Reason Why Your Elephant Ear Plant Leaves are Turning Yellow and How to Fix It
The elephant ear plant is a one-of-a-kind ornamental plant with broad leaves. However, as with all plants, it is susceptible to issues like leaves turning yellow. So, why are your elephant ear plant leaves turning yellow?
Elephant ear plant leaves may turn yellow due to poor lighting, watering issues, lack of nutrients, dormancy, or transplant shock.
Elephant ear plants are low maintenance house plants that can be grown indoors or outdoors. They help to improve air quality because they suck up harmful gases and other pollutants in the air, making the air cleaner and fresher.
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Now, let’s discuss in detail why your elephant ear plant leaves are turning yellow and how you can fix or prevent it.
Elephant Ear Plant Leaves Turning Yellow – 8 Reasons Why and How to Fix the Problem
#1. Watering Problems
Watering problem is one of the most prevalent causes of yellowing leaves in your elephant ear plants. If you detect yellow spots on your plant’s leaves, you may be giving them too little or too much water.
So, how do you tell the difference? By analyzing the amount of water you give them and checking the ground around the plants.
If you’re dealing with excess water, you should be seeing some stagnated water around the plant. On the other hand, if you’re not watering enough, the soil around the plant will appear dry.
Elephant ear plants, on average, need 2 to 3 inches of water every week. If they’re getting more or less water than that, you’ll need to adjust the amounts.
How to Fix this Issue
Make sure you water your plants adequately. Also, allow water to flow into the saucer and out of the drainage hole. It’s critical to drain excess water from the pot and avoid letting your plant sit in stagnant water.
Another way to prevent water issues is to plant these plants in soil that has good drainage levels.
It is important to note that Elephant ear plants don’t like moist ground, which causes root rot leading to yellowing of the leaves and ultimately the plant’s death.
#2. Improper Lighting
Like most plants, Elephant ear plants require adequate amounts of sunlight to flourish. That’s partly due to the size of their foliage. However, that doesn’t mean you should expose them to too much sunlight.
While they need sunlight, they are also light-sensitive, and too much light could burn the leaves, leading to brown coloration, while too little sunlight could cause the yellowing of the leaves.
How to Fix this Problem
Generally, you should place your elephant ear plants in a location where they will receive enough indirect sunshine.
You should set the plant in a location that provides partial shade and keeps the soil moist for the plant. Aim for at least 3-6 hours of indirect sunlight exposure a day.
#3. Low Humidity Levels
Dry weather and soil can make your plant leaves turn brown on the margins, eventually causing yellowing of the leaves and wilting of the entire plant. Elephant ear plant leaves drooping is another sign of low humidity levels.
Elephant Ear plants thrive in humid environments with a humidity level of at least 60%. Low humidity causes your plant’s leaves to droop and lose moisture at an alarming rate.
Furthermore, transpiration rates may increase the risk of under watering, which can have more adverse consequences.
It can be challenging to replicate the Elephant Ear plant’s tropical habitat’s humidity levels. This is especially true if you live in a region with harsh winters, where temperatures regularly fall below 30°F.
How to Fix this Problem
During the winter, use a humidifier to boost the humidity in the air surrounding your plant.
Also, try grouping your houseplants so that they can benefit from each other’s warmth.
#4. Lack of Nutrients
To thrive, the standard Elephant Ear plant will require a steady supply of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and other vital nutrients.
If they don’t get enough nutrients, they may suffer from nutrient insufficiency, resulting in yellow leaves.
Poor lighting, poor watering, and low humidity also play a part in nutrient deprivation in plants.
How to Fix this Problem
The solution to this issue is simple and clear. You must feed your plant constantly. In the spring and summer, fertilize the soil once or twice a month, and provide your plant with foliar feed year-round.
It’s also important to test the soil’s PH and nutrient levels to know the best way to amend it.
#5. Pest Infestation
Beetles, scales, mealy bugs, aphids, and thrips can all be a problem for your Elephant Ear plants.
The pests cling to the undersides of the leaves and eat away at their nutrient supply, causing yellowing and deformation.
The yellowing that occurs due to a pest infestation is quite easy to spot since it appears in patches, and you can also see the pests.
How to Fix this Problem
You can fix a pest infestation issue using pesticides, neem oil, and or soapy water.
#6. Transplant Shock
Your elephant ear plant leaves may be turning yellow because they’re in transplant shock also known as acclimatization.
How to Fix this Problem
Most plants will experience this shock, but it’s nothing to worry about since it will only last a few days or weeks.
You can minimize the effects of transplant shock by keeping the soil moist and watering your soil with a mixture of water and sugar.
#7. Dormancy and Other Natural Causes
Elephant Ear plants prefer summer and spring and tend to go dormant toward winter, causing the yellowing of leaves.
Another reason the leaves of your plants may be turning yellow is they’re too old and are dying, making way for new leaves.
How to Fix this Problem
The best you can do when dealing with these issues is to cut the dying leaves.
#8. Root Issues
If you notice that your elephant ear plant leaves are turning yellow, the problems could be coming from the roots.
As mentioned earlier, waterlogging causes root rot. Another issue could be poor root growth, especially if the pot is too small. Elephant ear roots grow rapidly and could become entangled pretty fast.
How to Fix this Problem
You can fix this problem by repotting the plants in bigger pots. Also, every time you repot, make sure you trim the roots to give them room to grow freely.
Final Thoughts on Elephant Ear Leaves Turning Yellow
Most of the reasons your Elephant ear plant leaves are turning yellow are easy to fix. However, if you can’t get rid of the yellowing, uproot the plant, dispose of it, and replace it with a fresh one.
