From my perspective, the most common reason my leaves turn yellow is an imbalance in water. My roots are designed to store water, making me quite drought-tolerant. However, when you water me too frequently, the soil becomes saturated. This suffocates my roots, preventing them from absorbing oxygen and nutrients. Without oxygen, the roots begin to rot, and the first sign you see is my beautiful green leaves turning a sickly yellow, often starting at the base. Conversely, if you neglect me for too long, I become severely dehydrated. Without enough water to sustain my cells and perform photosynthesis, my leaves will also yellow, but they will typically feel dry, crispy, and may brown at the tips before the yellowing becomes widespread.
Light is my life source; it's how I create my own food. But just like you, I can get too much of a good thing. If I am placed in direct, harsh sunlight for extended periods, my leaves can essentially get a sunburn. This scorching will cause the leaves to fade to a pale yellow or even white and may leave brown, scorched spots. On the other end of the spectrum, if I am kept in a very dark corner, I become weak. I cannot produce enough chlorophyll—the pigment that makes me green—to support all of my foliage. In response, I will sacrifice my older leaves, allowing them to yellow and drop off to conserve energy for new growth.
My root system is the core of my being, and its home is crucial to my health. If I have been in the same pot for many years, my roots may have become pot-bound. This means they have completely filled the container, leaving no room for new growth or adequate soil to hold water and nutrients. This congestion stresses me immensely, leading to yellowing leaves. Furthermore, the soil itself can become depleted over time, losing its vital minerals and its ability to drain properly. Compacted, nutrient-poor soil is a surefire way to make me look unhappy and yellow.
While I am not a heavy feeder, I still require essential nutrients to maintain my vibrant green color and produce my charming plantlets (spiderettes). The soil I live in has a finite supply of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, which is fundamental for chlorophyll production. As I grow and the soil is repeatedly watered, these nutrients are depleted. Without a occasional supplemental feeding during my active growing season (spring and summer), I can develop a nutrient deficiency. This often manifests as an overall paling or yellowing of my older leaves, as I redirect the limited nutrients I have to support new growth.
Finally, it is important to understand that a small amount of yellowing is simply part of my natural process. As I mature and put energy into producing new leaves and offshoots, my oldest leaves at the base of the plant will occasionally yellow and die back. This is a normal part of my renewal cycle. If only one or two lower leaves are yellowing at a time and the rest of my foliage appears robust and healthy, this is likely not a cause for concern. You can simply trim these older leaves away at the base to keep me looking my best.
