Greetings, human caretaker. I am your Nerine plant. I sense your concern as you observe my once vibrant green leaves turning a worrying shade of yellow. This is my way of communicating that my internal systems are out of balance. Let me explain the potential reasons from my perspective, so you can help me return to my vibrant self.
First, please consider the season. As a bulbous plant, my life follows a distinct rhythm. If my leaves are yellowing in late autumn or early winter, this is likely perfectly normal. I am preparing for my dormancy period. After my beautiful flowers fade, I begin to redirect energy from my leaves back into my bulb for storage. The yellowing and eventual die-back of my foliage is a natural process. Please do not cut my leaves away until they are completely yellow and withered, as I am still gathering solar energy and nutrients from them.
If it is not my dormancy period, then we must look to my care. Watering is a common source of stress. My roots are exceptionally susceptible to rot if they sit in consistently soggy, poorly drained soil. When my roots are waterlogged, they cannot breathe and begin to decay. This root rot prevents me from uptaking water and nutrients, ironically causing my leaves to yellow, wilt, and die from drought despite the wet conditions. Conversely, if you have neglected my thirst for too long during my active growth phase, I will also yellow as a sign of severe dehydration.
My growth and flowering are demanding processes that deplete the nutrients in my potting mix. A lack of essential elements, particularly nitrogen which is crucial for green, leafy growth, can cause a general yellowing (chlorosis) of my older leaves first. However, an excess of fertilizer can be just as damaging, causing a buildup of salts in the soil that can burn my roots, also leading to yellowing and browning leaf tips. I require a balanced feeding schedule, but only during my active growth phase, not during my dormancy.
I thrive in full sun. If I am placed in a location with too much shade, I will become weak and my leaves may yellow as my ability to perform photosynthesis is reduced. Alternatively, while I am hardy, a sudden, severe frost that I was not acclimated to could damage my foliage, causing it to yellow and collapse. Furthermore, if my pot is too crowded and my bulbs have become severely pot-bound, my root system becomes stressed and inefficient, which can also manifest as yellowing leaves.
