How to save a calathea with yellow leaves?

Calathea is a beautiful plant: there are different varieties, which can have rounded and large leaves, or elongated and not very wide like the C. lancifolia in the image above. For this reason, it is one of those that we almost always find for sale in nurseries and garden stores: it is so beautiful that it sells very well. I myself would have several if it weren’t for the fact that I am also in love with alocasia and colocasia, both plants that produce leaves that can become very large. And I have to choose, because the space available to put them is very limited.

But let’s not get sidetracked. In this article I will explain why the calathea can have yellow leavesa problem that is not only seen in our protagonist, but in any plant, especially those that are grown indoors.

Yellow Leaves: One Symptom, Multiple Causes

I have been writing on this blog since 2013, and responding to the comments you leave us, and if there is something that is repeated a lot it is: “my plant has yellow leaves, what is wrong with it?”. The problem is that this question does not have an easy answer, because When a plant has this symptom, it could be that it lacks water, nutrients, that it is drying out, that it has a pest or disease, or even that the sun is burning it.

Focusing on the calatheas, We cannot rule out either that the irrigation water and/or the soil contain a lot of lime. and that therefore they had a very high pH, ​​higher than 7. When this happens, we can see traces of calcium everywhere:

• White dots on the leaves
• Limescale buildup on pot walls
• Land that was previously black (or dark brown) and is now whitish

And of course, yellow leaves that later turn brown. Therefore, how can we recover a calathea that is having a hard time?

Identify the cause of your Calathea problem

This is the first and also most complicated thing to do to recover it. Once it is done, you will be able to know what measures you have to put into practice so that your plant is beautiful again as soon as possible. Therefore, here is a list of the most common problems that cause yellowing of the leaves and their symptoms:

• Lack of irrigation: the calathea that is thirsty, before turning yellow we will see that its leaves seem to “fall” a little. If the situation continues, the newest leaves will start to turn yellow, and in more severe cases, they will turn brown. If caught and corrected early, you will only have some brown edges left, but the rest of the sheet will remain its normal color.
• Excess irrigation: when it has too much water, the roots drown and the first leaves to suffer are the oldest, as they are the first to receive said liquid. These will turn yellow, and then dry out. Also, the soil will look very wet, and if you pick up the pot, you will notice that it is very heavy.
• Inadequate irrigation water: being a tropical plant, avoid using water rich in lime or with a pH higher than 7 for watering. As we just discussed above, too much lime can cause you various problems.
• Sunburn: both the direct sun and the light that hits it through a window burns its leaves. But beware, not all, only those that are most exposed. In them, stains will appear from one day to the next, or even the same day that the burn has occurred. It is not a particularly serious problem, since it is also easily solved as we will see later, but it must be avoided so that it is healthy.
• You need nutrients: if we never pay the calathea, the color of its leaves will be lost. This is what happens when it is left in the same pot for years and years, with worn out soil.
• has pests: although it is quite resistant, the calathea can be attacked by mealybugs or spider mites. These insects suck the sap from the leaves, making them look yellow or yellowish.

What to do to get it back?

If the calathea is yellow and you have already identified the problem, it is time to carry out some measures so that it recovers. These measures are as follows:

Improper irrigation

Irrigation is very important, but it is even more important to do it well. That’s why, if you are thirsty, what you should do is water it more often. If the soil does not absorb the water, we will submerge the pot in a container filled with this liquid for a few minutes, and then we will take it out.

By contrast, if it has too much water, I recommend taking it out of the pot and covering the earthen loaf or root ball with absorbent paper. The next day, it will be planted in a pot with new soil, like those of the brands BioBizz, weedness, Flower or similar.

Likewise, rainwater or suitable for consumption must be used every time it is watered. In this way, the plant is well hydrated.

Sunburn or direct light

Calatheas are plants that live in regions where there is a lot of light, but not direct light. In fact, they grow protected by the branches and leaves of plants that are much larger than them. Thus, They should never be exposed to direct sunlight, nor should they be placed next to a window through which a lot of light enters because the magnifying glass effect would occur, thus burning the leaves.

Although the damage can be serious and the burned leaves will not be healthy again, To prevent it from happening again, we will only have to do one thing: place it in the shade, or if it is indoors, move it away from the window.

You need nutrients

Lack of nutrients can be a problem. Therefore, to avoid it, it is important to fertilize the calathea during the spring and summer, and if the weather is warm, also during the autumn. But what to use? The best are organic fertilizers, such as guano, or algae extract, since they are not toxic. Now, if our plant is always indoors, we can fertilize it with a universal liquid fertilizer, or one for green plants.

But in any case, We will apply it as indicated on the package; otherwise, the cure is likely to be worse than the disease.

has pests

Pests appear when the environment is very dry, when temperatures are high and/or when you are thirsty. That’s why, it is important that it is kept in a place where the relative humidity is high, and if it is less than 50%, spray its leaves with water daily.

But in case you already have some, we can remove it by cleaning its leaves with rainwater or water suitable for human consumptionor by treating it with a spray insecticide, such as this.

With this, your calathea with yellow leaves will surely recover.