Yellow leaf & brown spots on white bird of paradise.
So i noticed this yellow leaf today while cleaning. It was not there few days ago when i watered and cleaned the leaves. Is this leaf dying? Watering issue? I water my pkant on schedule and soil is still moist to touch. What can be the cause or is this salvageable? #BirdOfParadise
3ft to light, indirect
10” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 year ago
5
Best Answer
That’s excellent, that plant will love a humidifier! It sounds like you’re doing everything right for that baby to thrive! You could try changing your fertilizer method. I have 3 birds and they seem to like it, I’ll drop the link to the one I have. It’s water soluble and you only add 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water. It works well! It’s a balanced NPK which is what a bird prefers.
Another thing, if that’s a lower leaf, it may just be dying of old age. I just had a leaf I had to pull off of mine last night that was yellow and old so I pulled it. Here’s a picture.
You could also get a moisture meter which makes my life SO much easier! I’ll feel the soil with my finger to make sure the top is dry, and then I use a meter to get lower into the soil to tell me how damp it is. I always water my birds when the meter is at a 3 or 4 on my meter.
When was the last time he had a repot?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001REA5NK?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Another thing, if that’s a lower leaf, it may just be dying of old age. I just had a leaf I had to pull off of mine last night that was yellow and old so I pulled it. Here’s a picture.
You could also get a moisture meter which makes my life SO much easier! I’ll feel the soil with my finger to make sure the top is dry, and then I use a meter to get lower into the soil to tell me how damp it is. I always water my birds when the meter is at a 3 or 4 on my meter.
When was the last time he had a repot?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001REA5NK?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Hi there! So there’s a few reasons why this happens. It can be overwatered, underwatered, it may need more light, or it could be lacking some nutrients. How often do you water, how far is it from a window, and how often do you fertilize? Birds of paradise are heavy feeders who should be fertilized bi-weekly!
@Bplants thank you for your reply. My bop is right next to window with plenty of indirect light throughout day. No direct sunlight though. I water it every 10 days or until i feel the top soil is dry. Which is usually around 10-12 days. I added fertilizer sticks month and a half ago (as i read that it adds fertilizer when its needed, whenever plant is watered). This is my first bop so no experience before. So im doing pretty much everything intuitively😔…Also, i put a humidifier in the room to increase humidity as its getting cold and we use heater now. This yellowing happened very quickly, like within 2/3 days.
@Bplants thank you so much for the link…i will def. Invest in a moisture meter because i am always suspecious of moisture levels of my plants lol.
Yes its a lower leaf and kind of small one. I am actually getting a new leaf, its taking its sweet time to fully shoot & open up so may be the older one is dying 🤷🏻♀️…Still no fun watching a healthy leaf going yellow mellow like this🥲.
This one is still in his nursery pot…im a little afraid of repotting big plants as i dont want to damage them. Also lack of experience🫣…but there are few smaller plants on the list which i will repot, coming spring. Should i add him to the list as well?
One more question, do i have to get the fertilizer sticks out before switching to other method of fertilizing?
Yes its a lower leaf and kind of small one. I am actually getting a new leaf, its taking its sweet time to fully shoot & open up so may be the older one is dying 🤷🏻♀️…Still no fun watching a healthy leaf going yellow mellow like this🥲.
This one is still in his nursery pot…im a little afraid of repotting big plants as i dont want to damage them. Also lack of experience🫣…but there are few smaller plants on the list which i will repot, coming spring. Should i add him to the list as well?
One more question, do i have to get the fertilizer sticks out before switching to other method of fertilizing?
You’re welcome!! Moisture meters are super helpful! But also double check with your finger, I don’t put all of my trust in the meters!
It sounds like this might just be an old leaf dying off. Especially if it’s a lower small one!
You’re supposed to repot every 1-2 years, or sooner if you notice roots growing out of the bottom of the nursery pot. I would probably add this guy to your list to repot this coming year to give it some fresh soil! They’re pretty easy to repot. If you will be mixing your own soil, here is a soil recipe for you:
1 part coco coir
1 part perlite
1 part orchid bark
1 part horticultural charcoal
1 part worm castings (natural fertilizer)
My birds enjoy that mix.
When you’re ready to repot, you can always tag me in a post and I’ll help with whatever questions you might have!
I would remove the fertilizer sticks if you’re going to change to the soluble kind! If you over fertilize, you run the risk of burning roots and leaves!
It sounds like this might just be an old leaf dying off. Especially if it’s a lower small one!
You’re supposed to repot every 1-2 years, or sooner if you notice roots growing out of the bottom of the nursery pot. I would probably add this guy to your list to repot this coming year to give it some fresh soil! They’re pretty easy to repot. If you will be mixing your own soil, here is a soil recipe for you:
1 part coco coir
1 part perlite
1 part orchid bark
1 part horticultural charcoal
1 part worm castings (natural fertilizer)
My birds enjoy that mix.
When you’re ready to repot, you can always tag me in a post and I’ll help with whatever questions you might have!
I would remove the fertilizer sticks if you’re going to change to the soluble kind! If you over fertilize, you run the risk of burning roots and leaves!