Daylily leaves turning yellow is a serious problem when the soil is poor, plants face drought stress or severe insect infestation. Luckily, all these causes are curable if you follow the right fixing methods.
Continue reading to know how to stop the yellowing and maintain leaf health.
What Causes Yellow Daylily Leaves?
The cause of yellow daylily leaves is usually because of bad soil. Leaving will also be affected if you water the plants inaccurately or grow them in poorly lighted conditions. In addition, when there is a disease attack or insect infestation, leaves can discolor and start having big yellow patches.
– Imbalance of Soil PH
The biggest reason that causes daylily to turn yellow is unsuitable soil conditions. The main problem that it can face is the imbalance of pH. Daylilies prefer slightly acidic soil with 6 to 6.5 pH.
If the pH is lower and higher than this range, nutrients will become unavailable for the plants. Root burn can also happen, impacting water and mineral absorption. As a result, the leaves will start changing their color to yellow.
– Adding Too Much Water
It is important to follow a proper watering schedule is important when growing daylily. Adding more water can cause water logging conditions, even if the soil has excellent drainage capabilities.
The air supply gets restricted in waterlogging, and root efficiency will take a hit. This will cause water and mineral stress in plants, causing the leaves to get yellow. Furthermore, fungus loves to grow in such conditions. So, when you apply more water, your plants will be prone to severe fungus attacks.
– Drought Stress
Like overwatering, not adding enough water can also cause leaf yellowing. Daylilies need weekly irrigation to stay healthy. But if you don’t add water and the soil gets moisture-less, the internal processes in the leaves will decline.
Water is an important part of photosynthesis, transpiration, evaporation, and other processes (which all maintain plants’ health and color). So, when there is water insufficiency, these processes will slow down or stop completely.
When this happens, the leaves will start to have yellow stops. Then, they will detach from the plants after some time and fall off. So, why are my daylilies dying? Then chances are you have not watered plants correctly.
– Insufficient Light
When you see daylily leaves turning light green, the plant is not getting enough light. Daylilies need direct sunlight for at least four hours to maintain photosynthesis, which will keep leaves green. But if there is no sun for weeks or you are growing plants in areas without sunlight, leaves will start to discolor as photosynthesis will not occur seamlessly.
– Plenty of Unnecessary Light
Over-lighting conditions are not desirable at all. For example, when you notice daylily leaves turning yellow in summer, plants are getting more light than required. In this condition, the moisture in the leaves dries up. This causes water stress, which ultimately impacts physiological functions. In addition, more light can cause sunburn, which can turn plant leaves brittle and yellow.
– Insect Infestation
Another reason leaves turn yellow is insect attack. Aphids, thrips, and spider mites love to feed on the leaves of this plant. They suck the chlorophyll-containing juice, which causes loss of pigment. As a result, yellow spots appear on the leaves.
– Disease Damages
Are your daylilies turning brown and yellow at the same time? Then chances are the plant is facing diseases. Daylily leaf streak is a common disease caused by Aureobasidium microstictum fungus. In this disease, you will see brownish-yellow dots on the leaves first. With time, you will also notice a yellow streak along the midvein.
Root rot is another disease that can cause leaf discoloration. In this, the fungus attacks roots, ultimately weakening the whole plant. With time, you will see daylily, plain lily, or hosta leaves turning yellow and finally falling off.
How Do You Fix Yellow Leaves of Daylilies?
To fix the yellow leaves of daylilies, ensure soil health. You should also check how much moisture is present to avoid drought stress. Furthermore, providing optimal light, controlling pests can also stop the yellowing as well as keeping diseases in check.
– Improve Soil Conditions
When leaves start to discolor, the first thing to do is to ensure the soil is in good condition. You should regularly check the current pH using pH strips to ensure it is ideal for plants. If the strips show pH is lower than required, then add lime. If the pH is higher, give a dose of sulfur.
You should also add nutrients to the soil during the growing season so that the plant stays healthy. It is important to give a fertilizer dose before the flowering as daylilies spend their most energy during this time. It is advised to prefer organic fertilizers like compost because they are affordable and eco-friendly.
– Add Enough Water
It would be best if you watered daylilies when the soil becomes dry. Adding water to the overly moist soil will allow the fungus to attack. Furthermore, over-adding water also causes oxygen stress. Therefore, you should also add water in controlled quantities.
Use a moisture detector or meter to determine whether there is any water near the roots. If you don’t have this device, use your fingers to sense any moisture. When the soil feels somewhat dry, only then apply water.
– Provide Proper Lighting Conditions
If you are growing daylilies outdoors, ensure they are under the full sun for at least four and not more than six hours. Please place them indoors in those spots where they will receive indirect light for around five to six hours. If you use grow lights, put the pots at an ideal distance with the bulb to ensure plants don’t face any light stress.
– Keep a Check on Insects
When you spot many insects near your daylilies, use organic repellents. The best ones are neem oil spray, wood ash, baking soda, and vinegar. If you still see more insects, then use chemical insecticides.
If you go for chemical ones, stick to every instruction printed on the bottle. You should also follow precautionary measures like wearing a mask and gloves during spraying. Some only spray on top of plants, but it is ineffective. It would be best to use insecticides on the underside of leaves as many insects live there.
– Save Plants From Diseases
To stop leaf yellowing from diseases, and you should follow plant care measures. For example, in case of a root rot attack, replace the infected soil with a healthy one. You should also cut off infected leaves and throw them away from your garden. This will stop the yellowing spread.
Wondering how to treat leaf streak on daylilies? To control this disease, spray fungicides. Experts suggest those that contain chlorothalonil, mancozeb, or thiophanate-methyl. Applying these fungicides will also treat any other fungal disease and keep the leaves healthy.
Conclusion
All in all, daylilies change their color to yellow when they face different types of stress. Here is a list of key points to refresh every important detail about how to deal with this yellowing:
- Apply water adequately to avoid drought stress, waterlogging, and fungal growth.
- Make sure the soil has excellent drainage properties with optimal pH.
- Allow daylilies to enjoy the light for four to six hours.
- Follow proper plant care measures to control insect and disease damage.
The leaves will stay green and shiny when you stick to these points.
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