Why Does a Marble Queen Pothos Get Yellow Leaves?

A common question you see in houseplant groups when it comes to Marble Queens is “Why is my Marble Queen Pothos yellowing?” Yellow leaves on any plant are never a good thing for a plant owner to see. Many times those with Marble Queen Pothos will see this happen. Sometimes yellow leaves on your Marble Queen Pothos can be nothing to worry about and other times it is an indication that something is wrong and that you need to take some action to help out your Pothos. In this article, we go over the reasons a Marble Queen Pothos would get yellow leaves and what you can do to help the plant when this happens.

Why Does a Marble Queen Pothos Get Yellow Leaves

Why A Marble Queen Pothos Gets Yellow Leaves

The main reasons that a Marble Queen would start to get yellowing leaves are:

  • Stress
  • Overwatering
  • Lack of Drainage
  • Needing to be Repotted
  • Lack of Roots

Most of the time these issues will require you to repot your Marble Queen.

Overwatered Marble Queen and Yellow Leaves

Overwatering is usually the number 1 culprit of a Marble Queen Pothos getting yellow leaves. All Pothos plants are susceptible to being overwatered.

If your soil is constantly moist this can lead to issues such as root rot. Root rot happens when the moisture in the soil starves the roots of oxygen. This can kill a plant if not taken care of. In order to deal with root rot, you will need to repot your plant.

If you have just started to see a few yellow leaves and you suspect that the issue could be overwatering, root rot might not have set in yet. The first thing you want to do is to allow your Pothos to dry out. Once the soil has dried then you can water the plant again.

If yellowing continues then you will want to repot the plant because root rot could have started. It is best at this time to get a cutting off your Pothos to propagate just in case you can not save the plant from root rot.

When you go to repot your Pothos check at this time to see if it might also be root bound. If so it is a good idea to upgrade the size of its pot. Select a pot that about 2 inches bigger than the current one and that has drainage.

Once you get your Marble Queen out of its pot clear off as much soil from around the roots as possible. Discard this soil that you get off of the plant and any that is in the pot still. As you get the roots exposed inspect them for damage. Root rot will usually present with brown mushy looking roots. Trim these off with sterile scissors. Once you have cleaned up the roots put your Marble Queen into the pot with new fresh soil. A good substrate to use is 80% peat-based potting mix with 20% perlite added to give it more drainage.

Lack of Drainage

Having either soil that doesn’t allow for drainage, a pot that doesn’t allow drainage, or having both can be a deadly combo for any houseplant.

Drainage is critical for healthy roots. Without drainage, the roots will get root rot.

For good soil that has drainage use 80% peat-based potting mix with 20% perlite added for extra aeration and drainage.

Repotting and Yellow Leaves on a Marble Queen Pothos

Another reason that you can start getting yellow leaves is due to the plant being root bound and needing a bigger pot. While Pothos aren’t too picky about being root bound, when it gets to be too much they will start to get yellow leaves.

Many times before the leaves start turning yellow you will notice that the roots are beginning to grow out of the drainage holes of its current pot. Or sometimes if it can not do that it will start to have roots showing at the top layer of soil.

This again will be a reason that you would need to repot your Pothos. Select a bigger pot that is about 2 inches bigger than the current pot. Make sure your new pot allows for drainage along with the new soil that you add.

Marble Queen Pothos Yellowing Leaves After Repotting

Stress can cause a Marble Queen to get yellow leaves too. And while repotting is many times a cure for yellow leaves it can also be a cause.

If you have just repotted your Marble Queen and nothing else has changed but it starts getting yellow leaves then this can be why you are seeing this. The only cure for this is time to allow your plant to overcome the stress from the repotting.

Lack of a Root System

Yellow leaves on a Marble Queen Pothos that you just got can be caused by a lack of a root system. Many times, especially in the big box stores, the plants have leaves that are just stuck into the soil to make the plant look fuller than it actually is. Since these leaves are usually just a leaf and a stem with no node it cannot grow roots.

Many times is this is the reason that the leaves are starting to yellow they will just be a single leaf on a stem coming out of the soil. If you pull on this leaf and it just comes out with no resistance then this was probably the cause of the yellowing. There is not much you can do in cases like this other than remove the leaves and care for the remaining part of the plant that has a root system.

Should You Remove Yellow Leaves From Your Marble Queen Pothos?

Yes, it is best to remove any leaves that are starting to show stress or damage. Yellowing leaves will not heal or recover, they will just slowly wilt away. Leaving these on the plant can cause more damage down the road or can even attract diseases and pests.

Marble Queen Pothos Leaves Turning Yellow With Black Spots

The most common cause of a Marble Queen Pothos having yellow leaves with black spots is due to overwatering. This is a common sign that the roots are beginning to succumb to being waterlogged and are getting root rot. Make sure you allowing the soil to dry out most of the way between waterings. But if it is to the point that black spots are starting to appear on the yellowing leaves then it is time to repot your Marble Queen and inspect the roots to remove any damaged ones.

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