Why does my hibiscus have yellow leaves?

Hibiscus leaves can turn yellow.

Hibiscus leaves can turn yellow.

When a plant starts having a hard time, it is often the leaves that show the most severe symptoms. If we also take into account that they are the most visible part of the plant, it is not surprising that humans worry when we are cultivating said specimen, and even more so if it is a hibiscus that until recently looked healthy and precious.

Why does my hibiscus have yellow leaves? What is happening to make them lose their original green color? There are several possible causes, so in this article we are going to talk about all of them.

it’s getting cold

Hibiscus leaves are green.Hibiscus leaves are green.

Image – Flickr/Digital Repository: Flora from the Middle of the World, UETMM

The first cause that I am going to talk about is one that has a very simple solution, but only if measures are taken in time, and it is none other than that the hibiscus is getting cold. Yeah, It is a plant that does not resist temperatures below zero degrees very well.; in fact, the pink hibiscus of China prefers that it always stays above those zero degrees. Only the Syrian pink hibiscus, or also called altea, can withstand frost (down to -12ºC) without suffering irreversible damage.

But how do you know if what you have is cold? Well, the symptoms will be seen very, very soon, already during the cold episode. That is why it can call our attention to see a green and completely healthy hibiscus one day, and the next day to see it in dust (for example), or only with some yellow leaves in the event that it has not spent too much time. evil.

Solution? Well If we have the plant in a pot, it is best to change its location, and take her inside a room with light. But if it is in the garden, then what we will do is wrap it with a frost-proof cloth (you can buy it here).

Those leaves are reaching the end of their life

Another cause is that the leaves are simply dying because they have reached the end of their life. And it is that although we have an evergreen plant, that does not mean that it keeps all the leaves all the time. In fact, each of those leaves has a limited lifespan, which in the case of hibiscus is a few months.

Thus, if we see that the lower leaves begin to turn yellow and fall, and there is no other symptom than that, then we can assume that nothing is happening to it that we should worry about. But, I insist, there must not be any other symptoms: the bush must look healthy, with good growth.

Is there a problem with irrigation?

Hibiscus does not support excess watering

Hibiscus does not support excess watering

This is a cause that can make us lose the plant if we do not take measures in time. And it is that both the lack and the excess of water can damage, and a lot, the roots and therefore also the rest of the hibiscus. That’s why It is so, so important to check the humidity of the soil in the pots or in the gardensince whether we add more water than it needs or if we fall short, our bush will not be healthy.

But once it starts to have yellow leaves, you have to know first what the problem is. To do this, I will tell you what are the symptoms of both lack and excess watering:

  • Lack of irrigation:
  • Excess watering:
    • The lower leaves – the lower ones – will begin to yellow, and then the others.
    • The earth will be very humid, so much so that if you have the plant in a pot and you take it, you will immediately notice that it is very heavy.
    • Depending on how bad it is, pathogenic fungi such as Phytopthora may appear, which will damage the roots.

To do? If our hibiscus has yellow leaves due to lack of water, what we will do is water it. We will take a watering can, and we will pour water until the earth is well moistened. And from there, we will water it more often. In the event that it has pests, we will treat it with a specific insecticide.

If, on the contrary, it has excess water, what we will do is apply a fungicide as soon as possible. (for sale here) to prevent fungi from damaging it (or damaging it too much if they have already started to do so). Likewise, we will have to suspend the irrigation so that the earth can begin to dry out.

But also, it will be very important that we make sure that the hibiscus is in the right place. Let me explain: if it is in a pot, it has to have holes at its base, and be filled with a quality substrate (you can buy it here) that drains water well, such as Westland or Fertiberia brands, for example.

If it is in the garden, it will be necessary to see if the soil has good drainage; that is to say, if it is capable of absorbing and filtering water quickly, since if it is not like that, it is best to remove the plant from there and put it in a pot (in spring).

As you can see, there are several reasons why hibiscus can end up with yellow leaves.

Why does my hibiscus have yellow leaves?

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