11 Causes of String of Hearts Plant Yellow Leaves & their Remedies

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String of Hearts Plant bears eye-catching, fleshy, grey-green leaves with a marbled pattern but they may turn yellow due to improper watering, low light, wrong temperature, diseases and pests among others.

String of Hearts Plant grows best in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season.

Where these conditions are missing, the leaves in String of Hearts Plant may turn yellow. Following are 11 causes of yellow leaves in String of Hearts Plant and how to fix them.

11 Reasons String of Hearts Plant Leaves are Turning Yellow & their Solutions

1. Too Little Light

String of Hearts Plant thrives in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight. The light is needed for making food that is required for energy and growth.

Insufficient light means that the String of Hearts Plant cannot make enough food for energy and growth. In an attempt to save energy, the leaves turn yellow and begin to drop leaves. This way, it saves the available energy for the vital functions inorder to keep alive.

Solutions

Move the String of Hearts Plant to a brighter spot where it will receive bright, indirect light or instal a grow light if the natural lighting is not adequate.

Regularly turn the pot to ensure that the String of Hearts Plant absorbs enough light for photosynthesis on all sides.

2. Overwatering

Overwatering results in soggy soil which leads to the death of the roots due to lack of oxygen. When the roots die, the String of Hearts Plant cannot take up water, therefore, it cannot make food for growth and energy.

Without food for growth, in a bid to save energy, the plant begins to die which begins from the leaves turning yellow, brown and eventually die.

Solutions

String of Hearts Plant grows best in moderately moist soil at all times during the growing season. Allow the top 2-3 in. of soil to dry out between waterings.

Decrease watering in the cold season but do not allow the soil to dry out completely. Ensure also that the pot has a drainage hole and that the soil is free-draing to prevent it from getting soggy.

3. Underwatering

Underwatering means that there is too little moisture in the soil for the String of Hearts Plant to take up to the leaves for photosynthesis, to make food for growth of the plant.

The lack of adequate food for growth and other processes in the plant will cause the String of Hearts Plant to begin to die from the leaves which turn yellow, brown and eventually die.

Solutions

String of Hearts Plant grows best when the soil is kept moderately moist at all times during the growing season. Water the plant liberally during the growing season until water comes out through the drainage holes.

Always water the String of Hearts Plant when the top 2-3 in. of soil begin to dry out to keep the soil moderately moist during the growing season.

Decrease watering in the cold season as growth is minimal at this time but do not allow the soil to dry out completely for prolonged periods of time.

4. Wrong temperature

String of Hearts Plant requires an average room temperatures within the range of 16-25⁰C inorder to thrive. If the temperature is not right, it will adversely affect growth.

Too low temperatures will lead to reduced (stunted) growth and as such the leaves begin to turn yellow and die to save energy for the plant.

Very high temperatures will cause excessive loss of water which will lead to dehydration, wilting and yellowing leaves and leaf drop.

Solutions

Position the String of Hearts Plant away from cold draughts like drafty winds, air conditioning vents, open doors and others or place it in a warmer spot.

Ensure that the String of Hearts Plant is not near hot surfaces, hot air vents and other hot areas to prevent extremely high temperatures.

Maintain an average room temperature within the range of 16-25⁰C. A room temperature that is comfortable for you is ideal for String of Hearts Plant.

5. Pest Infestations

String of Hearts Plant is prone to spider mites, aphids and scale insects infestations. These sap-sucking insects attack the new growth from where they suck the plant sap and will cause wilting, yellowing and leaf drop.

Solutions

Maintain the String of Hearts Plant well pruned by removing dead foliage to reduce pest infestations.

Regularly inspect the String of Hearts Plant for the pests and take timely control measures.

Treat the String of Hearts Plant for the pests with appropriate products like neem oil and insecticidal soap among others.

6. Poor soil quality

String of Hearts Plant requires free-draining soil. Poor quality soil does not drain easily and will become compacted or soggy which will lead to reduced growth, yellowing of leaves and death.

Solutions

Grow the String of Hearts Plant in rich, well-drained soils which will not get soggy while providing the required nutrients like this Cactus and Succulents Soil available online at Etsy.

7. Root-rot disease

String of Hearts Plant is prone to root-rot disease which is prevalent in soggy soil. The disease is characterized by wilted, discolored leaves, corky swellings under the leaves, yellow and dropping leaves.

Soggy soil reduces oxygen concentration in the soil which causes the roots to die. Once the roots die, they cannot take up water and nutrients to the leaves. Therefore, the leaves begin to wilt, turn yellow and eventually drop.

Solutions

Slip the String of Hearts Plant out of its pot and inspect the roots. Brown-black mushy roots indicate root-rot, trim them off and treat the healthy roots with a copper-based fungicidal solution.

Disinfect the pot with the fungicidal solution or use a fresh pot to repot the String of Hearts Plant in fresh, free-draining soil. Keep the plant dry for some time before resuming watering.

Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole and that the soil is free-draining to prevent it from getting soggy in the future.

Cut down on watering for the String of Hearts Plant during the cold season as growth is minimal at this time, therefore, the plant does not require much water.

8. Pot-bound plant

String of Hearts Plant requires to be repotted at the beginning of the growing season when it becomes pot-bound. If the plant is pot-bound the leaves begins to wilt, yellow and eventually die.

This is because when the roots have filled the pot, there is very little soil to hold water when the String of Hearts Plant is watered.

If there is too little water in the soil for the String of Hearts Plant to take up to the leaves for photosynthesis, the plant cannot make enough food for growth and the leaves begin to turn yellow.

Solutions

Check the bottom of the pot. If the roots are growing through the drainage hole, repot the String of Hearts Plant into a pot one size larger than the current one.

Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole and that the soil is free-draining to prevent it from getting soggy (hold excessive water).

Use a shallow rather than deep pot as the String of Hearts plant has a small (shallow) root system.

A clay pot is preferable for String of Hearts Plant as it is porous, thus allows the soil to dry out faster to prevent waterlogging of the soil.

9. Repotting shock

Repotting String of Hearts Plant may cause it some shock which may lead to some leaves wilting and turning yellow before it can adjust the new growing conditions.

Solutions

To minimize repotting shock for the String of Hearts Plant, water the plant thoroughly one day before repotting as a well hydrated plant experiences less shock and is easier to divide.

Avoid making too many changes at once. For instance, after repotting, maintain the String of Hearts Plant in the same spot until it is well established before moving it to a new location.

10. Improper feeding

Overfeeding String of Hearts Plant will cause the roots to die due to fertilizer burn. Therefore, they cannot take up nutrients and water required for photosynthesis, thus the plant begins to die and the leaves turn yellow.

If the String of Hearts Plant is underfed, the plant is not getting enough nutrients needed for growth, therefore, the leaves turn yellow and die .

Solutions

Feed String of Hearts Plant monthly during the growing season with a balanced, liquid fertilizer.

Take care not to overfeed String of Hearts Plant. Follow the instructions on the label of the plant food to avoid overfeeding.

Regularly flush out accumulated salts from the soil by running a stream of water through the soil until it comes out through the drainage holes and repeat the process several times.

12. Age of the leaves

As the String of Hearts Plant leaves mature, the older leaves turn yellow and die. Therefore, do not be alarmed, if a few leaves turn yellow as this is a natural process.

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