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Leaves have turned yellow and brown on my Phyllostachys aurea

shawnwilliams_2006

18 years ago

I live in England and are having problems trying to grow both black and golden bamboo Phyllostachys Aurea, can somebody please take a look at the pic of my bamboo and tell me what they think is wrong with it. Im not sure if I have overwatered it or underwatered it, the leaves seamed to have turned yellow and brown

Appreciate any advice please

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/2978805

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Comments (4)

mikemcg
18 years ago
shawnwilliams

If these are old leaves as they appear they are probably about to fall off to be replaced by new leaves. If they are new leaves it may have gotten too dry but this time of year they are probably just old leaves about to drop.

Mike near Brenham TX
kentuck_8b
18 years ago
Posted the message below under the wrong listing yesterday. Here it is again:

Shawn, at first glance, I would say it is getting too much water and/or it is in undesireable growing conditions, such as, too little direct sunlight or maybe bad soil conditions.

I would first let the soil dry out before watering. After a few days or weeks, it should recover, and if not, then you might want to replant it to another spot that gets good sun and has well drained soil.

Good Luck

Kt
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That would have been my first question, too (how long since repotting?). Natural senescence should be expected take its fair share of older leaves from any plant with as many years on it as yours, but if we set natural aging aside as the probable culprit, we'd most logically look next to root congestion, followed closely by over/under-watering and/or a high level of mineral salts from tap water and fertilizer residuals in the soil. How you should proceed depends on what you determine the issue to be, so the next step is to examine the roots to see how congested they are, then examine your watering habits to see if they are in line. BTW - the build-up of mineral salts is a function of watering habits and is usually related to the watering practice dictates of your choice of soils. Al
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Thank you, tropicbeezent. I have included a photo. By temperatures being too cold, I mean for the plant: 60 degrees and below. It is in a room that's approximately 70 degrees with what feels to be a higher humidity, but I have yet to have a humidistat in place. I have been cutting down on spritzing in case it's keeping the soil too moist, but I have been maintaining a wet pebble tray. I have it filled so that the pot can rest on the pebbles without getting wet, but the water is only a few millimeters away. With the yellowing on the corner of the top right leaf, I am holding the leaf that was overlapping that exact area. I also noticed the yellowing is starting in the lowest leaves, and the youngest. Should I line the bottom of the pot with perlite to encourage drainage for the time being? I intend on transplanting once it stabilizes, so I can remove it then.
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joybullfrog
18 years ago
Don't worry!
Some Bamboo is supposed to turn yellow in the spring. As the leaves fall off, they will be replaced by new green. Leave the leaves where they fall for natural mulch. Good luck! Just be patient, it will turn out okay.
bamboo_oligarchy
18 years ago
The yellowing of certain leaves does appear to be mostly a preparation for shedding. It does not seem to be the result of adverse growing conditions (although when a bamboo is in a pot you generally have to be much more careful to avoid problems). Sometimes even bamboos that have are mostly healthy can get quite a few yellow leaves at certain times of the year.

I agree with Kentuck as to the possible causes if this is the result of adverse environmental factors. You should check to see if the soil is well drained just to be certain that is not a problem. The bamboo definitely appears to be getting sufficient water at least at the current temperature where you live.

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