What should you do when the leaves of a potted tea plant at home turn yellow? A gardening expert teaches you a few tricks

China has had the habit of drinking tea since ancient times, and tea plants are also widely cultivated. Many friends who love growing flowers and plants even grow tea plants as potted plants. So what should you do when the leaves of a potted tea plant at home turn yellow? See what gardening experts do!

I. Introduction to the tea plant

1. The tea plant is a shrub or small tree, prefers to grow in warm and humid areas, and can live for one to two hundred years; moreover, tree-type tea plants in the tropics can even live for over a thousand years.

2. The leaves of the tea plant are oblong or elliptical; the sun-facing side of the leaf is glossy and shiny, while some have fuzz on the underside. It blooms white flowers from August to December each year and bears fruit in October and November of the following year. Its fruit is spherical, and each sphere contains one or two seeds.

3. The tea plant is a plant native to China and was later spread to the rest of the world after Jianzhen's eastward voyage. Besides being harvested for tea leaves, the tea plant also includes camellias specially cultivated as garden varieties.

II. What to do when the leaves of a potted tea plant turn yellow

There are many reasons why the leaves of a potted tea plant turn yellow. If you want to solve the problem, you must first figure out the specific cause of the yellowing; only after finding the cause can you accurately "prescribe the right medicine." Now let's see how Mr. Liu, a gardening expert in Changsha, Hunan, does it.

1. Yellowing tea plant leaves caused by soil that is too acidic or too alkaline: The tea plant is suited to growing in sandy loam with good drainage and good aeration, and the pH value is best kept between 4.5-6.5, so soil that is too acidic or too alkaline will cause the leaves to turn yellow and drop.

Solution: Regularly change the soil for the potted tea plant so that it grows in soil with a suitable pH value.

2. Yellowing tea plant leaves caused by insufficient or excessive watering: The tea plant is a moisture-loving plant and likes to grow in areas with evenly distributed rainfall and annual rainfall of 1500 mm. If watered too much, it easily causes root rot and yellowing leaves; if watered too little, there is not enough water, causing drying and yellowing.

Solution: Control the amount of watering well, neither too much nor too little. Water whenever the soil in the pot is almost dry, and be sure to water thoroughly. Keep the air around the pot moist; when the weather is fine, you can spray water on the leaves every one or two days, and at other times decide as appropriate.

3. Yellowing tea plant leaves caused by insufficient or excessive fertilizing: Applying an appropriate amount of fertilizer can promote the growth of the tea plant, but if there is not enough fertilizer, the leaves do not get enough nutrients and easily turn yellow; in addition, too much fertilizer easily burns the roots and causes the leaves to turn yellow.

Solution: If there is not enough fertilizer, appropriately increase the amount of fertilizer; if there is too much fertilizer, it depends on the situation. In mild cases, you can flush with water to dilute the fertilizer in the soil; in serious cases, you can only change the soil and the pot. Generally, the tea plant should follow the principle of frequent light fertilizing, applying acidic fertilizer about once a month. You can use a special fertilizer bought on the market, or well-rotted rice-washing water.

4. Yellowing tea plant leaves caused by insufficient light and exposure to the sun: Appropriate light is also indispensable for the tea plant to grow well. Long periods of insufficient light affect photosynthesis, and exposure to the sun is also one of the causes of yellowing leaves.

Solution: Give the potted tea plant appropriate light. Move pots that cannot get sunlight to a balcony or other place with plenty of light. In summer, be sure to shade the potted tea plant to avoid sunlight scorching the leaves.

5. Invasion by pests and diseases is also one of the causes of yellowing leaves in potted tea plants. Different pesticides should be applied for different pests and diseases, and attention should be paid to light and ventilation.