The leaves on your beloved aloe vera may have turned yellow recently. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one! I’ve been growing aloes for years, and this is one of the most common problems I see. Let me tell you everything I know about taking care of yellow aloe vera plants.
Common Causes of Yellowing Aloe Vera Plants
The main reasons your aloe vera is turning yellow include:
- Overwatering (most common!)
- Underwatering
- Poor drainage
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Root rot
- Temperature stress
- Sudden environmental changes
The #1 Culprit: Overwatering
In my experience, overwatering is hands-down the biggest reason aloe plants turn yellow. These desert plants hate having “wet feet”! Here’s what happens when you overwater
- Leaves become soft and mushy
- Yellow color starts appearing
- Stems get weak and droopy
- Roots begin rotting
- Plant becomes unstable in soil
How to Fix an Overwatered Aloe
If you’ve been giving your aloe too much love (aka water) here’s what to do
- Stop watering immediately
- Move plant to a brighter spot
- Check drainage holes aren’t blocked
- Remove plant from pot
- Cut away any rotted roots (they’ll be brown/black and mushy)
- Repot in fresh, well-draining succulent soil
- Wait 1-2 weeks before watering again
Proper Watering Schedule
Here’s my tried-and-true watering approach
Summer:
- Water every 2-3 weeks
- Let soil dry completely between waterings
- Water deeply when you do water
Winter:
- Water once a month or less
- Reduce watering by 50%
- Always check soil moisture first
The Rice Water Trick
An old gardener taught me this cool trick: water your yellowing aloe with rice rinse water. The starch and nutrients in the water can help plants that are having a hard time come back to life. I’ve used this successfully several times.
Other Common Causes & Solutions
Poor Drainage
Your aloe needs:
- Well-draining succulent soil
- Pot with drainage holes
- Never sitting in water
Temperature Stress
Ideal conditions:
- 55-80°F (13-27°C)
- No cold drafts
- Away from AC vents
- Protected from extreme heat
Nutrient Deficiency
Signs include:
- Pale yellow-green color
- Thin leaves
- Slow growth
- Yellow leaf tips
Prevention Tips
To keep your aloe vera healthy and green:
- Use terracotta pots (they breathe better)
- Place in bright indirect light
- Don’t overwater (seriously!)
- Use proper succulent soil
- Maintain consistent temperatures
- Feed lightly during growing season
When to Say Goodbye
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, parts of the plant may be too far gone. If leaves are:
- Extremely mushy
- Dark brown or black
- Falling over at the base
It’s best to remove these leaves to help the plant recover.
My Personal Experience
When I first started growing aloes, I nearly killed one by overwatering. The leaves turned yellow and got all mushy – it was pretty gross! But after learning proper care techniques and implementing the tips above, I’ve successfully grown dozens of healthy aloe plants.
Remember, aloe vera is super resilient! Even if your plant looks rough now, with proper care it can bounce back. Just remember – these are desert plants that prefer neglect over too much attention.
Note: Every plant is different, so don’t get discouraged if recovery takes time. Patience and consistent care are key to nursing your aloe back to health.
What Makes Aloe Vera Plants Unwell and How to Prevent It
When plants get exposed to conditions they don’t like, they become stressed, and start showing signs that they’re unhealthy.
What are the conditions that can stress Aloe vera plants?
When Aloe vera plants are overwatered, the leaves will fade in colour, yellow, brown off and eventually rot away.
Testing for overwatering is quick and easy:
- You can use a garden hand trowel to check if the soil is wet if the plants are in the ground.
- If plants are in pots, pick the pot up and feel how heavy it is. If it feels too heavy, it means that the growing medium is full of water.
Aloe vera plants don’t need much water. If they’re growing in containers, water once a week in summer and once every two weeks in winter. All tropical and subtropical plants don’t like too much water when it’s cold, as it rots their roots.
What about rainfall?
If you grow Aloe vera outside in pots or containers, don’t leave them out in the rain during the winter. Instead, put them somewhere that will protect them from the rain. An ideal place is near a sunny house wall where the roof overhangs and protects them from the rain. I have mine containers of aloe vera growing against a west facing wall, where the afternoon winter sun warms the wall and elevates the winter night temperature around the plants.
If you plant aloe vera in the ground and it rains, the plants will be fine as long as the soil drains well in the winter. Soils that are heavy in clay should be amended before planting. The soil in the planting area needs to be mixed with compost (about 25% by volume) to make it drain better.
Can the size of pot make a difference?
Overpotting a plant can cause waterlogging! Aloe vera plants, just like all other succulents, need to be grown in a soil mixture drains freely when grown in pots. Please don’t use garden soil in pots, that becomes mud in containers when it gets wet! Even when using a well draining growing medium (potting mix), if the pot is too large for the plant, the plant’s small root system isn’t capable of taking up all the water, which results in the growing medium staying excessively wet for an extended period of time. This has the same effect as overwatering on the plant.
Aloe vera plants prefer to be snug in their pot with a dense root mass, so when transplanting them, move them up to the next sized pot only, don’t put them in an overly large pot. Give the plant around 3-4 cm (1-1 ½”) of space all round the sides in the new pot. Transplant Aloe vera plants every two years to freshen to growing medium and aerate the roots.
The Symptoms of an Unhealthy Aloe Vera Plant
When Aloe vera plants are subjected to unfavourable conditions, they may show some of the following signs:
- As time goes on, the leaves lose their green color and turn straw yellow, then light brown.
- Leaf tips darken and dry out.
- Leaves dry out and wither.
- Leaves become soft and mushy, and begin to rot.
A pair of unhealthy Aloe vera plants that have been overwatered and exposed to sudden cold weather.
Why Aloe Vera Leaves Are Turning Brown and How To Manage It
FAQ
How do I get my aloe plant to turn green again?
Aloe plants’ browning, drying leaves and tips won’t turn green again, but you can keep the plant from turning brown again by giving it water as needed. This usually happens when the soil is completely dry and the leaves start to wrinkle.
Do aloe plants need direct sunlight?
Aloe plants thrive with plenty of light but not necessarily direct sunlight. They prefer bright, indirect light, similar to the dappled shade of their natural desert habitat.
How to revive a dying aloe vera plant?
To revive a dying aloe vera plant, assess the cause of its distress, which is often related to watering, sunlight, or root rot. Address the issue by adjusting watering frequency, ensuring proper drainage, and providing adequate sunlight.