Hello, it's me, your impatiens plant. The most common reason my lower leaves turn a sickly yellow is because my roots can't breathe. You are giving me too much love in the form of water. My roots need oxygen as much as they need water. When I'm sitting in constantly soggy, waterlogged soil, my roots begin to suffocate and rot. This root rot means I can no longer absorb the water and nutrients I desperately need, and my leaves signal this distress by turning yellow and often becoming soft and mushy. Please, only water me when the top inch of my soil feels dry to your touch. Ensure my pot has excellent drainage holes and that I'm not sitting in a saucer full of water.
On the opposite end, perhaps you've forgotten about me for a bit. While I don't like wet feet, I am a moisture-loving plant. If my soil becomes completely dry and I begin to wilt, I am under severe water stress. To survive, I will start to sacrifice my oldest leaves, jettisoning them to conserve water for my core stems and new growth. These sacrificed leaves will turn yellow, become dry and crispy, and eventually fall off. My need for consistent moisture is a delicate balance—not too much, not too little. Stick your finger in my soil; it should feel like a well-wrung-out sponge, moist but not dripping.
If my leaves are turning yellow, particularly between the veins while the veins themselves stay green, I might be telling you that I'm hungry. This pattern often points to a lack of essential nutrients, like iron or nitrogen. Nitrogen is crucial for my green chlorophyll, and without it, I can't photosynthesize properly. I am a heavy feeder because I work so hard to produce all those beautiful blooms for you. If I've been in the same pot for a long time or am planted in a crowded garden bed, the soil nutrients can become depleted. Please, feed me with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every few weeks during my growing season to keep me strong and green.
Sometimes, my yellowing leaves are a sign of unwanted visitors or illness. Spider mites are tiny pests that suck the sap from my leaves, causing a stippled, yellow appearance before the leaf dies. Look for fine webbing on my stems. Fungal diseases like downy mildew can also be a culprit. This often starts as a slight yellowing on the top of my leaves with a white, downy coating underneath. It's a serious issue that can defoliate me quickly. For pests, a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap can help. For disease, improving air circulation around me and avoiding wetting my leaves when watering is key. In severe cases, you may need to remove me to protect my plant neighbors.
If I have been growing happily in the same container for a season or two, my roots may have filled every available inch of space. When I become pot-bound, my roots are so crowded that they can't effectively take up water or nutrients, no matter how much you give me. This stress manifests as yellowing leaves and generally stunted growth. Gently slide me out of my pot and take a look. If you see a tight circle of roots with little soil visible, it's time for an upgrade. Please repot me into a new home that is just one or two inches larger in diameter so my roots can breathe and grow again.
