Home gardening
Hi HIW, I have become a keen indoor gardener during lockdown. I have managed to keep alive and thriving my golden pothos. However, some of its leaves are turning yellow. Why is that?
Eva Magyaricsova It’s great to hear that you’ve found a new activity to focus on during long periods of time at home. Indoor gardening has become increasingly popular over the last year, and as well as giving you something to do can provide added benefits such as reducing stress levels and maybe even improving air quality in your home. Many people like to fill their homes with a range of plants, but each has different needs and ways of showing that they are lacking something. The leaves of a golden pothos plant can become yellow quite easily, and for a number of reasons. If the yellow leaves are occurring at the base of the stems, as opposed to the tips, it could be due to its natural growth process. Leaves can become discoloured and fall off in order to make room for new growth. If this isn’t the case, there are other possibilities. The most common reason that these plants turn yellow in the home is that they are being overwatered. Make sure that you are allowing the soil to become completely dry again before you water your plant. If you don’t think you are overwatering, it could be that the drainage in the plant pot isn’t good. There should only be soil in the pot, and the hole at its base needs to be kept free for drainage. Another problem that is known to cause this yellowing is rotting roots. It is worth checking the roots to eliminate this possibility. If they are white in colour, they are likely to be healthy, while brown roots indicate rotting. Golden pothos can also lose their green colour when placed in cold environments, such as near a drafty window or under air conditioning, but also in areas that are too hot. Hopefully this will help you to identify the problem, but it’s worth checking all possibilities. We would recommend removing any yellowed leaves after doing so – if there are just a few – so that you can see if you have solved the problem. In the meantime, keep up the gardening!