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Not sure what to do when Monstera leaves turning yellow? Check the common causes and simple fixes before the problem gets worse.
Yellow leaves are one of those things that make you immediately wonder what went wrong. You look at your Monstera, see that bright green leaf starting to fade, and suddenly you are checking everything. Before you reach for fertilizer or start repotting, take a breath. A yellow leaf does not always mean there is a serious problem. If it is just one of the older leaves near the bottom of the plant, your Monstera may simply be getting rid of an old leaf. That happens. But when yellowing starts showing up on several leaves, or the leaves turn yellow very quickly, you would start looking at the growing conditions and find out why your Monstera leaves turning yellow.
Monstera Leaves Turning Yellow What To Do
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1. Check the soil before you do anything else
This is usually where I would start.
Push a finger into the soil rather than watering because it happens to be your usual watering day. You want to know what is actually going on inside the pot.
If the soil is still wet, leave the plant alone for now. Monsteras like moisture, but their roots also need oxygen. Soil that stays soaked for days can cause trouble, and the leaves may start turning yellow before you notice anything happening below the soil.
If the soil is dry all the way down, though, the opposite may be happening. Give the plant a thorough watering and let the extra water run out of the drainage holes.
The important thing is not to water your Monstera on autopilot. Check the soil first. Also, check what you can add to the soil to make Monstera grow faster.
2. Take a good look at the pot
A pot can cause more problems than you might expect.
Make sure there is a drainage hole underneath. If there is nowhere for excess water to escape, the roots can remain wet even if you are careful about how much you pour in.
I would also pay attention to the potting mix. If it feels heavy and stays wet for a long time, it may be holding more water than your Monstera needs.
A loose mix works better. Adding something like perlite or orchid bark can help create air spaces in the soil and allow excess water to move through.
If you suspect the roots have been sitting in water for too long, check them. Gently remove the plant from the pot and look at what is happening underneath.
Mushy, dark roots are not a good sign. Healthy roots should feel firm rather than soft and slimy.
Here is a potting mix that will help your plants.
3. Think about the light
Now look at where the plant is sitting.
Monsteras like plenty of bright, indirect light. A plant that spends most of the day in a dim corner may struggle to grow well. It also tends to use water more slowly, which means the soil can remain damp for longer.
A brighter spot near a window is usually better. Just be careful with strong direct afternoon sunlight. If your Monstera has always lived in lower light, suddenly putting it in harsh sun can scorch the leaves.
Sometimes the easiest clue is the plant itself. If it has stopped growing, the leaves look smaller than usual, or the stems are stretching toward the window, it probably needs more light.
These filter curtains let in natural light for your plants.
4. Look underneath the leaves
Do not forget about insects.
Turn a few leaves over and inspect the undersides, especially around the veins. Look closely at the stems too. Thrips, spider mites, scale, and other pests can leave damage that looks like a general decline at first.
You might see tiny insects, fine webbing, pale speckles, sticky spots, or silvery marks on the leaves.
If you find pests, move the plant away from your other houseplants while you deal with the infestation. It is much easier to contain the problem early.
This organic neem oil can be used to effectively kill the pests on your plants.
5. Fertilizer is not always the answer
Yellow leaves often tempt people to reach for fertilizer. I would not make that your first move.
If the roots are struggling because the soil is constantly wet, adding fertilizer will not solve the problem. The same goes for a Monstera that is sitting in a dark room.
Fix the basic growing conditions first. Once the plant is growing properly again, you can think about feeding it during its active growing season.
Too much fertilizer can create another problem by building up salts in the soil, so more is definitely not better.
Give your Monstera bright indoor light with this LED grow light.
When one yellow leaf is perfectly normal
Sometimes you can simply leave the plant alone.
If the yellowing is happening to an older leaf at the bottom and the rest of your Monstera looks healthy, watch it for a while. Plants do not keep every leaf forever.
The leaf will eventually turn completely yellow, dry out, and drop. You can remove it once it has died back.
I would be more concerned if yellowing starts moving through several leaves at once. That is when you should start investigating instead of assuming the plant is just aging.
Should you cut off the yellow leaf?
A completely yellow leaf will not turn green again. Once it has reached that point, you can cut it off with clean scissors.
Do not start removing leaves just because they have a small yellow area, though. There is no benefit in cutting healthy tissue away before you know what caused the problem.
And if new leaves continue turning yellow after you remove the old ones, the scissors obviously were not the solution. Go back to the soil, light, drainage, and roots.
Use this sharp pair of scissors for all the trimming in your outdoor or indoor garden.
Give the plant a little time
This is probably the hardest part.
After you correct the problem, you may still have yellow leaves sitting on the plant. That does not mean your changes failed. A damaged leaf does not suddenly repair itself because you fixed the watering.
Watch the new growth instead.
If the new leaves look healthy and the plant starts growing normally again, you are heading in the right direction. Keep the conditions steady rather than making another round of changes every few days.
When you are trying to figure out why Monstera leaves turning yellow then start with the simple things. Feel the soil. Check the drainage. Look at the light. Inspect the leaves and roots if something still seems off.
Most importantly, look at the whole plant rather than treating one yellow leaf as the problem. That usually gives you a much better idea of what your Monstera actually needs.
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