Why does Monstera adansonii get yellow leaves? With its evergreen vines and heart-shaped foliage, Monstera adansonii is a lovely plant. Its leaves are its real asset. They are fenestrated, with symmetrical holes around the midribs.
It is also why many plant lovers call it the “Swiss Cheese Vine.” But these leaves can have some issues that can tarnish your whole plant. Leaves growing yellow is one such problem for Monstera Adansonii.
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Why My Monstera adansonii Has Yellow Leaves?
Monstera Adansonii tends to grow yellow leaves if you overwater it. Placing it in bright and direct sunlight scorches its foliage and makes it yellow. A less common reason behind yellow leaves on Monstera Adansonii can be too much fertilizer. You can fix these problems by giving your Monstera bright indirect sunlight and watering it only when the soil is almost dry. Scooping the fertilizer and flushing your plant will help you control the damage from over-fertilizing. It also can be stress from environmental changes and shipping that may have caused leaves to turn yellow.
Should You Be Concerned About the Yellow Leaves?
Sometimes, the yellow leaves on your Monstera adansonii are natural. You don’t need to be alarmed if only a few older leaves are yellow.
These are the old leaves that your Monstera wants to shed. Older leaves are starting to yellow and will then fall off. This is a natural process.
When leaves turn yellow, that is still relatively new, and when more and more leaves on your Adansonii are yellowing, you should become alert.
The essential point to avoid yellow leaves, except the older leaves turning yellow, is taking good care of your Swiss-cheese plant.
Place your Monstera plant where it gets indirect sunlight. My Monstera Adansonii stays happy on the north-facing window of my room.
Your plant wants you to water it generously every week as a general rule of thumb. More specifically, water when the soil is about to dry out.
Their well-drained soil should be slightly moist but not soggy. Keep your Monstera Adasonii in 60% humidity and the 64 – 81 °F (18 to 27 °C) temperature range.
Sudden changes in the environment and shipping can stress your Monstera Adansonii and result in yellow leaves.
It can also start to turn yellow when nasty pests attack. So, it is better to sift through your plant before you decide if its yellow leaves are natural.
Identifying the Reason Behind Yellow Leaves on Monstera adansonii
It’d be helpful if each Monstera adansonii disease had different symptoms. For better or worse, that is not the case.
So, a lack of water and an abundance of sunlight can both give your Monstera adansonii yellow leaves. Unless you know the problem, you won’t be able to treat it in the right manner.
Over the years, I’ve noticed some patterns in Monstera Adansonii when they suffer.
I’ve compiled descriptions to help you explain why your Monstera Adansonii seems so unhappy. So, wear your Sherlock hat and get to work!
Overwatering your Monstera adansonii
One easy way to identify the problem would be to recall how you treated your Monstera adansonii in the past few weeks. Did you water it several times a week? Or perhaps you watered it weekly in winter?
If so, overwatering is the likely reason behind the yellowing of your leaves.
Monstera Adansonii usually doesn’t need multiple watering weeks. It needs less water in cold months when it is not in its main growing stage.
But it is not always possible to recall when you watered the last time, especially if you grow many houseplants like me.
So, the next best thing is to check the texture of your Monstera’s yellow leaves. Then, compare it with that healthy green leaves.
The yellow leaves may feel flaccid. You’ll see that they are withering or fading away.
Observing the roots is also good because overwatering can cause root rot. Affected roots become mushy and dark. If that is the case, overwatering is your culprit.
Once you are fairly certain you overwatered, you must check the roots immediately. Soggy soil identified by sticking your index finger 2 inches into the soil is still the best way to confirm overwatering.
Soil should never stay soggy for multiple days. If you have well-draining soil and drainage holes, overwatering is almost impossible.
Usually, your Monstera Adansonii’s soil has spaces between it. It is where oxygen and water coexist.
But waterlogging means there are no air pockets, and your plant doesn’t have enough oxygen.
It affects photosynthesis, water movement, and the energy level of leaves.
Underwatering your Monstera adansonii
If the leaves drooping downwards, your Monstera adansonii is thirsty.
But Swiss-cheese plants naturally grow in vines. If you put them in trellis or hanging baskets, their long leaves will cascade downwards. Ensure you’re not confused about whether your leaves are drooping or growing downwards.
Another clue is that the yellow that leaves get from overwatering is dull and closer to light brown. The leaves will also feel crispy and brittle to the touch.
Sunlight Problems
Your Monstera adansonii likes sunlight, but only from a safe distance.
Too much exposure to sunlight is stressful for your green friends. Besides turning yellow, its leaves will begin to curl inwards. It’s their way of protecting themselves from the heat.
Placing your plant in direct sunlight for too long means leaf molecules absorb more energy than they can handle. This energy then interferes with photosynthesis. And your Monstera Adansonii begins to produce reactive oxygen.
It causes the precious Swiss cheese leaves to lose their lush green.
You can distinguish it if you look at the leaf tissue. Leaf tips and margins will turn yellow. You can generally see green veins around the midrib of your Monstera Adansonii.
These will darken if sunlight scorches your plant.
Likewise, placing your plant in a dark or complete shade is also risky.
Monstera Adansonii leaves have many colored pigments.
You are likely familiar with chlorophyll. But these pretty leaves also contain carotene and xanthophyll, for orange, yellow, and other colors.
So, when your Monstera doesn’t get sun, its leaves cannot produce enough chlorophyll (green pigment). It ends up discoloring into yellow.
Fertilizing Monstera adansonii
Many people mistakenly try to fix every plant problem with fertilizer. It’s not the right approach and can backfire.
Overfertilizing your Monstera Adansonii will raise the salt concentration in its soil.
It will also decrease the pH of the soil. When this change happens, your Monstera adansonii cannot absorb suitable nutrients from the soil.
A well-balanced soil usually includes Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and other micronutrients.
A lack of these discourages your plant from growing. The new leaves that grow may be pale yellow.
The worst part is that your new Monstera adansonii leaves may stop growing holes and splits if you overfertilize the plant.
Treating the Yellow Leaves on Monstera adansonii
Once you have diagnosed the issue, fixing it becomes easy. Here are some solutions I find useful when my Monstera adansonii grows yellow leaves.
But before you dive into treatments, it’d do you good to remember that there is no quick fix. In other words, there are fast methods that look tempting, but they won’t help your plant.
So, curing your beloved Monstera Adansonii will take patience and time.
Water Wisely
If your plant has had too much water, you want to begin by checking its drainage hole.
Too much water makes soil clumpy, which can block the drainage hole. If your pot doesn’t have one, it is best to remove the plant.
In either case, the roots need to dry and regain their strength. Space them out so the excess moisture can evaporate.
If some roots look decayed and mushy, I suggest pruning them.
Using the same pot for your Monstera Adansonii is not the best idea. So, repot it in a clean, disinfected pot with a drainage hole and peat moss-based soil.
You can revive an underwatered Monstera adansonii by being consistent. Place your pot in clean water if the yellow leaves look like they are dying. Remember to remove it before half an hour has passed.
For the future, make sure your Monstera adansonii drinks water every week. I often check the surface soil of my plants to see if they have sufficient water.
Provide Indirect Sunlight
Overexposure to sunlight never works out well for Monstera Adansonii. If its leaves are scorched by the sun, it could drink cool water.
I prefer misting my Monstera adansonii lightly and then pouring some water around its base.
Next, relocate its pot. It is best if you place it where it gets filtered sunlight, for example, under the canopy of your tall garden trees.
If your Monstera adansonii was previously in a dark area, its yellow leaves want indirect sunlight to be happy again. Placing your pot next to a north-facing window would be helpful.
Fertilizer your Monstera adansonii Properly
You can save your Monstera Adansonii from fertilizer burn by using fertilizers less frequently.
My Monsteras stay healthy if I fertilize them every two weeks in Spring and Summer using a balanced fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 20-20-20. I find it better to use a slow-release fertilizer.
But if your Monstera Adansonii already has too much fertilizer, you should try to remove the excess.
Scooping up the white deposit on the soil surface or flushing your plant for a while can work. It will reduce the salinity in the soil and restore its pH.
With the right care, your Monstera adansonii will be happy again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the leaves of my Monstera adansonii drooping?
Drooping leaves on Monstera adansonii is an indicator of underwatering. Never let your Monstera adansonii dry out completely. Keep the soil slightly moist and water again once the soil does almost dry out. If you spot drooping leaves, watering is overdue.
Why do my Monstera adansonii leaves look almost brown?
Dark yellow or light brown leaves on Monstera adansonii mean it has a sunlight problem. I’ve seen that these are common when your plant gets more direct sunlight than it needs. Place your Monstera adansonii in a partially shaded area to solve this problem.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.