Why Is My Alocasia Polly Turning Yellow? (Causes and Solutions)
The large, bold, arrowhead-shaped leaves of Alocasia Polly make it significantly different from other indoor plants. But all its attractive appearance comes at a cost.
It is one of those fussy house plants, which beginners always struggle to grow. Even experienced plant enthusiasts also say that this plant demands a lot from you.
I had a very tough time caring for these plants when I got them as a gift from my uncle, last year. But now these guys are looking a bit acquainted with my living space. I think I have now understood what they exactly want for their growth.
Two months ago, I found a few leaves of my Alocasia Polly, turned yellow. I googled the issue and didn’t found any satisfactory result. Although people in many forums are talking about this, I didn’t get any concrete answer to solve this issue.
I have analyzed all the growth parameters of the Alocasia Polly plant and finally found what are the most probable things, that can cause this issue. So in this article, I am writing my personal experience, how I have managed to solve the issue.
This article will help you to find out all the probable causes that can lead to the leaf yellowing of your Alocasia Polly plant, and also discuss the solutions.
The most probable reasons, for which your Alocasia Polly is turning yellow are overexposure to sunlight, overwatering, and underwatering. Apart from these issues, other factors contributing to this issue are low humidity levels, exposure to low temperature, use of unfiltered water, and insect pest attack.
This article will present you with the causes along with its solutions. Read these tips and follow them to keep your plant safe from harmful causes. I’ll go to each of the causes of the plant and state all the solutions to make it in the perfect condition.
This will surely help you to find out the reason for the problem and tips will nurse back your plant healthy.
Causes of Alocasia Polly Turning Yellow
Here is a list of problems, that might lead to yellow leaves in the Alocasia Polly plant. In various circumstances, this plant behaves differently. So you can read the following point, and know which is related to your plant.
Lighting issues
The life of Alocasia Polly depends upon the amount of light it gets. Your plant will no longer stay healthy if it is placed in a bright room, getting direct sunlight on its leaf.
Yellowing of the plant may take place due to over-exposure to the sunlight. It leads to scorching and bleaching of the leaves.
Direct sun rays will firmly make the plant brown as well as yellow because of its harshness and will further synch the leaves.
Not getting enough light is also a major issue for the plant. Extreme low light conditions are not suitable for this plant.
How to fix lighting issues
Lighting is an important aspect of the proper growth of house plants. All the tropical-originated plants like Alocasia Polly loves to stay in bright indirect sunlight.
You can follow the below-given points to prevent lighting issues for your Alocasia Polly plant.
- This issue can be solved by placing the plant in a room filled with light but there should not be direct sunlight falling on plant leaves.
- You can also put some curtains against the plant. This will prevent your plant from a high amount of sunlight.
- It is that type of plant which can bear medium lighting. So keep in mind not to keep this plant outside as they will not be able to protect themselves from heat.
- Try to move your plant to a place where there is moderate lighting.
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Soil moisture and Overwatering
The classic sign of the yellowing of Alocasia is overwatering.
Balancing the soil moisture is very essential for every plant, mainly for those plants which need high moisture.
The main cause of the Alocasia plant turning yellow is due to overwatering. A waterlogged condition can rot the roots of the Alocasia plant, and gradually the leaves turn yellow.
It is good to keep the soil a little moist, but it should not be damp. The plant should have moist soil rather than drenched soil.
It is right to water the plant according to its watering needs as it prevents the Alocasia from being dry also. Make sure to water your Alocasia plant in such a way that it flows through the drainage hole in the pot and then into the saucer.
Always try to keep your plant away from excessive water and avoid it sitting in standing water. Stop your plant from having wet feet which will lead to rotting of the roots and hence death of the plant.
Brown and yellow leaves are the foremost sign of root rot. The condition of root rot is identified as squishy, brown, and foul-smelling.
How to fix over-watering issues in Alocasia?
- To fix the Overwatering issue in your plant, you have to regularly check the water requirement of your plant. You can simply do this by dipping your finger in the potting soil. If the soil is dry, then apply water thoroughly.
- Getting a soil moisture meter will assist you in checking the soil moisture to know its moisture content.
- An inconsistent watering schedule may result in either underwatering or overwatering.
- Also, it is important to check the root system to identify any root rot disease. You can try to report the plant by cutting off all the affected parts.
- There should be a regular check on the soil as it should be well-drained. A watering regime should be formulated to lessen the problem of over-watering. Dryness periods can be overcome by consistency in the watering schedule.
Underwatering
Lack of water due to underwatering is an important issue that needed to be corrected first.
In an underwatered situation, the plant will get less amount of water to carry out photosynthesis. As a result, the plant gets fewer nutrients, and the chlorophyll molecules start degenerating because they are not functioning properly. This causes the leaves to turn yellow.
It is important to address the issue as soon as possible, otherwise, the plant will start wilting, and ultimately die, if the corrective measures are not undertaken properly.
How to prevent Underwatering in Alocasia Polly
To prevent underwatering you can take the following steps
- Check the potting soil regularly. Whenever the soil is dry, go for applying water.
- Use potting soil with good water holding capacity. Adding some coco peat or some organic matter will increase the water holding capacity of your potting soil.
Temperature and humidity
The third main reason for turning Alocasia Polly yellow is the humidity and temperature. The Alocasia Polly plant is prone to high temperature and humidity.
The leaves of Alocasia Polly are very diligent. They need proper moisture in the environment to stay hydrated and wet.
Alocasia Polly flourishes in a humid atmosphere. The dryer climate can be a disaster for Alocasia Polly. So if you’re living in that environment you ought to provide the moisture to protect them from dying.
The optimum temperature at your house where the plant is placed should be 60 to 80°F in the daytime. The temperature of your house at night time should be less than 70°F.
How to fix the problem of humidity and temperature
If you want to protect your Alocasia Polly plant from humidity and temperature, you should try to purchase a humidifier.
A humidifier is the best product to provide moisture to the plants. A humidifier places dampness noticeable all around by delivering water fume for a scattered sensation of moistening. The humidifier makes the environment for Alocasia Polly the same likes that of its natural habitat.
You can also try to change the location of the plant as changing location may also benefit the health of the plant. If you can’t afford a humidifier, changing the location of the plant where it gets proper light and good humidity could also help you to get rid of the humidity and temperature issues.
The kitchen and bathroom are an ideal location for the Alocasia Polly plant because these areas are best for humidity. Especially if you’re placing it in the bathroom, the steamy air and the humid environment will definitely keep your plant alive and will promote its growth.
You can also use a pebble tray to keep your plant in a humid condition. You can buy one, or simply make a pebble tray at home.
Here’s how you can do that-:
- Firstly took a tray, and keep some pebbles in it.
- Just fill the tray with water. Keep your pot above the pebbles. The water from the pebble will continuously evaporate and keep your plant humid.
By these simple steps you can save your Alocasia Polly plant from getting dried also.
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Unfiltered water
Tap water is a disaster to the Alocasia Polly plant. So avoid tap water to watering the plants.
If you water your plants with tap water, there are chances that your plant may die because the minerals found in tap water are very harmful to the plant’s soil.
The term “bad water” is generally termed for tap water because tap water builds up a lot of minerals which is very harmful.
Unfiltered water contains many harmful heavy metals, which can never help any plant to grow. Although they can alter its growth by damaging it but can never help them to grow.
These bad minerals build up and resist the soil from absorbing the water. Also, it prevents it from getting properly moisturized. This is the reason why the Alocasia Polly plant turns yellow.
How to fix the problem of unfiltered water?
Replacing tap water with filtered water is the best thing you can do for your plant Growth. You can buy the filtered water online also.
You can buy a water purifier or filter machine for your plant too. The filter machine which is also called RO (reverse osmosis) provides mineral-free water which is suitable for your plants.
The yellow issue will disappear from your plants if you provide them filtered water regularly. There are two benefits of having a water purifier. Firstly you can promote your plants’ growth and secondly you can drink it also to hydrate yourself!
Purchasing water bottles regularly can be very hectic and frustrating. So buying a water purifier is a good call. Although they are not so cheap you can bargain as there’s a lot of water purifiers available in the market.
You may also like this article- Why Is My Alocasia Not Growing? (Causes and their Easy Solutions)
Insects
Not only Alocasia Polly but all the plants are prone to insects. Insects act as a plague for the plants. The insects are the Villains in between you and your lover (your plant) love life. So you have to beware of the insects.
Insects are deadly to plants. They are disastrous to the plants. They can kill the plant wholly. They can damage the cells, deform the stems, etc. Insects are like sucker of a plant. They suck the liquid of leaves.
How to fix the problem of insect
They are many ways to fix the issue of insects. Some of them are mentioned below-:
- By using a ready-to-use organic insecticide solution.
- By washing the leaves regularly
- Try neem oil to kill them
Final words
Hopefully, this article has covered all the major issues that are related to the yellowing of the Alocasia Polly plant and also the fixation tricks. So take care of your plants with these small tricks.
