Why is My Geranium Leaves Turning Yellow

The Geranium offers vibrant hues to your gardens and adds more colors to its aesthetics. However, the sudden less cheerful color of geranium leaves is a sign of worry. But if you know the right causes behind geranium leaves turning yellow, then with some prevention tips you can bring its green glory back. 

The beauty of the geranium plant lies in its green and flourishing leaves. If these leaves are turning yellow then it is a sign that your plant will die or lose its beauty. In this blog guide, we have explored the possible reasons behind this leafy woe and the ways to prevent them. Stay connected to get your geraniums back to life with bursts of color. 

What Causes Geranium Plant Leaves to Turn Yellow

There are several reasons why geranium leaves start losing their color and turning yellow. Diagnosing the real culprit of yellowing is essential for appropriate remedy and saving the glory of your geranium. The most common causes are described below in complete detail:

1. Lack Of Nutrients

Nutrient deficiency is one of the leading causes if your geraniums have yellow leaves. One of the core nutrients that geranium needs is magnesium. But if there are fewer micronutrients specifically magnesium in the soil, there will be no chlorophyll for the leaves to stay green. The deficiency of magnesium causes the geranium leaves to turn yellow. The deficiency of nutrients in the soil not only causes yellow leaves but is also the reason for many other problems. 

2. Incorrect Watering

Incorrect watering can also lead the plant leaves to turn yellow. The geranium plant needs watering regularly or after 2-3 days. If you do not care about the watering routine of the plant, it can cause various problems for your geranium plant. If you over-water the geranium plant, the soil will become soggy and cause rotten roots.

As a result, the roots and plant leaves do not get proper oxygen to survive, and they die. An effective way to save the plant and yourself from hassle is to check the soil’s top 1-inch layer. If it is dry then the plant needs watering. Continuous dry soil causes the leaves to wilt first, and the leaf’s margins will start turning yellow. 

3. Herbicidal Damage

The overdose of herbicidal spray also causes geranium plant leaves to turn yellow. Sometimes, spraying excessive herbicide on the plants leads the plant leaves to turn yellow, and then the plant dies. Herbicidal damage is so severe that it can cease the growth of your geranium plant. It is better to water the soil immediately to wash its effects and prevent roots from absorbing it.

4. Temperature Stress

Geranium plants are perennial, sun-loving plants and can handle mild cold conditions. The leaves of this plant can turn yellow before winter and in fall but that is a natural process. When the spring arrives, new leaves start to grow and light yellow or brown leaves regain their green color.

Temperatures above 85F also harm the geranium plants. If the temperature is too high, the leaves will droop due to the dry soil, and the plant will suffer from yellowing geranium leaves. 

5. Inappropriate Light

The geranium plant needs full sunlight in the morning or partial shade during the mid-day. But if it gets indirect or filtered sunlight, it needs it for longer.  precise sunlight is necessary otherwise the leaves turn yellow. Extreme or less sunlight does not benefit the geranium plant; the leaves become dry, yellow, limp, and brittle.

In less sunlight, the plant stretches its stem and becomes leggy, which causes many issues and problems for the plant and its leaves. 

6. Improper Fertilizer

Geranium plants need proper fertilizer for better growth and other nutritional requirements. If you over-fertilize or under-fertilize the plant, both can cause problems and turn the leaves yellow. Under-fertilizing the geranium plant causes a nitrogen deficiency that causes the leaves to turn yellow.

Another reason for the geranium yellowing leaves is improper fertilizer used on the geranium plant. Geranium plants need proper fertilizer for better growth and other nutritional requirements. If you over-fertilize or under-fertilize the plant, both can cause problems and turn the leaves yellow. 

Under-fertilizing the geranium plant causes a nitrogen deficiency that causes the leaves to turn yellow. Lack of phosphorus causes the leaves to turn red, purple, or yellow along the margins. On the other hand, if you over-fertilize the plant, the margins of the leaves will start turning yellow around the borders. After a few days, you will see the leaves yellowing which is a sign of fertilizer burn. 

7. Pests And Diseases

Pests and diseases are also common reasons for the yellow leaves of geranium. Different types of pests hide under the soil near the petioles, but the diseases can be all around the plant. You can see the symptoms of plant diseases on its parts. Pests always suck the sap from the geranium leaves and cause dehydration in the plant. Due to dehydration, the leaves of the plant start turning yellow.

Many diseases affect the plants and cause their leaves to turn yellow and wilt. Some diseases cause blemishes and yellow patches on the leaves, warning that your plant will die or lose its beauty. The most common and severe diseases of the geranium plant include Southern bacterial wilt and Bacterial blight. 

How To Prevent Geranium Leaves From Turning Yellow

There are many ways to prevent the leaves on geranium from turning yellow. Some of them are as follows:

1. Water The Plant Timely

Remember to provide enough water if you have a geranium plant at your house indoors or outdoors. Overwatering or underwatering causes various problems to the geranium plants. Check the top 1-inch layer of soil, if it is dry then the plant needs water. Always water it early in the morning so the geranium plant and leaves will have enough time and sunlight to dry water during the day before nightfall. 

2. Remove The Dying Parts

If you see the leaves wilting and turning yellow, remove them from the stem to let the plant grow more green and fresh leaves. Yellow or brown leaves will cause more damage to the plant if they stay attached to the stem length. So, remove all the yellow or brown leaves to prevent the plant.

3. Provide Bright Sunlight

Make sure to place the geranium plant where it gets bright sunlight for the day. It is a sun-loving plant that loves to grow in bright and direct sunlight, but the direct sunlight must be at most 4 hours. If you notice that the plant leaves are turning yellow because of weather conditions, immediately move the plant to a new place where it can get proper sunlight and partial shade for better and advanced growth. Placing the geranium plant in the west or south-facing window will help the plant have green leaves throughout summer and spring.

4. Proper Fertilization

Ensure proper fertilization of the geranium plant; do not over-fertilize or under-fertilize it. These reasons can cause problems with yellow leaves in the geranium plant. Remember to provide the water-soluble balanced liquid fertilizer in spring. Turn for high potassium fertilizer in summer, and fertilize the geranium plant after every 1-2 weeks. Do not fertilize the plant during winter and fall. 

5. Plant In Proper Soil

Improper soil is one of the problems that cause problems for the geranium plant. Make sure to use well-drained soil rich in nutrients. If the plant is not planted in rich soil, it can cause the leaves of the plant to turn yellow. Soil that is amended with perlite, sphagnum moss, sand, and fertilizers is best for the geranium plant. You must maintain the 5.5 and 6.5 pH of the soil to keep the geranium plant healthy and perfect. Improper soil will cause various issues like geranium leaves yellowing and wilting or dying plants. 

Why do geranium leaves turn yellow?	symptoms	How to fix it?
Lack of nutrients	Interveinal yellowing of leaves	Use Epsom salts in the soil to provide nutrients to the soil
Incorrect watering	Wilting and yellowing of leaves	Water the plant only when you see dry soil
Pests and diseases	Black, brown, and orange spots on the leaves	Use insecticidal soaps and sprays and clean the leaves with cotton dipped with alcohol.
Improper temperature	Dry leaf edges and yellowing	Provide a temperature of about 65-70F to the plant and cover the plant with a frost cloth in winter.
Herbicide damage	Flattened stems and abnormal shapes of the leaves, including turning yellow	Remove the affected leaves from the plant to let the plant grow new ones.
Improper sunlight	Yellow and pale leaves	Place the plant where it can get bright sunlight for about four hours, but not more than that.
Improper fertilization	Wilting and yellowing of lower leaves	Stop fertilizing the plant immediately and flood it with water to let the excess fertilizer go out from the drainage holes.

Tips To Keep In Mind To Prevent The Geranium Leaves Turning Yellow

There are a lot of essential instructions and tips that you must remember while growing the geranium plant to prevent its leaves from turning yellow:

• If you want maximum blooms from the plant and healthy growth, immediately pinch off the damaged leaves and blooms.
• Place your plant on the east side of the garden because geranium pants like sunlight in the early morning, not in the evening. 
• Please reproduce your geranium plant from its cuttings indoors instead of taking a whole plant indoors or repotting it to a new pot in summer. 
• The humidity level for the geranium plant must be around 40 to 50 % indoors and outdoors. 
• Remember to repot the geranium plant around 10-12 inches wide pot when it starts its new growth in spring. 
• Make sure to prune the leaves and flowers of the geranium plant in early spring. 

Conclusion

The yellow geranium leaves are a woe for their green glory. But you can regain its vibrant colors by acknowledging the possible causes and proper prevention techniques. Read this complete article, for the causes of yellowing, preventions, and essential tips for your geranium plant. With the help of this knowledge, you can keep your geranium blooming all the time!

FAQs

1. Can Yellow Geranium Leaves Turn Green Again?

No, mostly the full yellow leaves can’t retain their green color again. When the plant gets dehydrated, it causes chlorophyll deficiency. This deficiency causes the plant leaves to never turn to their green color again. However, early diagnosis and prevention remedies may help regain the green-colored leaves back in some cases.

2. Which Deficiency Causes The Yellowing Of Geranium Leaves?

NPK is the most critical factor for geranium plants. A deficiency of balanced NPK causes the plant leaves to turn yellow. Other deficiencies, like sulfur, magnesium, and iron, also cause the geranium plant to have yellow leaves.

3. Which fertilizer is best for my Geranium Plant?

A balanced water-soluble liquid fertilizer is best for the geraniums. Apply the fertilizer properly in an ideal amount during the spring season to achieve optimal results.