Dragon Scale’, Alocasia Longiloba,
Alocasia Macrorrhiza ‘Stingray’, Alocasia Lauterbachiana ‘Purple Sword’,
Alocasia Macrorrhizos ‘Giant Taro’, Alocasia Cuprea ‘Red Secret’,
Alocasia Cucullata ‘Hooded Dwarf”, Alocasia Wentii, Alocasia Baginda ‘Silver Dragon’,
They’re all wonderful. When you see them, you’ll probably want them all as they’re so stunning.
However, they all require ideal conditions, and all their leaves can turn yellow! They’re all ‘pedantic’ – ‘picky’ about their surroundings, but once you get it right, you’ll be so glad you took the time to understand the plant’s needs.
By the way, there’s an adage that says if it’s not worth working for, it’s not worth having! Any member of the Alocasia Family – any Alocasia plant would be a worthy addition to any house!
Jenny Marie
Tribal Writer
Edited By
Patricia Godwin
