What to Do When Monstera Leaves Turn Yellow? 11 Causes and 11 Fixes

The Monstera has just been repotted and has not yet adapted to the new potting soil, so it fails to establish, causing its leaves to turn yellow.

Keep up with routine care, water promptly when the potting soil surface dries, and cut off the yellowed leaves so they do not consume nutrients from the potting soil. Once this establishment period has passed, the Monstera leaves will naturally regain their green vigor.

The Monstera is a typically shade-tolerant plant. In summer the light is too strong, and direct harsh sunlight easily causes the leaf edges to scorch or even the leaves to wither and yellow.

During midsummer, pay attention to shading: place it indoors or under a shade net, not on a balcony with overly strong sunlight, otherwise the leaves will easily wither.

Although the Monstera likes shade, it cannot be kept in a place without sunlight for a long time. If it receives no sunlight at all, the plant cannot carry out photosynthesis, chlorophyll cannot form, and the leaves will turn yellow.

Place the Monstera under conditions of filtered sunlight for a period of care, but do not immediately put it under strong outdoor light, so as to avoid scorching.

Over-fertilizing, or applying raw or concentrated fertilizer, will cause the tips of old leaves to dry and the leaves to scorch yellow and drop, while new leaves become thick and uneven. Monstera roots are relatively tender, so raw and concentrated fertilizers should be avoided, otherwise root burn easily occurs, causing the leaves to turn yellow.

When fertilizing the Monstera normally, apply light fertilizer frequently, and water moderately after fertilizing. If root burn has already occurred, it is recommended to take the Monstera out of its pot and wash the roots as soon as possible, then replace the soil and replant it as a remedy. After a period of care, the Monstera will regain its green leaves.

The Monstera is not cold-tolerant; its optimal growing temperature in daily care is 20—25°C. In winter, when the temperature falls below 5°C, cold damage easily occurs, causing yellow leaves on the Monstera.

Before early winter, when the temperature is around 10 degrees, it is recommended to move the Monstera indoors for care, and at the same time control watering and keep it warm to strengthen the plant's cold resistance. Also note that in winter it should not be placed at the doorway, as the sudden hot and cold from the door opening and closing can also easily cause yellow leaves on the Monstera.

The Monstera likes moisture, but the potting soil should not stay overly wet for a long time, or even waterlogged, as this easily leads to root rot and yellow leaves; at the same time, it should not go unwatered for a long time either. If the potting soil is too dry and the plant lacks water, the leaves will also turn yellow.

When watering normally, make sure the potting soil has dried out completely before watering again. Generally, water once a day in daily care; in summer, water once each morning and evening; in winter, water once every 3-4 days. Every 7-10 days, spray the leaves once with clean water close to room temperature, so as to keep the plant evergreen and fresh and enhance its ornamental value.

The Monstera grows very fast, and its branches and leaves grow too densely. In this situation, if growers do not repot in time and still use the original small pot to care for the Monstera, the pot is too small to store enough nutrients to meet the Monstera's nutrient needs, causing the leaves to lack nutrients and turn yellow.

The Monstera needs repotting once a year, preferably during March—April when the temperature is suitable, as it establishes more easily then. When repotting, remove some of the old soil and dead roots, switch to a pot one size larger, put some hoof pieces, crushed bone and the like at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer, and fill in a potting mix made of leaf mold, garden soil and sandy soil mixed at 1/3 each as the growing medium.

If the Monstera is cared for properly in daily life, it undergoes normal metabolism: as the plant grows, the lower leaves begin to age and turn yellow.

There is no need to worry about yellow leaves from normal aging on a Monstera, but the yellow leaves, withered leaves and some old leaves on the lower part of the plant should be pruned away in time.

Keeping the Monstera in a poorly ventilated environment for a long time, especially in the hot summer, makes yellow leaves caused by poor ventilation fairly common. In addition, the Monstera's leaves grow lushly, and if they are not pruned for a long time, the inner branches and leaves cannot receive light, which easily causes the inner leaves to turn yellow.

Move the Monstera to a place with good ventilation, keep it ventilated and cool, fertilize reasonably and strengthen pruning of branches and leaves, and make sure the potting soil does not become too dry. With this care, the Monstera will gradually regain its green leaves.

Normally, take care to keep the Monstera's leaves clean and tidy. If too much dust accumulates on the leaves and affects photosynthesis, it will also cause the Monstera leaves to turn yellow.

At regular intervals, wipe the Monstera's leaves with a clean damp cloth to keep the leaves clean.

Leaf spot disease is a common disease of the Monstera; after being affected, the leaves easily scorch and drop.

Place it in a ventilated, bright place to reduce the incidence of the disease. Promptly spray with a 600-fold dilution of 65% mancozeb wettable powder for control.

A common pest of the Monstera. It mainly harms the leaf stalks and leaf blades. When there are many scale insects, it affects the plant's photosynthesis, causing weak growth and yellow leaves, which detracts from its ornamental value.

If few plants are affected, or the number of insects is small, simply scrape off the insects with a toothbrush or similar. If during the insect hatching period, spray with a 1000-fold dilution of 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate (or a 1000-fold dilution of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate); you can also spray a 1000-fold dilution of 5% phosmet emulsifiable concentrate to kill them.

What to Do When Monstera Leaves Turn Yellow: Causes and Solutions for Yellowing Monstera Leaves

Because the Monstera is a very good indoor ornamental plant, many people like to grow it, but during cultivation you will encounter times when the Monstera leaves turn yellow. What should we do then? Below, let us look at the causes and solutions for yellowing Monstera leaves.

1. Sudden environmental changes cause Monstera leaves to turn yellow: the cause is sudden environmental change, with too great a sudden change in soil, temperature, humidity and light. The Monstera was originally a parasitic plant, and its well-developed root system is fleshy, with a relatively high requirement for loose, breathable soil. Sticky and slightly sticky soils will affect root growth to varying degrees. If the soil's breathability is poor or the soil is not changed for a long time, the soil may become compacted, affecting the Monstera's respiration, which makes the Monstera grow poorly and its leaves turn yellow.

Solution: For a potted Monstera at home, the growing soil can be a mixed soil made of 2 parts aged loess, 1 part honeycomb coal ash and 1 part chicken manure. This ensures both the breathability of the potting soil for the Monstera and meets the fertilizer requirements needed for growth.

2. Overwatering causes Monstera leaves to turn yellow (water yellowing): too much water causes root rot in the Monstera, and this situation causes the yellow-leaf phenomenon in the Monstera.

Solution: Water the Monstera regularly, watering thoroughly each time, keep the potting soil surface slightly dry, and when the air is dry, sprinkle water over the surrounding environment and the Monstera leaves.

3. Long-term lack of water causes Monstera leaves to turn yellow (drought yellowing): too little water makes the plant lack water and grow poorly, and this situation causes the yellow-leaf phenomenon in the Monstera.

Solution: Water regularly with a sufficient amount of water

4. Harsh sun exposure causes Monstera leaves to turn yellow (scorch yellowing): placing the Monstera under strong light, the strong light causes the Monstera's leaves to scorch and turn yellow.

Solution: The Monstera needs shading in summer.

5. Dry air causes Monstera leaves to turn yellow: when the air is dry, it causes the Monstera's leaves to turn a stuffy yellow.

Solution: Keep indoor ventilation good; you can also place the Monstera indoors for viewing during the day and move it outdoors at night.

6. Insufficient sunlight causes Monstera leaves to turn yellow (light-deficiency yellowing): the Monstera is shade-tolerant, but keeping it in a shaded environment for a long time affects photosynthesis and makes the leaves turn yellow.

Solution: It is best to give the Monstera some filtered sunlight.

7. Too low a temperature causes Monstera leaves to turn yellow: the suitable growing temperature for the Monstera is 20-25°C. In winter, the nighttime temperature during the seedling stage should not be lower than 10°C; a mature plant can briefly tolerate 5°C. Below 5°C, cold damage easily occurs, causing the Monstera leaves to turn yellow.

Solution: In winter, the Monstera's roots need appropriate warmth to strengthen the plant's cold resistance, but do not place the Monstera directly on a radiator or next to an air conditioner.

8. Long-term lack of fertilizer causes Monstera leaves to turn yellow (nutrient-deficiency yellowing): iron is a raw material essential for plants to synthesize chlorophyll. If the soil or fertilizer lacks sufficient iron, it will affect the Monstera's synthesis of chlorophyll, thereby causing the leaves to lose their green color and turn yellow.

Solution: For leaves turning yellow due to iron deficiency, apply alum fertilizer water or spray a 0.1-0.3% ferrous sulfate solution.

9. Pests and diseases cause Monstera leaves to turn yellow: Monstera gray spot disease, also known as leaf blight, is a common disease of the Monstera. When the disease is severe, it can cause the leaves to wither and die. It usually occurs more severely when the indoor temperature is low or after the plant is exposed to smoke or pest damage, and the disease mostly occurs on old leaves.

Solution: For prevention and control, strengthen cultivation management and pay attention to controlling room temperature, which should not be too low. Control pests in time, cut off diseased leaves or diseased tissue of the leaves, and destroy them in a concentrated way. For chemical control, spray 0.5% Bordeaux mixture or a 1000-fold dilution of 50% thiram.

What to Do When Monstera Leaves Turn Yellow? Solutions for Yellowing Monstera Leaves

Many growers report that the yellowing of Monstera leaves is fairly serious. What is the cause? How can it be effectively solved? Next, the editor will introduce in detail the causes and solutions for yellowing Monstera leaves, to help everyone grow Monstera better.

Causes and solutions for yellowing Monstera leaves:

My Monstera is sick: the edges of the Monstera leaves have started to turn yellow, and there are dry spots on the leaves. Is it about to die? How much should I water at one time?

The Monstera is an evergreen climbing plant, often used for indoor potted plant arrangements at home. Growing the Monstera is not troublesome, but occasionally improper care will also cause the Monstera leaves to turn yellow. Below, let us look at the causes and solutions for yellowing Monstera leaves:

Causes of yellowing Monstera leaves: 1. Unsuitable soil

The Monstera was originally a parasitic plant, and its well-developed root system is fleshy, with a relatively high requirement for loose, breathable soil. Sticky and slightly sticky soils will affect root growth to varying degrees. If the soil's breathability is poor or the soil is not changed for a long time, the soil may become compacted, affecting the Monstera's respiration, which makes the Monstera grow poorly and its leaves turn yellow.

Solution: For a potted Monstera at home, the growing soil can be a mixed soil made of 2 parts aged loess, 1 part honeycomb coal ash and 1 part chicken manure. This ensures both the breathability of the potting soil for the Monstera and meets the fertilizer requirements needed for growth.

Causes of yellowing Monstera leaves: 2. Too much or too little watering

Too much water causes root rot in the Monstera, and too little water makes the plant lack water and grow poorly; both of these situations cause the yellow-leaf phenomenon in the Monstera.

Solution: Water the Monstera regularly, watering thoroughly each time, keep the potting soil surface slightly dry, and when the air is dry, sprinkle water over the surrounding environment and the Monstera leaves.

Causes of yellowing Monstera leaves: 3. Light too strong or too dim

The Monstera is shade-tolerant, but keeping it in a shaded environment for a long time affects photosynthesis and makes the leaves turn yellow; at the same time, the Monstera should not be placed under strong light either, as strong light causes the Monstera's leaves to scorch and turn yellow.

Solution: The Monstera needs shading in summer; it is best to give the Monstera some filtered sunlight.

Causes of yellowing Monstera leaves: 4. Too low a temperature

The suitable growing temperature for the Monstera is 20-25°C. In winter, the nighttime temperature during the seedling stage should not be lower than 10°C; a mature plant can briefly tolerate 5°C. Below 5°C, cold damage easily occurs, causing the Monstera leaves to turn yellow.

Solution: In winter, the Monstera's roots need appropriate warmth to strengthen the plant's cold resistance, but do not place the Monstera directly on a radiator or next to an air conditioner.

Causes of yellowing Monstera leaves: 5. Too little fertilizer

Iron is a raw material essential for plants to synthesize chlorophyll. If the soil or fertilizer lacks sufficient iron, it will affect the Monstera's synthesis of chlorophyll, thereby causing the leaves to lose their green color and turn yellow.

Solution: For leaves turning yellow due to iron deficiency, apply alum fertilizer water or spray a 0.1-0.3% ferrous sulfate solution.

Causes of yellowing Monstera leaves: 6. Poor ventilation

When ventilation is poor, it causes the Monstera's leaves to turn a stuffy yellow.

Solution: Keep indoor ventilation good; you can also place the Monstera indoors for viewing during the day and move it outdoors at night.

Causes of yellowing Monstera leaves: 7. Disease

Monstera gray spot disease, also known as leaf blight, is a common disease of the Monstera. When the disease is severe, it can cause the leaves to wither and die. It usually occurs more severely when the indoor temperature is low or after the plant is exposed to smoke or pest damage, and the disease mostly occurs on old leaves.

Solution: For Monstera prevention and control, strengthen cultivation management, and at the same time pay attention to controlling room temperature, which should not be too low. Control pests on the Monstera in time, cut off diseased leaves or diseased tissue of the leaves, and destroy them in a concentrated way. For chemical control, spray 0.5% Bordeaux mixture or a 1000-fold dilution of 50% thiram.

The Monstera is a potted foliage plant that families love to grow. If care is not proper, the Monstera is very prone to yellowing leaves, which detracts from its ornamental value and, in serious cases, affects the Monstera's growth or even causes the death of the plant. The Monstera likes a warm, humid living environment and absolutely avoids harsh sun exposure and dryness. Its optimal growing temperature is 20-25°C. In our country, especially in northern regions, the environment of high temperature and high humidity in summer and cold, dry conditions in winter is not suitable for the Monstera's growth.