A healthy calla lily has dark green leaves. If you notice yellow leaves, it’s a sign that something is wrong. But what? Luckily, most of the problems that cause calla lily leaves to turn yellow are easy to fix and won’t result in the death of your plant.
Let’s look a little closer at calla lily yellowing leaves, what causes it, and what you can do about it.
What Causes Calla Lilies To Have Yellowing Leaves?
Yellow leaves on a plant are also called chlorosis, which is a lack of chlorophyll. There are two reasons your calla lily plant might have chlorosis: because it lacks the proper nutrients or because it’s suffering from root rot.
Nutrient Deficiency
When calla lilies aren’t getting the right nutrients, their leaves often turn yellow. Most often, they’re missing manganese, zinc, iron, or other minerals they need to stay healthy.
If your plant has a nutrient deficiency, it’s usually because the minerals it needs are not in the soil.
Root Rot
Root rot can happen if your calla lily roots have spent too much time in a wet or moist environment.
While you should water your calla lilies every 4-5 days in the spring, watering them too much or having a lot of rain can overwhelm the roots. If the calla lilies are in a pot or soil that doesn’t drain well, the roots can become waterlogged.
It’s not just standing water that can be the culprit when it comes to root rot. Sometimes it happens because the roots remain continually moist.
When a plant’s roots begin to rot, it leaves it susceptible to contracting other diseases.
How Do You Determine Why Your Calla Lily Has Yellowing Leaves?
When you notice yellowing leaves on a calla lily, the first thing you should do is to observe its environment and ask yourself these questions?
- Is it in a pot or dirt that doesn’t drain well?
- Is the dirt staying continually wet or moist?
- Have you been watering it more often than every 4-5 days?
- Has it been raining steadily?
If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then the problem is most likely with soil drainage and root rot.
If you don’t think you have a root rot problem, then your soil most likely has a nutrient deficiency.
To find out for sure if your soil is nutrient deficient, you can contact your local cooperative extension service to test your soil. Chances are if the soil around your lily isn’t getting the minerals it needs, neither are your other plants.
What Can You Do About Calla Lily Yellowing Leaves?
To solve yellowing or drooping calla lily leaves, you will need to address its nutrient deficiency or its root rot.
Nutrient Deficiency Solutions
If your soil lacks the minerals it needs, you should supplement the soil with a good-quality plant food high in phosphorus.
Fertilize them every other week, and you should start seeing healthier leaves and even larger blooms.
Root Rot Solutions
To treat root rot, you should clean the roots with water and remove any rotted roots before replanting in fresh soil.
There are several options for preventing root rot depending on why your plant is experiencing it. Some options include:
- Watering it only every 4-5 days
- Moving it to a pot with drainage
- Transferring it to a spot with well-drained soil
Final Thoughts
Luckily, having yellowing leaves doesn’t have to mean that your calla lily will die. Once you uncover why the leaves are yellowing, you can treat the plant and look forward to years of beautiful calla lilies.