Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma is one of the popular climbing plants that many people love to grow in their homes or offices. They have unique leaves with a heart shape. In particular, the openings and holes in the leaves create eye-catching patterns.
Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma will need a wire or stake to hold onto throughout its growth. The type of plant also does not require meticulous care or complicated techniques. However, one of the most common problems you may face is Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma yellow leaves. What is the cause of this situation? How to fix yellow leaves? Let’s find out more details in this article.
Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Yellow Leaves – The Most Common Causes
Yellow leaves can be related to many different causes of natural aging or care. Some of the common reasons include too much or too little water, improper humidity, lighting problems, lack of nutrition, and too much fertilizer or pest attacks.
Watering Too Much
One of the leading causes of yellow leaves in Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma has to do with watering problems. Water plays a very important role in plant growth and development. However, improper watering will also have serious consequences for plants.
If waterlogging persists for a long time, excess water will prevent the root system from absorbing oxygen for healthy growth and cause leaves to turn yellow.
Another common cause of Rhaphidophora leaves turning yellow is poor drainage. Therefore, you need to regularly open the drainage hole to avoid being clogged with moss or compacted soil.
How to prevent it?
- You should only water when the ground is 1-2 inches dry using a moisture meter or finger.
- The frequency of watering during the growing season and winter needs to be different.
- Add organic materials such as compost, sand, and perlite to increase drainage.
- Dig up the soil and clean the bottom of the pot to remove moss or perennial plaque.
Watering Too Little
As you know, Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma is a plant that prefers warm temperatures and humid environments. Therefore, this plant needs a lot of water to grow and develop. Not enough water to nourish the plants is also the cause of the leaves turning yellow, dry, brittle, and falling off.
How to prevent it?
- Regularly check the soil surface and water when the soil is 1-2 inches dry.
- Watering frequency once a week in summer and once a month in winter.
- The watering schedule should depend on the actual needs of your plants and the climate where you live.
About Humidity
Rhaphidophora is a plant that prefers moist environments. The ideal humidity for this plant to grow and develop is between 50%-60%. Humidity differences or sudden changes in humidity will also cause the leaves of plants to turn yellow.
How to prevent it?
- Provide enough water for plants to ensure moisture in each cell.
- Use a humidifier to maintain ideal humidity.
- Use a pebble tray or small aquarium in the room to maintain humidity as the water evaporates naturally.
- Group plants close together to increase humidity.
- Mist to provide temporary moisture and avoid drying of leaves.
- Avoid placing the potted plant near high temperatures such as fireplaces or radiators.
Inappropriate Lighting
Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma prefers indirect sunlight every day to promote photosynthesis and keep leaves greener. If there is a lack of sunlight each day, the leaves of plants tend to be longer and smaller than usual. They will then turn yellow due to wilting or browning.
How to prevent it?
- Provide full indirect sunlight every day.
- Place the potted plant in the east or west window area, where there is enough morning light and shade in the afternoon.
- Use curtains to keep out the direct sunlight for hours because leaves can burn.
Lack Of Nutrition
Lack of nutrients in the soil also seriously affects the growth and development of plants. From there, plants will grow stunted due to a lack of nitrogen in the soil. Leaves will turn light green or yellow, then fall in mass. Therefore, to ensure the growth of Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma, you need to have the plan to fertilize periodically.
How to prevent it?
- Choose the ideal fertilizer with a balanced mix of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium throughout the growing season.
- Do not fertilize plants in winter as they will hibernate.
- Pay attention to water sources, if there is too much calcium in the water, it will prevent plants from absorbing nutrients
- Use fertilizer at the right dose and time as recommended by the manufacturer.
Excessive Fertilizing
Over-fertilization by frequency or dose causes undue stress on plants. From there, they will be shocked and wilt their leaves, yellow and fall off. Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma will need to be fertilized during the growing season like spring and summer. Too much fertilizer causes the leaves to burn, lose color, or turn brown or yellow. Early warning signs will appear on the edges of leaves as they curl or turn brown.
How to prevent it?
- Fertilize 2-3 times a month during the growing season.
- Use a slow-release fertilizer or liquid fertilizer to prevent leaf burn.
- Apply NPK 20-20-20 once a month to stimulate the growth of the leaf count.
- Add organic fertilizers like banana peels, goat, chicken, or horse manure, and untreated aquarium water to your plants.
- Avoid fertilizing during winter as it can create root burn and cause leaves to turn brown or yellow due to fertilizer build-up.
Fungi, Pests, And Insects
Excessive wetness and waterlogging favor several harmful fungi and bacteria that cause diseases, such as mealybugs, thrips, and spider mites. These insects will directly attack the leaves, sucking the sap and causing the leaves to dry out. Then, when the cells are completely broken, the leaves will wilt and fall off.
How to prevent it?
- Regularly clean both sides of the leaves to remove brown or white patches caused by fungal spores or insect eggs on the leaves.
- Use neem oil to spray on plants.
- Use antibacterial soap or an insecticide to protect your plants.
- Remove no more than 20% of diseased leaves each time to ensure a balance for plants.
- Cutting off a lot of roots will cause the plant to be shocked and stressed.
Related post: Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma vs Monstera Deliciosa
Should I Remove The Yellow Leaves Or Not?
The condition of yellow leaves due to natural aging or inappropriate care will fall. However, you should not remove the entire gold leaf in one go. You can let it fall off naturally instead of mass removal. It will help the plant to regain some substances such as nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and other nutrients lost in the leaves.
However, you can prune them if they are infested with pests because they will spread quickly to young leaves. Pruning gives plants less stress and the ability to grow new leaves.
Can Rhaphidophora Yellow Leaves Turn Green?
This also depends on whether the leaves are yellow on the whole or yellow spots on the leaves. If yellow has covered the entire leaf, it cannot return to green. However, if the condition of the leaf appears yellow spots or leaf edges then it will have a chance to turn green.
Therefore, you must identify the cause as well as the early signs to find a way to fix it. Adjusting the watering schedule, adding nutrients, or removing pests will help keep leaves healthy and eliminate yellow spots on leaves.
Some Rhaphidophora Care Tips To Avoid Yellow Leaves
To prevent the leaves of plants from turning yellow or brown due to certain care issues, you need to change some care habits. Join us for a list of some Rhaphidophora care tips to help keep plants healthy.
- Avoiding waterlogging is the top note that you need to pay attention to. Water thoroughly but need a drainage hole with good functioning.
- Bathe plants to keep them moist and remove dust or debris that has accumulated on the leaves.
- Don’t place the potted plant in a location subject to drafts and air conditioning or heating vents.
- Avoid the sun for many hours causing the leaves to burn.
- Remove diseased, yellow, or brown leaves to allow the plants to focus their energy and regenerate new leaves.
Problem Summary
The leaves of Rhaphidophora can turn yellow for a variety of reasons. Some of the underlying causes are improper watering, lack of light, lack of fertilizer, over-fertilization, inappropriate humidity, pest attack, or the natural aging process.
To overcome this situation, you need to detect early signs when they first appear as yellow spots on leaves or leaf edges. If the status of the leaf is completely yellow then it is very difficult to respawn. You need to change your watering habits and note some principles of plant care.