Areca leaves turning yellow can be a real nuisance if not dealt with promptly. Let’s learn about the most probable reasons and solutions below!
Areca palm is one of the best plants to add to your indoor plant collection if you want a tropical vibe to your home aesthetics. It really is an attention-seeker of a plant and becomes a conversation starter immediately! Though areca palms don’t have any out-of-the-world demands, they do need proper conditions and require their conditions to be met. If not, this yellow palm or golden cane palm can start showing yellowing leaves!
If this is a problem you are experiencing, check out the top reasons and solutions for areca palm turning yellow.
Reasons and Solutions of Areca Palm Turning Yellow
1. You Are Not Satisfying its Thirst
You can literally never overwater an Areca Palm as long as you use the right potting mix, which should comprise orchid bark, peat moss, and perlite. This blend will ensure the water drains out completely, no matter how much you water it. And these palms love being drenched in water every 2-3 days so the medium remains moist but not soggy.
Solution:
Never let the medium dry out completely, and always keep an eye out for any signs of thirst. Also, ensure to grow it in the aforementioned potting blend in a well-draining pot so you don’t end up overwatering it either.
2. There’s too Much Fluctuation in the Air
Being a tropical plant, it is unsurprising that Areca palm won’t be a fan of cold winds or drafts. These cause older foliage to droop, wilt, and become yellow and brown. Even newer growth is severely affected by cold drafts, wherein they turn black and brown and can get deformed. Besides that, keeping your plant in front of a fireplace or radiator can also cause temperature fluctuations, adversely affecting your plant and causing yellowing leaves.
Solution:
More than a cure, you must be vigilant and actively position your plant away from cold and hot drafts. If the damage has started, you can just be patient and wait for your plant to recover, which could take months. You can also go ahead and remove the damaged leaves.
3. The Humidity is Low
If you have been gardening for a while, you will know how much tropical plants love their humidity. It positively makes them swoon! But jokes aside, if your Areca pam has been looking yellow and sad instead of its lush, green self, it might be a humidity issue. If the humidity levels are too low, it will inevitably cause yellow areca palm leaves, starting on the older fronds and continuing to the tips of the younger ones.
Solution:
The best way to deal with this problem is to place your Areca palm on a humidity pebble tray. You must first select a shallow tray that fits your Areca palm pot. Fill this tray with pebbles and then pour in water to a level just below the top of the pebbles. Set your plant pot on the pebbles, ensuring the roots are above the water level to prevent root rot. Refill and change the water weekly. You must also clean the tray and replace the pebbles periodically to prevent algae growth.
Besides this, you can plant several other plants with your Areca palm to create a humid microclimate, keeping the humidity levels above 40%. Plus, a humidifier is also a great option to maintain optimal humidity levels.
4. Your Plant is in Shock after Transplant
If you recently repotted your Areca palm from one pot to another using a fresh medium, you may see some yellow Areca palm leaves. This could be due to transplant shock. Plus, a root-bound state could also suffocate its roots leading to a similar situation.
Solution:
It is pretty normal for your plant to experience transplant shock. There is not much work you can do in this case except be patient. If you have planted it correctly in the right soil medium and adequate drainage, your plant will recover quickly. You must avoid fertilizing your Areca palm for at least two months after repotting so that it gets time to reestablish itself in its new location.
5. It is Getting Too Much Sun
We all have that friend who loves the sun but needs to slather on their SPF. In your case, that is probably your Areca palm. They love bright, indirect sunlight, but give it too much sun exposure, and they will throw a fit. Their leaves will start turning yellow. Intense heat from direct sunlight heats up the topsoil too much, causing damage to the plant in the form of yellowing leaves.
Plus, they will also stop growing and start dropping leaves if this situation persists.
Solution:
If you have just started noticing yellowing leaves on your Areca, shift it to a shadier location and gradually increase light levels. Place sheer curtains to filter out the light if you have kept your Areca palm near a brightly lit window.
If your Areca palm has some severely burnt leaves, trim them away and locate the plant elsewhere without direct sunlight exposure. In a few months, you will see your plant recovering and adjusting to its new surroundings.
6. It Lacks the Needed Nutrition
Most of the beautiful green color that you see and love on your Areca plam is because of two essential nutrients which are magnesium and potassium. When these nutrients are missing in action, rest assured you will start seeing yellow leaves, especially yellowing between the leaf veins. In case of potassium deficiency, you will see more yellowing on the leaves’ edges.
Yellow leaves combined with student growth indicate a nitrogen deficiency, while brown and yellow dots of tip burn on leaf edges can be evidence of a calcium deficiency. You might also see leaves turning yellow whole throughout (yellow chlorosis) and becoming crispy due to a calcium deficiency. Besides that, deficiency in iron and manganese can cost your Areca palm healthy growth and its lush green color.
Solution:
The fix to nutrient deficiency is of course, feeding your Areca palm a full meal with a balanced fertilizer. Not only is it important for healthy growth but also to manage the nutrient intake and pH level (ideal range being 6.0 to 8.0) of your plant. In fact, the pH is actually so important that nutrient availability for your plant changes as the pH of the soil increases or decreases.
You should choose a liquid foliar fertilizer with nitrogen, calcium nitate and calcium chloride. In case, the fertilizer you choose lacks any of this, you can add organic matter like eggshells, dolomite lime, bone meal. Dolomite lime is also great for neutralizing acidic soil.
To combat iron deficiency, feed your plant chelated iron or iron sulfate. Dilute half a teaspoon of these fertilizers in a gallon of water to soak the soil and apply to the fronds. You can follow the same method when adding manganese.
7. You are Feeding it Too Much
By now, you would have come to know very well that too much of anything can be bad for your plant. Plus, this is true not just for your Areca palm but also for all the other plants in your collection. Yet another cause of yellowing leaves can be the fact that you have fed your Areca palm too much, causing yellow leaves and root burn. Moreover, if you have been applying fertilizer too close to the trunk, it would cause fertilizer burn, weakening the palm and making it vulnerable to insects and diseases.
Solution:
Firstly, you must always use a water-soluble fertilizer and dilute it before use according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This allows the fertilizer to penetrate the roots. Ensure that all excess fertilizer drains out the drainage hole of the pot. Additionally, you must only fertilize your Areca palm during the growing season.
8. The Water isn’t Right
This is a cause of yellow Areca palm leaves that you would not be able to pinpoint easily because yellowing leaves can be caused by the inappropriate type of water you may be using. Yes, the type of water you use is important, as the watering frequency in Areca palms is quite sensitive to minerals and salts. Home water softeners often displace the necessary nutrients like calcium and magnesium in hard water, making the plant nutrient-deficient and producing yellow leaves. This sodium buildup also causes discoloration and can even kill your plant if you don’t catch the problem in time.
Solution:
To remove sodium buildup in the soil, you would need to leach it. That means you have to water the plant thoroughly several times, with at least three times the amount of water you normally use, and let it drain completely from the drainage hole. After the leaving process, don’t fertilize your plant again until you start to see it recover. To avoid sodium buildup in your Areca palm in the future, you should strictly avoid using hard tap water.
9. It got infested with Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases are the plant world’s pickpockets stealing the beauty and glamor of your precious plants like Areca palm. Look out for the usual suspects, such as mealybugs, spider mites, and fungal infections, which can lead to yellow areca palm leaves. They generally reside in the portions where the stem meets the fronds of the palm. While prevention is key, there are ways to eliminate these uninvited guests and return your Areca palm to its former green glory.
Solution:
If you find mealybugs, spider mites, and other pesky pests on your Areca palm, show them the door by gently washing the stems and leaves with insecticidal soap. If you notice fungal infections, deal with it using a good fungicide. Since the best offense is always a good defense, periodically rub all the leaves and stems of your Areca palm with neem oil. Even if you have an infestation, you can apply neem oil to eliminate all the bugs, eggs, and sticky substances they usually leave behind.
Alternatively, you can also soak some cotton in isopropyl alcohol to eliminate all the pests. In severe cases, a pesticide on the infested areas would work best.
10) Lethal Yellowing Has Attacked the Plant
A severe disease that mostly affects stressed-out Areca palm trees, lethal yellowing can cause the leaves to turn yellow, brown, and even grey. You will start to notice this discoloration on the older fronds first and then the disease starts spreading to the new leaves.
Solution:
To eliminate this fungal disease, you must use a fungicidal spray containing copper hydroxide or copper salts of fatty acids.
