If your Yucca (Adam’s Needle) is starting to turn yellow, it’s usually a cry for help. But don’t panic! The best thing you can do is play detective and check your plant’s care routine and environment. With a few quick adjustments, your Yucca will be back to its vibrant self in no time.
Ursachen
There are quite a few reasons why a Yucca might develop yellow leaves. Most of the time, the culprit falls into one of these three categories:
- Natural aging
- Care mistakes
- The wrong environment
Natürlicher Vorgang
Even though Yuccas are evergreens, it’s totally normal for an occasional leaf to turn yellow. As the plant grows, it sheds its older, bottom leaves to make room for fresh new growth at the top.
Was tun?
Since this is just Mother Nature doing her thing, you don’t need to do much. Once those bottom leaves have completely dried out, you can simply pull or snip them off.
Falsche Pflege
Wasserstress
“Water stress” is just a fancy way of saying there’s a glitch in your watering routine. This could mean:
- Using water that’s too cold
- Standing water (overwatering)
- Irregular watering (going from bone-dry to soaking wet)
- Dehydration
Was tun?
To get your plant back on track, you’ll want to tailor your watering to what a Yucca actually likes:
- Always use lukewarm, room-temperature water.
- Avoid “wet feet” at all costs. Give smaller amounts of water and make sure you have a good drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. If the soil is currently soggy, repotting into fresh, dry soil is a great “first aid” move.
- Only water when the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch.
- If you’ve been forgetting to water, start a regular schedule—just don’t drown the plant trying to make up for lost time!
Falsches Düngen
Yuccas are a bit like Goldilocks when it comes to food—too much or too little fertilizer can lead to yellowing leaves.
Was tun?
- Fertilize according to the plant’s needs (usually about every two weeks during the growing season).
- Stick to the dosage and timing recommended on the fertilizer label.
- Give the plant a break in the winter; don’t fertilize at all from October/November through March.
Zu kleiner Topf
When you grow plants in containers, the pot size is just as important as food and water. If your Yucca has become root-bound and outgrown its home, the leaves will often start to yellow.
Was tun?
- Move your Yucca into a larger pot with fresh soil.
- The best time to do this is in the spring (March or April, right before the outdoor gardening season kicks off).
Ungünstiger Standort
Lichtmangel
While not every Yucca variety wants to bake in the scorching midday sun, they all crave plenty of light. A dark corner is usually a recipe for a sad plant.
Was tun?
- Move your plant to a much brighter spot.
Starke Temperaturschwankungen
Zu hohe Luftfeuchtigkeit
Contrary to what many people think, Yuccas aren’t tropical jungle plants—they don’t actually like high humidity (so the bathroom isn’t the best spot for them). They also aren’t fans of being misted with a spray bottle.
Was tun?
- Stop misting the leaves.
- Move the plant to a room with “drier” air and more stable temperatures.
