3

I have this problem with my rue, that some of its leaves are yellow and weak. I tried watering less often and all the leaves became a little dry/crispy so I assumed it was not over watering. I live in a template area and right now there are about 24C (75F). The rue has roughly (I think) 5-6 hours of sun, maybe more. At first I thought that it was natural since it appeared more on the bottom leaves but now it's more proportionally spread. I'll appreciate any help, thank you.

enter image description here

enter image description here

enter image description here

enter image description here

xtreyreader
  • 189
  • 8
  • Is it planted in that terracotta pot? Do you keep a saucer or tray underneath the pot all the time? How long has the plant been in the pot (if its actually planted in it and not just stood inside it)? – Bamboo Nov 17 '20 at 17:39
  • It's actually a metallic pot (it does not get very warm tho). The plant has been at least 3 months there but already had this problem back ago. Since it was on a smaller pot I thought it would help but it didn't. I have nothing underneath the pot, which is on a floating surface. – xtreyreader Nov 17 '20 at 17:45
  • Ah,, okay -does the pot have drainage holes? what soil did you use in the pot? – Bamboo Nov 17 '20 at 21:37
  • Yes it has 3 relatively big holes. The soil is from a backyard. Do you suspect it could be some nutrient deficiency? – xtreyreader Nov 17 '20 at 23:16

2 Answers2

4

The problem is most probably dehydration, since when you watered less, you saw more of yellow leaves and since the leaves of plants that are under-watered will be crispy with a slight curl to the leaf (same as shown in the image above) while over-watered leaves will be limp.

You are planting in a pot, so the pot's size, the size of drainage holes and the soil's structure may affect the water retention and the plant's water and nutrient absorption.

This problem also may be caused by nutrient deficiency (nitrogen), and a lack of soil fertility.

What I suggest is that you add some fertilizer, and you water frequently whenever you place your finger deep in the soil and find out that it is dry. Whenever you find that the pot is small, then it's time to transplant to a bigger one.

Samer_Azar
  • 200
  • 6
1

I have a number of rue pots, maybe half of which have the yellow leaves. I just noticed that the yellow ones appear to have many more earthworms around their roots than the blue-green leafed ones. We have had an exceptionally wet season recently, so I am wondering if the worms are damaging the roots (I read that excessive water can soften the roots, making them more palatable to worms). Once the leaves are all yellow the plant doesn't recover. I believe you can flush the worms out by submerging the roots in soapy water for 20 minutes but I havent tried this yet.

Ian Mansell
  • 11
  • 1