Cactus comes in more than 2500 varieties with different shapes, colors and textures. It is primarily considered a desert plant but it is a popular choice for home plants as well. The cactus plant has relatively low maintenance.
Have you seen your Cactus truing yellow and eventually die? Have you tried everything to prevent your Cactus from turning yellow, but nothing worked? Many home gardeners face the problem of yellowing in cactus.
Read on and you will never need to worry about your cactus turning yellow again.
The reasons for your Cactus turning yellow may vary from inadequate watering (both more and less is bad), improper light, sun or too much cold, inadequate size of the pot, nutrition level and nature of soil and in some rare cases pest infestation.
All these problems can be easily taken care of in the home environment. Let’s understand the causes and their solutions in detail.
Why is your Cactus turning yellow?
1. Large pot size
When it comes to a plant pot, size does matter. The most basic reason for the cactus turning yellow is that it has outgrown its pot. This is the cactus’s way of telling you that it needs space to grow. Just re-pot the plant in a bigger pot and wait for few days.
2. Improper watering
Yes, inadequate watering may be another reason causing the cactus to turn yellow. Both less and more water is bad. Generally, a cactus should be watered bi-weekly.
Waterlogging can make the roots rot and the plant will eventually die. So more water is not equal to more love in this case.
3. Improper potting soil
Cactus loves well-drained soil. The soil should dry up quickly after watering. So, clayey soil (which is tightly packed) may not be suitable for the cactus.
A quick way to check this is, put a wooden stick inside the pot and if it comes out wet, the soil may not be drying up adequately, consider changing it.
Also, if the soil is old consider changing it and fortifying it with fertilizers. Often saturation of fertilizers is the reason for the plan to turn yellow as it is not getting enough nutrition.
4. Wrong Plant Placement
Yes, the cactus is a desert plant but not all species need a full day of direct sun. In fact, the cactus grown in nurseries may not be very fond of the sun. Identify your cactus type and place it accordingly. Also, save the plan from the extreme winter chill.
Experiment with your little spiky by keeping it in direct sun, shade, indirect sun. Keep it where it grows the best.
5. Pests
Pest infestation, though rare, is another reason for the Cactus to turn yellow. Cactus, in general, is immune to pests. But some pests like mealy bush and whiteflies sometimes attack the plant in colonies.
Examine your plant closely for any bug marks, discoloration, white layer on the soil. In case you find any of these symptoms, contact the nearest nursery and get a pesticide for your plant.
Hope you are able to identify the reason for your Cactus turning yellow and are able to rectify it. Do share your experience in the comments below.
