Yellow leaves high light orchid
Updated: March 13, 2023

Cause of leaf yellowing on indoor plants

  • Leaf yellowing is often one of the first symptoms of plant stress.

  • Overwatering is the number one reason why indoor plants fail and will cause leaf yellowing. 

  • If the stress-causing condition is not alleviated, yellow leaves may turn brown.

  • A prolonged period of environmental stress causes overall stunting and poor growth. Noticing the pattern and progression of symptoms will help to diagnose the cause of the problem.

  • Many times plants exhibit symptoms that are attributed to insects or diseases when the real problem is in the plant's environment. A plant problem that is not caused by a living organism is called an abiotic injury. Abiotic injury may be caused by drought or excess water, exposure to low light or extremely sunny conditions, or may be associated with poor planting media.

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