What to do when Podocarpus leaves turn yellow and drop? Here's how to fix it

Podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus) is a type of pine tree, with tall trees, some reaching about twenty meters in height. Podocarpus has high ornamental value and is currently very popular among consumers on the market. However, many people may find that when growing it, due to improper care, yellowing leaves or leaf drop may occur, so how should this be solved?

What to do when Podocarpus leaves turn yellow

1. If the leaves of the entire crown are basically yellow, and the yellowing is relatively uniform, it is very likely that too much fertilizer was applied, causing a considerable portion of the absorbing roots to be burned, making it difficult for the root mass to absorb enough water and nutrients to support the consumption of the upper organs, resulting in yellowing leaves. If it is a potted Podocarpus, the pot soil can be replaced in stages, and afterwards the crown should be frequently sprayed with water mist, with shading provided, to increase air humidity and reduce evaporation from the crown.

2. If the yellowing leaves on the crown appear only locally, then it is very likely that leaf spot disease has affected the leaves. Remove and burn the diseased leaves in a centralized manner. Once about every week, spray fungicides such as 75% chlorothalonil 500x solution or 25% propiconazole emulsifiable concentrate 1500x solution for control, using the treatments alternately for 2-3 consecutive sprays.

3. If red irregular diseased spots appear at the tips of young leaves on the branch tips, and the spots spread from the leaf tip toward the leaf base, causing the front half of the leaf to die, and later the spots turn light brown, and later small black dots appear on both the front and back of the diseased parts of the leaf, then it is leaf blight. It is generally more prone to occur in April, May and August, September, and the causes of leaf blight may be extensive management, poor ventilation, and wounds caused by sunscald. The control method is to prune dead branches in winter, remove diseased leaves and destroy them in a centralized manner, strengthen management, and enhance the disease resistance of the plant.

Solutions for Podocarpus leaf drop

1. Prevent waterlogging. Podocarpus is tolerant of shade and moisture, and during the growing period it should be watered frequently, but it should not be waterlogged. In the Pearl River Delta region, on sunny summer days, water frequently; generally water once in the morning and once in the evening, and also frequently spray water on the leaf surface. Podocarpus is not tolerant of waterlogging, so take care to prevent prolonged standing water.

2. Light treatment. Podocarpus is a neutrally to shade-leaning tree species; it can accept relatively strong light and can also grow in a more shaded environment. Although summer temperatures are relatively high and sunlight is intense, because large Podocarpus trees benefit from high temperature and strong light in maintaining tree posture and leaf shape, it is not necessary to shade large Podocarpus trees in summer.

Causes of Podocarpus leaf drop

1. Root rot. In the Pearl River Delta region, summers are hot and rainy, the air is humid, and the pot soil temperature is too high, which easily causes the plant's root system to rot, affecting the transport of water and nutrients, leading to wilting and dropping of Podocarpus leaves.

2. Too little light. Podocarpus is a plant tolerant of shade and moisture, but long-term shading leads to weak photosynthesis, and the tree's posture and leaf shape cannot maintain a good state, and yellowing and wilting of leaves may even occur, which is distressing.

How to repot Podocarpus

1. When repotting Podocarpus, the soil can be replaced. The soil can be a mixture made from leaf mold soil, mountain soil, pond mud, and so on; these soils can be blended in certain proportions, and some decomposed fertilizer can be added. The prepared soil is best placed in the sun to be exposed, which serves to disinfect it.

2. When repotting, first take the Podocarpus out of the flower pot, preferably with the old soil. After taking out the plant, part of the old soil can be removed, and then the overly long roots and rotten roots can be properly pruned. Overly dense branches can also be properly pruned.

3. Place new soil in the flower pot, then put the plant into the pot, let the root system spread out, and cover with soil. Note that the soil should be placed to 2cm below the pot rim. After repotting, water thoroughly, then place the flower pot in a cool and ventilated place, and resume normal care after the plant has recovered.

There are many causes of yellowing leaves and leaf drop in Podocarpus. The most common ones are generally fertilizer and water problems or light problems. If you want to solve them, you must find the cause from the root and then solve it thoroughly. Only by doing a good job in daily care can the growth of Podocarpus be ensured.