Yellowing Bamboo Plant Leaves: The Causes and Solutions for this Common Problem

Bamboo Plant is an evergreen plant, popular among homeowners and gardeners, that can serve as an ornamental and edible plant. Bamboo Leaves are a specific part of the plant rich in amino acids, silica flavonoids, and minerals that can provide many benefits.

Yellow bamboo plant

Bamboo Plant Leaves is one of the most tropical things for health as it contains vitamins B, C, and E that help give healthy and shiny hair, clear skin, etc. Bamboo Leaves have a wide range of benefits, but the most obvious is fast growth.

Bamboo Plant Leaves Turning yellow can be due to causes like overwatering, sunlight, incorrect temperature, excessive fertilizer, stress, etc. However, the Bamboo plant typically drops its leaves in the spring as the new growth begins rather than falls. 

6 Causes Of Bamboo Plant Turning Yellow

Yellow bamboo plant leaves

1 . Overwatering

Both Overwatering and Underwatering are two of the most common issues with most houseplants. Leaving a Bamboo plant in standing water is an easy way to kill it because if the water does not drain after a few days, the roots will get over-logged and rot.

Furthermore, Bamboo plants like being moist and not soggy. Watering the plant twice a week is sufficient because bamboo roots are shallow and do not need long, heavy watering. It just needs to have good drainage.

2. Exposure

When it comes to exposure, there’s a wide range of variety between bamboo species. Some do better in the shade, and exposure to full sun will cause leaf damage. 

Before planting your Bamboo plant, do well to research the species to know the ideal location for better growth. Avoid watering the leaves in the middle of the day because when the water droplets magnify the sunlight, it can burn the leaves. It is safer to spray the plant early morning or evening when the sun is low.

3. Excess Fertilizer

Another cause for the discoloration of bamboo leaves is excess fertilizer. The bamboo plant only needs a light dose of light fertilizer once or twice a year.

4. Incorrect Temperature

The bamboo plant is a fast-growing plant that thrives best in warm temperatures. The plant will do well in a growing environment of sixty-five to ninety degrees Fahrenheit. Healing or cooling vents can stress a plant so ensure to place them away from sources of heat and air-conditioning.

5. Pests Infestations

Common Pests like spider mites, thrips, and aphids can stalk the bamboo leaves. Thrips are the most dangerous pests that can infect the bamboo plant. They are tiny insects that are small in size and can only grow about 0.4-1.6mm in length.

They are also capable of flying and can multiply rapidly. When infected, the bamboo plant loses its decorative effect because the pests chew out the buds damaging all tissues and affecting the plant’s food production process. This condition will lead to yellowing, curling, and even falling off the bamboo leaves.

6. Poor Water Quality

Bamboo plants are highly susceptible to damages caused by unfiltered chemicals in the water. Such chemicals include fluoride and chlorine. To fix this problem, try using bottled or distilled water instead.

However, the effect of these unfiltered chemicals is not usually noticeable overnight. The chemicals accumulate over time, making the toxic substances inhibit essential plant processes like photosynthesis, respiration, and metabolism.

Ways To Treat Bamboo Leaves Turning Yellow

There are several ways to treat bamboo leaves turning yellow. Here are a few tips;

1 . Avoid Chlorinated Water

Do a run check of your water before you spray on your plant because most indoor water sources are rich in chlorine which can cause the leaves of the bamboo plant to turn yellow. Although low chlorine levels will not harm your plant, it is advisable to use filtered distilled or rainwater.

Furthermore, if Chlorinated water is the only water source available for your bamboo plants, do not panic. An easier way to switch to filtered water is to prepare the chlorinated water by pouring a small quantity into a bowl and letting it sit overnight. This way, the chlorine will evaporate.

2. Proper Fertilizer

Whether you are growing your bamboo plant in water or soil, you still need to fertilize it and applying Fertilizer once or twice a year should do the trick. Note that yellow leaves are caused by over-fertilization, so if you’ve fertilized the plant before changing the water, don’t fertilize it for at least a couple of months.

3. Maintain A Consistent Temperature

Bamboo plants grow best in temperatures between 65-95° which is the same temperature in homes and offices. However, please do not keep them under the air conditioner or heater vents as the drafts can change the temperature a bit which can cause the yellowing of leaves.

4. Prune The Plants

Pruning is an essential process because it encourages the regrowth of fresh green leaves. It is not only the yellow leaves that need pruning. Prune overlong or crooked shoots to a length of around one or two inches from the stalk.

5. Good Watering Patterns

If you are growing bamboo leaves in soil, keep it damp. Moreover, it is easy to get carried away with the watering, and you may overwater and underwater the plant.

However, if you are unsure how much water your plant needs, you can perform a soil test by pressing your finger gently on the soil’s surface to check if it is wet or dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

1 . Can Bamboo Leaves Be Eaten?

Bamboo Leaves are edible, so that they are eaten as vegetables. Its leaves benefits include vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin A, niacin, thiamine, fibers, and carbohydrates. Bamboo leaves and roots are also high in protein and may positively affect metabolism.

2. What Nutrients Are In Bamboo Leaves?

Bamboo leaves contain a good source of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, calcium, copper, iron, thiamine, zinc, and chromium.

3. Are Bamboo Leaves Toxic To Humans?

Results have proven that fresh bamboo contains cyanide and will cause an average human body to be sick if consumed in higher amounts.

4. Do All Bamboo Leaves Contain Cyanide?

According to reports, fresh bamboo shoots contain cyanide as high as 25mg/kg, while dried canned or boiled bamboo shoots contain cyanide of about 5.3mg.

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