Introduction
No one wants to see a yellowing house plant. It’s a sign of neglect, and a plant that is lacking the essential nutrients for its growth. A green plant is about striking the perfect balance for the plant to thrive in. There are a number of factors for you to consider.
There are four factors to consider:
- · Lighting
- · Fertilizer
- · Water
- · Plastic Versus Clay Containers
- 1. Lighting
First, see if your plant is getting the right amount of light. Check the store tag on your species of plant; see how much light it requires and adjust the light accordingly. Move the plant closer to window if it requires more light; if it’s getting too much light than move it further away from the window.
- 2. Fertilizer
Second, the tag in the plant will tell you to fertilize the plant every month or so; make sure you follow the instructions to the letter. Many times the plant yellows because of a deficiency in nitrogen; you may want to add bone meal or some other kind of organic fertilizer. An easy all purpose fertilizer to use is fish meal.
- 3. Water
Third, never over water a houseplant. The best way to figure out if it needs to be watered is to buy a moisture meter. You only water it periodically once a week and only when the meter is red and says, ‘Dry’.
- 4. Plastic Versus Clay Containers
If you keep your plant in the store bought plastic container, you will not need to water it much. Plastic containers do not dry quickly, so abstain from overwatering and use a moisture meter to find out if it’s dry. A better pot is a clay container for your houseplant; they will dry much faster.
Dracaenas
Since, there are so many plants to buy for beginners I would suggest the species Dracaena. Dracaenas make for beautiful house and office plants; and they require minimal care.
Remove Yellowing Leaves
If there are many leaves and some are yellow, I suggest you cut off the yellowing ones. You may cut off the yellowed leaf tips and shape the leaves with scissors to make them look more natural. Fortunately, there should be many green ones -so the plant won’t look too cut up. If they’re all yellow then don’t cut them all, and try to remedy the solution with what I suggested.
Reference
Walker, E. (1992). Happy Houseplants. Santa Monica: Santa Monica Press.
