Reasons for Yellowing Osmanthus Leaves and How to Fix Them
Osmanthus is one of China's ten traditional famous flowers, itself a widely renowned flowering plant variety, and on top of that, once it blooms, its fragrance spreads in all directions, rich yet not pungent, smelling refreshing and uplifting, so many people like to keep a pot of this flower at home. But when growing it, people often run into yellowing leaves, which is actually caused by improper cultivation. Today Qinnong Net will explain to everyone what's going on when osmanthus leaves turn yellow.
1. Improper watering causes yellow osmanthus leaves
Improper watering means watering too much or too little, and both situations can cause yellow osmanthus leaves. Too much water leads to waterlogging in the pot, which causes some fibrous roots to rot, weakening the ability to absorb nutrients, and thus yellow leaves appear; too little water, on the other hand, means the water supplied is less than what the leaves transpire, and the short supply of water causes the leaves to yellow.
Solutions:
These two situations are completely different, so the remedies are different as well. If it's overwatering, you need to immediately control watering and fertilizing, regularly loosen the soil around the flower to increase aeration, and in severe cases, take the plant out of the soil and replant it in relatively dry soil; if the yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, move the pot to a shady spot to reduce evaporation, and at the same time you can spray a little water on the leaves. Never pour a large amount of water into the soil, as it can easily kill the plant.
2. Alkaline soil causes yellow osmanthus leaves
Osmanthus is mostly adapted to the climate of subtropical regions, where the soil is mostly acidic. If the soil is alkaline, the osmanthus you grow may develop poorly, bloom far less, and also show yellow leaves.
Solutions:
Usually after planting, we should spray a 0.1% to 0.3% magnesium sulfate solution to improve the acidic environment in the soil, or we can apply ferrous sulfate solution or small granules to the soil, which both makes the soil slightly acidic and increases soil fertility, promoting osmanthus blooming.
3. Improper fertilizing causes yellow osmanthus leaves
Likewise, improper fertilizing means fertilizing too much or too little, and these two situations can also cause osmanthus leaves to turn yellow. Too much fertilizer, especially too much nitrogen fertilizer combined with a lack of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, easily causes leaves to yellow; the specific signs of this situation are new leaves that are thick and fleshy with mostly uneven surfaces, while old leaves gradually yellow and drop off; too little fertilizer, on the other hand, means nutrition cannot keep up with the plant's growth, showing as weak, thin branches and leaves that are thin and yellow.
Solutions:
If it's overfertilizing, immediately stop fertilizing, increase the amount of water, and let the fertilizer flow out through the drainage holes, or directly replace part of the old soil, rinse the root ball with water, and replant with new potting soil; if it's underfertilizing, promptly repot, take the plant out, move it to a pot one size larger, fill it with new loose, fertile potting soil, and replant it. After watering thoroughly, place it in partial shade to recover. Once it resumes growth, apply a dilute liquid fertilizer or compound fertilizer.
The above is what Qinnong Net has introduced about the causes of yellowing osmanthus leaves and the solutions, and we hope it brings you some help. Besides its ornamental value, osmanthus can also be used as a raw material for making osmanthus tea; the brewed tea has a delightful fragrance and is loved by many people. If you're interested, why not also try the osmanthus you grow at home? It will surely have a distinctive flavor!