Why Does My Monstera Adansonii Have Yellow Leaves? (Solved)
So, why do Monstera adansonii leaves turn yellow? There are many different reasons these beautiful plants can get yellow leaves. These include pests, overwatering, underwatering, diseases, light issues, nutrient deficiencies, temperature stress, and transplant shock.
You’ll need to troubleshoot to find out which of these issues is causing yellowing leaves on the Monstera adansonii. However, the most common reason the monstera leaves are turning yellow is likely to be overwatering.
1. Overwatering
When you overwater a Monstera adansonii, the plant will start to show yellowing leaves, yellow spots, brown spots, brown tips, and complete leaf loss. If the issue is not resolved, the roots will rot, and the plant will die.
What you should do:
The best way to rectify this issue is to consistently only water the plant if you place a finger in the soil and the top 2-3 inches feel dry. This way, you’re only watering the plant when it needs to be watered (based on its location, size, and light levels).
The cache pot should also be dry and free from any standing water. The pot the plant grows in should also have at least three draining holes, along with the plant growing in a loose and well-draining substrate that allows excess water to drain through.
Suppose a lot of the leaves are yellow. In that case, you may need to remove the soil, check the roots and remove any that are mushy before planting the Monstera into a clean and dry substrate to recover.
If the plant has totally rotted, you can cut at the plant nodes and make propagations.
2. Underwatering
If you are more of an absent plant parent, your Adansonii yellowing leaves could be down to the plant not getting enough water. Water carries nutrients and minerals from the substrate up and around the plant, and aids in photosynthesis. Too little of it could cause your Monstera adansonii to have yellow leaves and yellow or brown tips.
What you should do:
A good sign of underwatered plants is constantly finding the soil of the plant pulls away from the pot when it comes to watering time.
It could also be that you are tending to the plant regularly; but the place the plant lives is brighter or warmer than your watering regime effectively suits, so you need to water it more often.
Plants can also require more water if there is a heatwave, you have the heating on in your house, or they are actively growing lots of new leaves or flowers.
Get your plant on a good regular watering regime, bottom watering it once a week in summer and every couple of weeks in winter (or more often if required). Hopefully, soon enough, the leaves should stop turning yellow.
If the issue is that your current soil mix dries out too fast, add some ingredients to help retain the moisture better, like peat moss or coco coir.
3. Too Much or Too Little Light
Monstera adansonii plants are famed for handling darker environments in the home. Many people grow them in bathrooms, darker corners of the house, or on a home office shelf in dire need of some brightening up.
However, they still need some light, like all plants, to photosynthesize and thrive. This means that although they might do OK in areas with less light, they also might struggle with a lack of light. This comes in the form of yellowing and browning leaves.
They might also do the same if they have too much sunlight, causing the Adansonii to get yellowing leaves because of scorching. A good sign of yellowing from scorching is that the edges and tips of the leaves also go brown, and the leaves themselves look crispy and dry.
What you should do:
Monstera adansonii plants do well in medium to bright indirect light. If you think your Monstera adansonii has yellowing leaves because of its lighting environment, and especially if the plant seems ‘leggy’ (lots of vine, smaller leaves, and not so many leaves), try moving it to a well-lit area and give it a couple of weeks to acclimatize.
You’ll want to place it somewhere without any direct sunlight, which means windowsills are generally a bad idea. Instead, a warm bathroom, a shelf set back from the window in an office, or even a high corner plant stand in the living room are good spots for this kind of plant.
If the plant is happy in its new spot, it will grow rapidly during non-dormant seasons.
4. Nutrient Deficiencies
Monsteras growing in the rainforest will get their nutrients from their natural ecosystem. When we confine these jungle plants to pots, they can generally only get their nutrients from two places – the substrate or fertilizer.
If the substrate lacks the proper nutrients, you may see the leaves of the monstera yellowing. Nutrient starvation can often present as yellow spots called chlorosis, as well as other signs like stunted growth.
What you should do:
If the plant has become root bound or has not had its substrate changed for a long time (over a year), it will struggle to get enough nutrients. In this instance, you’ll need to repot it in a fresh substrate mix or start fertilizing the plant.
A mixture of perlite, coco coir, and orchid bark works well for Monstera adansonii plants as a substrate.
You could also add some worm castings, which are an exceptional source of nitrogen. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for Monstera adansonii, which helps with leaf growth, protein formation, photosynthesis, and fenestration.
You could fertilize your Monstera adansonii when it is actively growing. It is best to do this once a month with a recommended organic liquid fertilizer, soil additive fertilizer, worm-casting tea, or your preferred home fertilizer mix.
Interestingly, over-fertilizing your Monstera adansonii can be another cause for yellowing leaves. You can rinse the plant through, flushing water through the roots and substrate if you suspect you have over-fertilized it.
However, if the plant has yellowing or browning leaves, it’s already too late for that process to prevent damage. Instead, stop fertilizing, remove any damaged roots and leaves. Allow the plant some time to recover before offering a new and improved fertilizer regime once it is growing again.
5. Transplant Shock
Another common reason a Monstera adansonii gets yellow or brown leaves is transplant shock. Quite simply, you have nurtured your beautiful botanical baby, gently massaged the old soil off the roots, and snuggled the plant into a new pot and yummy nutritious new substrate, only for it to reward you with a complete tantrum which seems like some clear signs of dying. Plant parenting can be a thankless task, right?
What you should do:
Don’t worry – plants do get stressed when you transplant them into a new pot. And most importantly, they recover. You will often lose a few leaves as collateral. Still, soon enough, the plant should stop kicking up a fuss and spread itself out in its comfy new home, surviving and then thriving once again.
6. Pests
Pests can and will stress any plant out, and an infestation may cause your Monstera adansonii to have yellowing leaves. Thrips, scales, spider mites, and fungus gnats are common pests that can impact a Monstera and cause it to struggle.
FURTHER READING: How to Identify, Treat & Prevent Thrips on Your Monstera
What you should do:
The best thing to do is avoid attracting pests by keeping the plant substrate clean and dry, avoiding standing water and misting the leaves.
Contrary to popular opinion, unless the plant is in a terrarium, misting the leaves of the Monstera adansonii won’t increase humidity and serves as a way to attract pests.
Pebble trays can work to help with humidity, but they can also attract pests if the water in them becomes stagnant and smelly.
Signs of pests may already be visible on your Monstera adansonii, such as:
- Any powdery substance on the leaves (usually grey, black, or white)
- Red tissue when you wipe the leaves.
- Small holes in the leaves
- Yellowing leaves
- White, yellow, brown (or a mixture of all three) spots on the leaves
- Webbing
- Visible animals flying/ crawling on or around the plant.
- Gritty bumps and lumps on the leaves
You’ll need to locate the appropriate pesticide or organic pest solution to tackle the pest problem while isolating your plant and other impacted plants until the pests are removed, and the plant is able to thrive once again.
FURTHER READING: How to Get Rid of Spider Mites on Your Calathea
7. Diseases
Diseases can impact a Monstera adansonii by causing yellowing leaves, amongst other signs and symptoms.
One common disease seen is mosaic disease, which aroids are prone to. It looks like yellow splotches on the leaves that start to spread and can sometimes exist within the plant before you’ve even purchased it. It can also be caught from other nearby plants, as well as pots and tools shared between diseased plants.
Monstera adansonii can also suffer from diseases such as black leaf spots, powdery mildew, and leaf blight, which can also cause yellowing leaves.
What you should do:
Every disease has specific treatment options. You’ll need to identify the diseases causing yellow leaves on your Monstera adansonii and take the appropriate action.
Sometimes the plant can be saved with the correct care, and sometimes they have to go to trash heaven. It can often come down to the luck of the draw.
The best thing to do to avoid multiple plants dying is to keep your tools sterile and keep a close eye on plants you suspect to be diseased, removing them as soon as possible so your entire jungle doesn’t end up sick.
8. Temperature Stress
Monstera adansonii might get yellowing leaves in an environment that is too hot or cold. Think drafts, places by a radiator – that kind of thing.
What you should do:
Your Monstera adansonii needs a steady temperature that is warm and in no way extreme. The plant can tolerate about 13°C for a short while but ideally will live in an environment of around 18-29°C.
FAQs About Yellow Leaves on Monstera Adansonii
Can yellow Monstera adansonii leaves turn back green once the plant is healthy again?
Any leaves that have turned yellow or brown might not completely die if the issue causing the discoloration is treated. Still, in many circumstances, they will eventually fall off the plant.
Plant parents often remove the discolored leaves because they don’t look very nice. Either way, the yellowed sections will not turn green again, unfortunately.
Do leaves sometimes fall off a Monstera adansonii because they are old?
Yes, they do. It is perfectly normal for old leaves to die off.
Suppose the leaves closest to the beginning of the stem are yellowing and dying off every now and again. Still, the rest of the plant is fine, the chances are you’re just seeing those leaves go on to plant leaf heaven, but your plant is actually fine.
The root rot on my Monstera adansonii has caused the stem to go mushy. Is my plant unsavable?
If the stem has gone mushy, or all the roots are in bad condition, it’s time for surgery. Yes, the main plant is unsavable, but you can propagate every single node and turn it into a brand-new plant, so all is not lost.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” – Martin Luther King.
The Monstera adansonii is tough, beautiful, easy to grow, and adaptable to different environments in the home. Even the most well-cared-for plants can suffer from yellow leaves, so don’t fret.
With quick action and care on your part, your Monstera adansonii will be lush and healthy again soon, maintaining its place as a valuable vining pal in your beautiful indoor jungle.
