Moringa tree leaves may yellow due to Overwatering/Underwatering. They may also yellow due to lack of sunlight or the lack of essential nutrients. Leaves may yellow due to a Spider mite infection as well.
Moringa tree has abundant medicinal properties. It is also called the Drumstick tree, The Miracle Tree, or the Horseradish tree. The plant is also called ‘Malunggay’ plant in some south-east Asian countries.
It has antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. It got a lot of hype recently and rightly so.
Moringa tree leaves yellow mainly when they couldn’t absorb the essential roots, this can happen due to many reasons.
Overwatered Moringa
Waterlogged soil causes the yellowing of the leaves in Moringa. Prolonged waterlogged conditions lead to root rot.
Such yellowed leaves fall off the plant. I have a couple of trees and I observed that even a little extra water harms the plant.
Water your Moringa plants consciously. They like just moist soil and thrive well in such soil. Check the soil with your fingers if needed before watering.
To fix:
- Make sure the soil has good drainage. Such soil is essential to avoid waterlogged conditions.
- Try to create additional air space around the roots by removing any dead roots/rootlets.
- Do not add any fertilizer to an overwatered plant as it would hurt the plant further to a great extent.
- Prune off all the dead/dying leaves.
Underwatered Moringa
Moringa leaves turn yellow when it doesn’t get adequate water. The leaves become crispy and yellow. Check the soil and water it if needed.
Check the soil with your fingers if needed. You need to make sure the soil is moist up to an inch. Watering with soaker hoses/sprinklers is easier.
Underwatered plant’s roots become dry and they won’t absorb nutrients efficiently. So they can not set up chlorophyll in the leaves which leads to leaf yellowing. The leaves then fall off the plant.
To fix:
Water the plant abundantly. If the leaves already became crunchy then they just won’t recover. You can expect the new foliage to be healthy.
To avoid running into this issue check the soil with your fingers often, water when the soil feels a bit dry one inch below the surface.
Rootbound Moringa
A rootbound Moringa plant shows the symptoms of an underwatered plant. The leaves become wilted, and yellowing/browning leaves are seen near the bottom of the plant.
They like to spread around their roots. They need a large breathing room to thrive well. If not, the plant becomes rootbound.
The plant’s growth may be stunted if the problem is severe. You need to act quickly to transplant your Moringa if it indeed is rootbound.
Check it!
You can check this by removing the plant from the pot and looking at the roots. If the roots are forming around the rootball then the plant is moderately rootbound.
If the roots formed a mat around the rootball and you can barely see the soil then the plant is severely rootbound. You need to act immediately.
To fix:
- You may want to repot the plant in a bigger container.
- You can divide the plant into two divisions and repot them separately.
Not enough Sunlight
Drumstick plant leaves turn yellow when it doesn’t get the required sunlight. Moringa plants love direct sun exposure.
Make sure you are not putting plantlings in direct sun. They probably won’t take it. If the established plants don’t get abundant sunlight their leaves may become yellow.
To fix:
Make sure the plant gets enough direct sun throughout the day. If necessary move the pot to a bright place with direct sun.
Moringa leaves curling?
Moringa leaves curl up when the plant is infested by Spider Mites. Yellow spots appear on Moringa leaves when the tree is infested by Spider Mites.
Inspect the leaves. Spider mites suck the plant’s sap and cause leaf wilting, curling, and eventually, the leaves become yellow.
Such yellowed leaves fall off the plant and in severe cases, the plant dies. You can hang sticky cards around your Moringa tree to confirm Spire mite’s presence.
Treatment
- If the infection is in the early stage you can dislodge the spider mites by showering the plant with a garden hose.
- If there is a considerable infestation treat the plant with Neem oil.
- If the infestation is severe, you can use insecticidal soap to get rid of Spider mites.
Moringa plant with yellow spots in the leaves
Yellow spots are seen on the Moringa plant due to nutritional deficiency. You need to amend the soil when this happens.
Plants that lack the required nutrients show foliage yellowing. Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium are the macro-nutrients.
Plants also need Magnesium to absorb other nutrients efficiently. You can supply the essential elements in various ways.
To fix:
You can add Epsom salts, banana peels, and coffee grounds to the potting mix. These will supply all the nutrients to the plant readily.
You may also use a fertilizer like 10-10-10 to satisfy your plant’s needs. Use half the specified amount on the label.
Can you eat yellow Moringa leaves?
People eat Moringa leaves for the variety of nutrients in the plant. Yellowing of the foliage is seen due to a lack of essential nutrients.
Sometimes it may happen due to pests, in such situations, do not consume the leaves. If the reason is merely an imbalance of nutrients, you can consume it.
Although there’s no harm in consuming such leaves, there’s no benefit either. The essential nutrients are absent in yellow foliage.
How to revive the Moringa plant?
Follow the below instructions to revive your Moringa plant. You’ll probably be able to turn your yellow leaves green again.
- Check the potting mix with your fingers and water the plant only when the top two inches of it is dry.
- Check the roots of your Moringa, if the plant is root-bound you can divide it into two.
- Are there any signs of Spider Mite infestation in the Moringa plant? You can treat such plants by spraying Neem oil on the branches.
Happy Growing!