Q: The leaves on my indoor potted palm trees have definitely seen better days. From their tip to end, each leaf is beginning to turn yellow, with some even falling off. What might be causing this to happen, and is it too late to fix the problem?
A: There are a number of reasons why the leaves of your palm trees may be yellowing. Some of these require attention and altering the way you're caring for your palm trees, but others are entirely natural and no cause for concern.
Even the best indoor trees face these issues, but fortunately there is a lot you can do to remedy any problems. Here, along with expert insight, we share the most common causes for yellowing palm trees and advice on what to do.
5 reasons why your palm trees are turning yellow
The following could all be reasons contributing to the leaves on your palm trees turning yellow, according to Tatiana B. Anderson, a tropical plant expert at TopTropicals.com, and Alexandra Moreno, landscape designer and tropical plant expert at Atlanta Palms.
1. Nutrient deficiency
Nutrients are a vital factor for any plant to grow healthy and strong, but palm trees are very particular about theirs. If you're trying to grow a palm tree and the soil it's planted in contains low levels of nutrients or the wrong nutrients altogether, your palm trees will begin to go yellow in a short period of time.
'Nutrient deficiency is the most frequent cause of palm issues,' says Tatiana. 'Palms are heavy feeders, and even a slight imbalance can lead to yellowing. Lack of nitrogen, magnesium, iron, or potassium are the main causes.'
Adding a slow release palm tree fertilizer to the soil such as Jobe's organics granular fertilizer from Amazon every two to three months will help to remedy this indoor plant mistake and keep your palm's soil consistently boosted.
2. Over or under watering
Overwatering and underwatering your palm tree are both detrimental in equal ways, so it's important to learn how to accurately water your palm tree to prevent it from turning yellow.
'It can be hard to fix an overwatered plant as too much water can suffocate a palm tree's roots and lead to yellowing, but leaving your palm tree in dry soil for too long will stress the plant and cause the fronds to yellow as well,' says Tatiana.
To keep track of when to water plants, consider investing in a plant water meter like the XLUX long probe soil moisture meter from Amazon. This meter will clearly tell you if the soil in your palm's pot is moist, too wet or too dry so you know to adjust your watering schedule.
3. Pests or disease
If your potted palms are sick with an illness or ongoing pest they will gradually begin to die off, turning yellow all over or in patches.
By checking on your palm tree regularly for thrips, spider mites, scale insects, mealy bugs and other concerns, you can give your palm trees the best shot at recovering.
'Inspect your palm regularly and treat pests early with organic gardening remedies such as neem oil, insecticidal soap, or horticultural oil,' says Tatiana. 'Though if your tree has lethal yellowing nothing much can be done.
'It's a serious disease caused by a phytoplasma, a type of bacteria-like organism affecting mostly coconut palms. It causes premature fruit drop, yellowing of fronds starting from the lower ones, and eventual death of the tree.'
The best naturals 100% pure neem oil and the bonide captain Jack's multi-purpose insecticide from Amazon are both good products to have on hand.
4. Incorrect climate conditions
When you think of palm trees, sunny locations and tall glossy-leaved trees likely come to mind. So if your potted palms are to cold or in a drafty location, they won't be the happiest in their indoor garden.
'If your palm trees aren't receiving enough sunlight or the correct amount of humidity they can begin to yellow, as well as produce yellow new growth instead of green,' says Alexandra. 'Moving your palm trees closer to sunny windows can help but this will likely need supplementing with a grow light and an indoor humidifier.'
The yadoker LED adjustable grow light and the everlasting comfort cool mist humidifier from Amazon are both highly rated and easy to use.
5. Natural ageing
If you've had your palm trees for a while and you're wondering why they are now beginning to yellow out of seemingly nowhere, it might simply be because of their age. It's a natural part of a palm's growth cycle to yellow in its later years, so if this is the case you don't need to alter your plant care.
'A sign your palm tree yellowing comes from natural ageing is if the lower fronds turn yellow while the upper growth tends to remain healthy and green,' says Alexandra.
You can prune a palm tree and trim these off using a pair of scissors like the deli garden pruning shears from Walmart. Making precise cuts with these is far healthier for your palm tree than tugging or twisting off dying leaves as it won't cause damage.
Learning how to make plant fertilizer is a great skill that you can curate to suit any greenery in your collection. Why not consider giving it a go if your palm trees need a nutrient-rich boost?
