Why is my Bamboo Plant Turning Yellow?

Some bamboo plants leaves turn yellow naturally due to weather changes and some like Phyllostachys Aurea (Golden Bamboo), and Phyllostachys Edulis Moso would have yellow leaves in spring.

Why is my bamboo stem turning yellow?

Some bamboo species might have yellow leaves depending on the sunlight’s exposure, and some prefer being in the sun while others do well in the shade. Some bamboo species also have natural yellow leaves, and diagnosing the problem could be difficult, but if all leaves turn brown and fall, it could be an indication of a serious issue.

However, you could easily recognize a problem since the leaves won’t appear normal as they could have a different shade of yellow, unlike their original color. The leaves could also develop spots or breakage on the ends as well as spots on the entire surface. If your bamboo’s leaves are turning yellow in a suspicious way, it would be prudent if you conduct troubleshoot to identify the issue.

Fresh Bamboo Leaves Are Yellow

When you notice that fresh bamboo leaves are turning yellow, it could be an indication that it lacks iron due to alkaline soil. Although some bamboo would do well in all PH levels, most of the species prefer acid soil over alkaline soil.

You should purchase a PH testing kit to determine the alkalinity of your soil, which helps give a precise test on the PH. When your soil is alkaline, you should treat it with acidic elements that reduce the PH. You could use home remedies such as compost manure from coffee grounds, oak leaves, or pine needles.

It will help alter the PH by adding this home compost to the soil at the foot of the bamboo tree. Additionally, you would add acidic plant food such as fertilizers that contain Chelate Iron. Still, it would help if you took caution not to add too many fertilizers as most bamboo could do well without the extra fertilizers. Moreover, sulfur could be a preferred treatment, especially if you want to make the soil very more acidic.

Older Leaves Are Turning Yellow

If older leaves turn yellow in an unnatural way, this could indicate the lack of nitrogen, the bamboo could be lacking nutrients, and you can correct this by applying fertilizers.

Although it could be confusing to know when the bamboo could require fertilizer, yellow leaves are an indication of malnutrition. You can use commercial fertilizer, which has higher components of the nitrogen compounds, and the manure could be a good source of other supplementary nutrients.

Bamboo Leaves Turn Yellow with Brown Tips

Yellow bamboo leaves with broken tips could indicate hydration; this could mean that you no longer supply your plant with the right amount of water. If you water your plant manually, it could mean that you could miss out on the irrigation when you are not at home, or you would even forget to water even when at home.

It would help if you considered developing a drip irrigation system that you can easily control even when not at home. Drip irrigation provides water to the bamboos according to the needs of the specific species.

Bamboo Leaves Turning Yellow at the Edges with Pale Spots

The spot is an indication of the pest invasion, which could be a result of mite’s infestation. It is hard to see the bugs with the naked eye as they are tinny, but the spots on the leaves are an indication of sucking caused by this tinny pests.

You could use pesticides to get rid of the mites, but since the insecticides can leave residues, you might want to resort to effective home remedies. You can use water under high pressure with neem oil, which does not affect the environment.

Yellow Leaves with Culms

Yellow bamboo leaves with culms could indicate a waterlogged environment, and bamboos require dry and hydrated soil. You can drain the ground by creating terraces that drain the excess water from the soil, and you can additionally add compost of clay soil to open up the soil and increase aeration.

The Bottom Line

The reason your bamboo tree could be having yellow leaves could be due to too little sun, alkaline soil, pest infestation lack of nutrients, or clogged soil. The turning of the leaves could depend on the bamboo species, and you should analyze the condition to come up with a solution to the yellow leaves.