Do I Cut Off Yellow Leaves?

Whether it’s an Alocasia, a weeping fig or a Pothos you might find yourself asking the question do I need to cut off yellow leaves?

Whether or not you cut off yellow leaves will depend on what you want your plant to look like, the type of plant it is and whether you want the plant to promote growth or not. Here are some of the reasons why you may want to consider cutting off yellow leaves.

For Aesthetic Reasons

The first reason you might want to cut off yellow leaves is because of the way they make the plant look. Yellow leaves aren’t always attractive and can detract from an otherwise beautiful plant. Cutting away the dead or dying leaves can make a plant look much healthier and will give you a more attractive plant to look at.

If you don’t mind how the leaves look when they’re yellow then feel free to leave them on your plant.

To Promote Growth

If you find that some of the leaves on your plant are yellowing but it’s still pushing out new growth then you may want to consider cutting away the yellow leaves, that way the plant can put all of its energies into growing new leaves rather than wasting its time sending nutrients to a leaf that is dying anyway.

If these aren’t issues for you then you can leave the yellow leaf on your plant and let it fall away naturally. Though don’t get your hopes up of the leaf returning to its usual green colour. Once the leaf is yellow it is in the process of dying and will probably fall off relatively soon.

Why not try reading how big do Alocasia get?

One thing to be aware of is that a yellow leaf can help you diagnose the problems you’re having with your plant. A yellow leaf normally indicates overwatering so check the moisture of the soil and see if this could be a problem for you. If you can diagnose this early you can avoid further damage to your plant.

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