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Why Are My Vinca Leaves Turning Yellow – 4 Genuine Reasons!

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Numerous flowering plants captivate our gaze and allow us to shift our focus from reality to unconditional hope and happiness. None, however, come close to the Vinca plant.

With a vast spectrum of colors and smells, this green guy is among the most beautiful flowering plants. However, since beauty stems from health, it’s essential to keep an eye on your plant’s health at all times, just so you don’t end up with the dilemma of why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow.

Vinca leaves can quickly turn yellow, posing a threat to the plant’s general health. If you’re wondering why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow, read on.

Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow
Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow? — Image via Reddit.

Why Are My Vinca Leaves Turning Yellow?

Here are 4 primary reasons for you to think, “Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow?”

Iron Deficiency

The most apparent and visible sign of Iron deficiency in any plant is the yellowing of the leaves.

“You will see your plant’s newly grown leaves getting white or yellow from the veins, called iron chlorosis or interveinal chlorosis.”

This can be so dangerous for the whole plant that if not taken care of, you can lose the entire plant within a matter of days.

The other significant signs at later stages can be root damage because the plant will take no more water due to iron deficiency weakness. Plus, you could also witness some leaves turning completely white.

Note: Iron deficiency can also occur due to the overaccumulation of metal substances around the roots.

Solution

The remedy for iron chlorosis is simple but slow. The slower and smoother it will be, the longer it will last.

  • Iron chlorosis in any plant has a lot to do with the pH level of the soil and its composition.
  • You’ll need to check the soil’s pH level—usually, the ideal pH level for Vinca plants is 6.5.
  • However, if iron chlorosis worsens, you can easily drop the pH level to 4.5 to provide a more acidic environment for Vinca, as it thrives more in an acidic environment than in an alkaline one.

You’ll need to add some iron sulfate, ferrous sulfate, aluminum sulfate, or sulfur. That will give plants a slow but steady way to gain strength again.

Lack of Proper Drainage

Having a proper pothole for drainage is super necessary! If your plant is facing blockage, it can die within some days after its leaves turn yellow.

This usually happens when the soil gets compacted in the surrounding area of the pothole or the plant size increases. Lack of drainage causes the soil to become damp (due to accumulation of moisture), leading to many troubles for your Vinca plant.

Vincas are vulnerable to easily getting attacked by fungus gnats, snails, insects, and sap sucking pests within 14 days of improper drainage.

Solution

  • If you notice that the plant size has grown up and the plant doesn’t fit well in the pot anymore, immediately change the pot to a larger one.
  • While doing that, make sure to treat roots softly, as they might be stuck in the pothole, blocking the passage. (You can sparingly moisten the soil before taking the plant out of the pot, making it slide out easily.)
  • But if that’s not the case, then try finding what’s the thing that’s blocking the passage. Remove that thing and place the Vinca plant with any similar plant.
Plant pots with drainage holes—Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow?
Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow? If you want to prevent the beautiful foliage of your precious plant from turning yellow and avoid overwatering, use pots with drainage holes—Image via Annie Spratt.

Related Article: How to Make the Best Potting Mix for Indoor Plants

Under/Over Watering

Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow, you say? You’ll get concerned by reading what watering schedules and quantity can do to your plants.

Water is essential for all living things, including plants and trees. However, if your plant’s water intake or absorption increases or decreases than normal, it will die. Yes, die!

Vinca plants’ leaves begin to turn yellow or brown as the situation progresses. Then the drooping begins, and root damage develops over time if not addressed beforehand.

“On this earth, everything prefers mediocrity. As a result, the amount of water that goes into the soil should always be a top consideration.”

Overwatering causes roots to rot in the shade. On the other hand, underwatering causes roots to shrink to the point where they can no longer breathe and die.

Solution

  • Depending on the climate zone you live in, make sure to follow suitable watering schedules accordingly.
  • Water once or twice a week in warm, humid environments and once every two to three weeks in cold and dry regions. Or simply water Vinca when at least the top 2 inches of the soil gets dried.

Absence of Nitrogen

Nitrogen deficiency, unlike iron insufficiency, can have more severe implications regarding the yellowing of leaves in Vinca plants. A suitable plant soil type is a must-have for anyone working with fruit-bearing and flowering plants.

Nitrogen deficiency stunts plant growth, resulting in a dying and living scenario.

  • The leaves either become yellow or fall quickly as a result of this.
  • Not only that, but nitrogen is essential for the metabolism and production of chlorophyll in plants i.e. nitrogen deficiency causes shunted growth and chlorosis.
  • They are both in charge of the plant’s food digestion and energy absorption, which enables reproduction and growth.
  • Nitrogen also aids the development of healthy flowers and fruits in flowering and fruit-bearing plants. People frequently use soils with balanced nitrogen content.

However, other plants, such as legumes, do not require nitrogen because they can produce it on their own.

Solution

The best way to overcome this deficiency is to check soil or loam composition.

How can you do that?

Well, that depends on what kind of soil or loam you use. If it’s factory processed, then that’s pretty easy to check.

All you will have to do is check the composition column at the back of the packaging to confirm whether the soil has 10-10-10 nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium or not. If it has, that’s a perfect thing to buy!

Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow? Top 10 Reasons for Leaf Yellowing and Leaf Burning / Browning with Treatment – YouTube

Conclusion

To summarize what we’ve said so far, let’s sum up the talk here.

Utilizing the best organic fertilizer in the soil every 15 to 20 days will help you reduce leaf yellowing. It’s best to use a fertilizer with a 10-10-10 nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratio, as this is the preferred ratio to prevent “Why are my Vinca leaves turning yellow?” coming into your mind.

However, if you’re making soil fertilizer, you’ll need to be quite cautious about what you put in it. Make sure the NPK ratio is balanced because that will influence the overall growth of the Vinca plant!

Regards.