Seeing yellow leaves on your Monstera (also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant) isn’t always a reason to panic. If you just notice one lone yellow leaf near the bottom of the plant, it’s usually just a natural sign of aging. However, if several leaves start turning yellow all at once, your plant is trying to tell you something is wrong. Most of the time, it comes down to a little hiccup in your care routine. Here’s how to troubleshoot the problem and get your Monstera back to its vibrant green self!
Possible Causes for Yellow Leaves on Your Monstera
If those yellow leaves are popping up in groups rather than one at a time, it’s time to play detective. To figure out what’s going on, ask yourself these three questions:
- Have you been fertilizing your Monstera enough?
- Are you watering it correctly?
- Is your plant getting a bit too much sun?
- Regarding that first question: keep in mind that nutrient deficiencies are a common culprit. From April through August, your Monstera is in its peak growing phase and loves a dose of liquid fertilizer about every two weeks. During the cooler months, you can scale back to once every six weeks. If you prefer fertilizer sticks, you won’t need to apply them nearly as often.
- When it comes to watering, balance is key. Monsteras are a bit like Goldilocks—they don’t like “wet feet” (standing water), but they hate having their root ball dry out completely, either. If the soil is bone dry, try soaking the root ball in water to rehydrate it. If you’ve overwatered, make sure to empty any excess water from the saucer immediately. Also, watch out for “hard” tap water; the minerals can cause yellowing. It’s best to use filtered water, rainwater, or at least let your tap water sit out overnight before using it.
- Finally, your plant might actually have a sunburn! If your Monstera is sitting in harsh, direct light, those yellow patches could be scorched. Try moving it to a bright spot with plenty of indirect light. Once it’s out of the line of fire, it should start recovering in no time.
