Monstera Leaves Turning Yellow: Reason and How to Fix

Seen your Monstera leaves turning yellow? Don’t stress, it’s not just you. Lots of Monstera owners face this, but hey, there’s a way to sort it out. In this blog post, we’re gonna dive into why your Monstera leaves go yellow and how to make ’em green again. So, if your Monstera’s leaves are starting to look a bit off, keep reading for tips to get them back in shape!

Moisture

Yellow Monstera leaves can sometimes be because there’s not enough moisture. This can happen if the plant’s not getting enough water, or if it’s too hot and the soil’s drying out too quick.

Here’s what you can do to fix it:

  1. Check soil moisture: Poke your finger about an inch into the soil. If it feels wet, hold off on watering for a few more days.
  2. Change up watering schedule: Cut back on how often you water, and only do it when the top inch of soil feels dry. Don’t let the plant just sit in water.
  3. Make drainage better: Be sure the pot has enough holes for drainage and that extra water can get out. You might also wanna throw in some perlite or rough sand to help the soil drain better.
  4. Put it in new soil: If the soil’s soggy or the plant’s been in the same pot for ages, it could be time to give it fresh soil.
  5. Get rid of bad leaves: If the yellowing is ’cause of root rot, take off any leaves that look bad to stop it from spreading.
  6. Give it the right light: Monstera plants like bright but not direct light. Make sure yours is getting the light it needs to grow strong.

Overwatering

Monstera plants, or Swiss cheese plants as some folks call ’em, are famous for their big leaves with those cool holes. But those pretty leaves can sometimes go yellow if you water ’em too much.

Overwatering monstera leads to root rot, and that stops the roots from soaking up all the good stuff the plant needs. This lack of nutrients can make Monstera leaves turn yellow, and maybe even brown or limp.

Here’s what you can do to sort it out:

  1. Check the soil: Stick your finger in the soil about an inch down to see if it’s still wet. If it is, wait to water until the top inch of soil feels dry.
  2. Change up how often you water: Water your Monstera only when the top inch of soil is dry. Don’t water it too much or the roots might get all soggy.
  3. Make drainage better: If the soil’s not draining right, you gotta fix that. You can do it by adding some perlite or sand to the soil, or put the plant in a pot that drains better.
  4. Snip off yellow leaves: Cut off any yellow leaves so disease doesn’t spread and new leaves can grow.
  5. Deal with root rot: If your Monstera’s got root rot, you need to take care of it by taking the plant out of the pot and cutting off any rotten roots. Put the plant in new soil that drains well, and hold off on watering for a few days.
  6. Keep an eye on your plant: Watch your Monstera to make sure you’re not giving it too much or too little water. A happy Monstera should have bright green leaves and grow nice and steady.

With these steps, you should be able to sort out the problem of yellow leaves on your Monstera and help it grow all healthy and strong

Monstera leaf turning yellow

Underwatering

Underwatering’s when the plant’s not getting enough water, and it’s having a hard time keeping its big leaves going. Here’s how to sort it:

  1. Water the plant: Give your Monstera a real good watering, making sure the soil gets wet all over. Keep watering until you see it coming out of the holes at the bottom of the pot.
  2. Check the soil: After you water it, poke around in the soil to see if it’s dry or maybe too wet. It should be wet all over, but not soggy.
  3. Change up how often you water: Keep an eye on the plant and water it more or less as it needs. Monstera plants like their soil wet all over, but they don’t want to be soaking all the time.
  4. Humidity: Monstera plants are into high humidity, so think about getting a humidifier or putting a tray of water near the plant to make the air around it wetter.
  5. Feed it: If your Monstera hasn’t been getting enough water for a while, it might be missing some food. Give it some regular plant food to help it get better.
  6. Cut off bad leaves: If the yellow leaves are looking really beat up, it’s best to snip them off so the plant can put all its effort into growing healthy.

By doing these things, you should be able to get your Monstera feeling better and stop its leaves from turning yellow ’cause it’s not getting enough water.

When your monstera encounters underwatering, please read the article on how often to Water Monstera to water properly

Temperature Stress

Temperature stress that makes Monstera leaves go yellow can come from it being too hot or too cold. If it’s too hot, the plant might not be able to suck up enough water for its big leaves, making them turn yellow or maybe even fall off. If it’s too cold, freezing temps can hurt the leaf cells and make them go yellow.

Here’s what you do to fix it:

  1. Figure out what’s wrong: First thing you gotta do to fix yellow leaves is figure out what’s causing it. Could be it’s too cold, too hot, or maybe the temperature’s all over the place.
  2. Make the temperature right: Once you know what’s making the stress, fix it by changing the temperature. Move the plant somewhere the temperature stays the same, and away from places where it gets drafty or right in front of the heater or air conditioner.
  3. Make it more humid: Monstera plants are into high humidity. If the air’s too dry, the plant gets stressed and the leaves might turn yellow. Make the air wetter by spraying the leaves, using a humidifier, or putting a tray of water close by.
  4. Look for bugs: Common Monstera Pests such as Monstera spider mites and mealybugs can stress the plant and make leaves go yellow. Check for bugs, and if you find ’em, use bug-killing soap.
  5. Water it right: Giving it too much or too little water stresses the plant and can make leaves yellow. Water it just right by letting the soil get a little dry between waterings, and make sure the pot lets the extra water out so it doesn’t get all soggy.
  6. Feed it: Monstera plants need the right food to grow and be happy. Make sure to give it regular plant food, especially when it’s growing. Just follow what it says on the food package so you give it the right amount.

If you take care of what’s stressing the plant and treat it right, you can fix yellow leaves on your Monstera. But remember, some leaves going yellow might just be a regular thing as the plant grows, and it’s normal for old leaves to turn yellow and fall off eventually.

Repotting Stress

When you stick a plant in a new pot, it needs a bit of time to get used to the new soil and start sucking up the good stuff from the soil. While it’s figuring things out, it might get a little stressed, and that can make the leaves go yellow.

Here’s what you do to help it out:

  1. Look at the roots: Have a peek at the roots and see if anything’s wrong or rotting. If something looks off, snip the bad parts with clean scissors or those special cutting things for plants.
  2. Get the watering right: Leaves turning yellow could mean you’re giving it too much water. Make sure the soil drains good and only water it when the top bit of soil (like 1-2 inches) feels dry.
  3. Make it humid: Monstera plants dig humid places. Think about getting a humidifier close by or put a tray with water and pebbles under the pot to make it more humid.
  4. Keep it out of the sun: Monstera plants like it bright but not in direct sun. Too much direct sun makes the leaves go bad and yellow.
  5. Chill and wait: Moving to a new pot stresses the plant and makes the leaves yellow, but give it some time and it’ll get used to its new digs.

So, to make your Monstera happy after repotting, check the roots, water it right, make it humid, keep it out of direct sun, and give it some time. It’ll bounce back with nice, green leaves.

Too much light

Monstera plants are famous for those big leaves with splits, but monstera too much light makes them go yellow. Here’s how you can fix it:

  1. Move it: If your Monstera’s getting too much sun, scoot it over to a spot that’s bright but not direct. A cool place could be near a window that faces north or somewhere with filtered light.
  2. Fix the light: If you can’t move it, mess with the light by using thin curtains to break up the sun or move it back from the light some.
  3. Water it just right: Watering right matters too, ’cause too much water makes leaves go yellow. Let the top soil dry out before you water it again.
  4. Feed it: Yellow leaves might mean it needs food, so give it some balanced plant food every couple of weeks while it’s growing.
  5. Cut off yellow leaves: If you’ve got yellow leaves, cut ’em off at the base so the plant doesn’t waste energy on them. Use clean cutting tools.

If you do all this, you should be able to stop the yellowing from too much light and get your Monstera back to feeling good.

Yellowing leaves on Monstera

Too little light

Monstera plants dig bright, indirect sunlight. If your plant’s not getting enough rays, its leaves might start to go yellow and look all droopy. Here’s what to do to set things right:

  1. Move it: Scoot your Monstera over to a spot with more light. A window with bright, indirect light should do the trick.
  2. Watch out for direct sun: Monstera likes light, but straight-up sunlight can fry the leaves. So, keep it out of the direct sun.
  3. Fake it with fake light: If your place doesn’t have a bright spot, think about using artificial light. Grow lights can give your plant the light it needs.
  4. Turn it around: Monstera plants grow towards the light, and that can make them grow funny and turn leaves yellow. Spin it every few weeks to keep it growing straight.
  5. Water right: Not enough light can make leaves go yellow, but too much water can make it worse. Watch how much you water and give it just what it needs.
  6. Take your time: It might take a bit for the leaves to go back to green. Be cool and keep giving it what it needs to grow strong.

By getting the light right, your Monstera can grow big and green, just like it should.

Overfertilization

When you’re looking after your Monstera, sometimes you can get a bit carried away with the plant food. That can turn the leaves yellow and mess up the plant.

Here’s how you can fix it:

  1. Hold the plant food: Ease up on the fertilizing until you’ve sorted the problem. Too much can mess up the roots and make the plant suck up more nutrients than it needs, turning the leaves yellow.
  2. Rinse the soil: Give the soil a good rinse with water to wash away any extra salts and nutrients. Water it good until the water runs out the bottom, and do that a few times to wash everything out.
  3. Snip the yellow: Cut off any yellow leaves to make room for new growth.
  4. Wait and watch: Give it a bit of time to bounce back, and keep an eye on it. If it looks better, you might not need to do anything else.
  5. Feed it right: When you start feeding it again, make sure to follow the instructions on the pack, and don’t overdo it.

Remember, Monstera plants aren’t big eaters and can do fine with just a little plant food. Always check the soil’s not too wet and the plant looks good before feeding it, so you don’t overdo it.

Nutrient Deficiency

Seeing yellow in your Monstera leaves? That might be because it’s not getting enough nutrients. You can usually fix this by changing up how you feed your plant and making sure it’s getting what it needs.

Here’s how to sort out a nutrient deficiency in your Monstera:

  1. Spot the deficiency: Yellow leaves often mean a lack of nutrients. You’ve got to figure out what’s missing though. It could be a shortage of stuff like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, or other little nutrients.
  2. Feed it right: Once you know what’s missing, grab a fertilizer that’s got plenty of what’s needed. Go for a balanced one with equal bits of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K) for general use, or a specific one if it’s short on iron, manganese, or something else. Just follow the directions on the bag.
  3. Water it well: Too much or too little water can mess with the nutrients too. Make sure you’re giving your Monstera just the right amount. Water it when the top inch of soil feels dry, and don’t let it sit in a puddle.
  4. Get the light right: Monstera needs bright, indirect light to grow. If it’s not getting enough, it might not be taking in enough nutrients. Move it somewhere brighter or add some fake light if you need to.
  5. Trim the bad bits: If the yellowing is from a lack of nutrients, the leaves might not get better. Snip off the bad ones to make way for new ones.

Pests

Yellow leaves on a Monstera usually mean it’s stressed or weak, and that can make it a target for bugs. Things like Spider mites on monstera and other sap-sucking bugs can suck the life out of it and turn the leaves and fronds yellow. Inside, you might find scale, mealybugs, and spider mites hiding out. If you don’t catch them early, they’ll spread everywhere.

Here’s how to deal with them:

  1. Find the bugs: Monstera can get spider mites, mealybugs, and scale. Take a close look to figure out what’s bugging your plant.
  2. Quarantine it: If you’ve got other plants, move the sick one away so it doesn’t spread the bugs.
  3. Cut off the bad leaves: If the bugs are only in one spot, cut off those leaves to keep them from spreading. Just make sure to get rid of the leaves far from your other plants.
  4. Wash it with bug soap: You can use insecticidal soap to get rid of the bugs on your Monstera. Follow the bottle’s directions though.
  5. Do it again: You might have to use the soap every week or so until the bugs are all gone.
  6. Keep an eye on it: Keep watching your plant to make sure the bugs don’t come back. If you see any signs, start the treatment again right away.
  7. Stop it before it starts: To keep the bugs away in the future, keep your Monstera clean and check it regularly. If you catch any problems early, you can deal with them before they get bad.

Old Foliage

Yellow leaves on your Monstera Deliciosa? It could just be the plant growing up. The leaves at the base might turn yellow, droop, and even fall off as the plant gets bigger and better. Here’s what to do about it:

  1. Figure out what’s going on: If it’s the oldest leaves turning yellow, it might just be the plant getting rid of the old stuff.
  2. Snip off the yellow ones: If those yellow leaves are bugging you, just cut ’em off with clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears.
  3. Watch the water: Make sure you’re not giving it too much or too little water. That can turn leaves yellow too. The soil should be damp, but not soggy, and the pot needs to drain well.
  4. Get the light right: Monstera likes bright, but not direct, light. Too much or too little can turn the leaves yellow. Make sure it’s getting the light it likes.
  5. Mind the moisture in the air: Monstera likes it humid. If the air’s too dry, it might turn the leaves yellow. Think about using a humidifier or putting a tray of water near the plant.
  6. Look out for bugs: Nasty little things like spider mites or mealybugs might turn the leaves yellow. Keep an eye on your plant and deal with any bugs you find.

By taking care of these things, you should be able to get those yellow leaves back to green. Just give it some time; it might take a few weeks for new leaves to come in.

Yellow leaves on a Monstera usually mean something’s up, like too much or too little water, the wrong temperature, stress from moving, too much or too little light, too much food, not enough nutrients, or bugs. To keep the leaves green, figure out what’s going wrong and fix it. If you can’t figure it out, just ask a pro or drop a comment with FamiPlants below.

Hi, I'm Cathleen Clemens. I graduated from Cornell University with a degree in plant science. I gained detailed knowledge about various kinds of plants and how to properly care for them. My experience has enabled me to easily detect any issues such as pest infestations, nutrient deficiencies, or signs of diseases in the plants.

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