Hello from the pot! When my leaves start to turn a sickly yellow and eventually let go, it's my primary way of communicating distress. The most common reason for this is overwatering. My roots need to breathe, and when they are constantly sitting in soggy soil, they begin to rot and can no longer deliver nutrients and water to my leaves. Please check your watering habits. Ensure my pot has excellent drainage and that you allow the top few inches of my soil to dry out before giving me another drink. Conversely, a sudden mass leaf drop can also be a shock response to a drastic change in my environment, like a significant temperature drop or being moved to a completely different light location.
If you notice the edges of my beautiful, glossy leaves turning brown and crispy, I am likely parched. This isn't always about underwatering, though that can be a cause. More often, it's about the humidity, or lack thereof. I am a tropical plant, native to humid jungles, and the dry air from your heating or air conditioning system is very stressful for me. Low humidity causes me to lose moisture faster than my roots can absorb it, resulting in those scorched edges. Please consider increasing the humidity around me. You can mist my leaves regularly, place my pot on a pebble tray filled with water (ensure the pot isn't sitting in the water), or group me with other plants to create a more humid microclimate.
A lack of new growth or the production of unusually small leaves is a clear sign that I am not receiving enough energy. My energy comes from light through photosynthesis. If I am sitting in a dim corner, I simply cannot manufacture enough food to support strong, healthy growth. I prefer bright, indirect light. A spot near an east-facing window is ideal, or a few feet back from a south or west window where the harsh afternoon sun won't scorch my leaves. Additionally, my growth can be stunted if I have been in the same soil for too long and have used up all the available nutrients. Please feed me with a balanced, diluted liquid fertilizer once a month during my growing season (spring and summer) to support my health and growth.
Sometimes, my problems are not directly your fault but are caused by tiny invaders. The most common pests that bother me are spider mites and mealybugs. Spider mites create fine webbing and cause my leaves to look stippled or dusty. Mealybugs look like small bits of white cottony fluff hiding in my leaf axils and undersides. These pests suck my sap, weakening me and causing leaf drop. If you spot these pests, please isolate me from your other plants to prevent the infestation from spreading. You can wipe my leaves down with a soft cloth dipped in a solution of mild soapy water or use an insecticidal soap or neem oil spray, making sure to cover the undersides of the leaves where pests love to hide.
