sudden yellowing Washingtonia

[JT in Japan]

In the past week or two, several of my washy seedlings have started to yellow. I'm not sure if it's excess water or lack of water. It might also be the watering I did over the past two weekends, at a time of lower winter temps. In my house (all houses in Japan) where I've got these sitting on a sunny sill, the temps inside at night are in the 8-9C range because we don't have central heating. I wonder if that is cold enough, or these guys are young enough, to yellow like this.

I usually let them dry out well enough before re-watering.

Thoughts?

JT

[Josh-O]

how often do you water?

[Phoenikakias]

As long as the yellowing remains restricted only to oldest leaves and occures at a not alarmingly fast tempo, it may present a completely normal procedure. This thime of year you keep plants inside and in shady conditions. It is very probable that lowered metabolism and stored resources can not sustain all that green and perhaps some elementary new growth. For these reasons plants try to find their balance and get rid of some excessive green. Of course for all above to be true all yellowing leaves should be the oldest ones and procedure shoud stop or slow down with time (as plants find a new balance). If on the contrary it accelerates or you see already yelowing newer leaves while older ones still are greener, this would signal trouble.

[Patrick]

Looks OK to me. Oldest leaves yellowing and dying are just a sign of growth. Cut them when they are finally dried and brown. Washys are TOUGH. It's rare where they just spontaneously die. That being said, just watch it I think it will be fine.

[JT in Japan]

how often do you water?

Typically just once a week. They're on a sunny ledge, south-facing, so a week is usually enough to dry them out.

Jt

[JT in Japan]

It does look like its the oldest leaves at this point, so maybe the winter is making them pull back and reserve their resources, like Phoenikakiassays. It surprised me though, that it came on so suddenly. I'll keep a close eye on them, and start using my moisture meter deep down in the tall pots.

Thanks all.

[Rafael]

As long as the yellowing remains restricted only to oldest leaves and occures at a not alarmingly fast tempo, it may present a completely normal procedure. This thime of year you keep plants inside and in shady conditions. It is very probable that lowered metabolism and stored resources can not sustain all that green and perhaps some elementary new growth. For these reasons plants try to find their balance and get rid of some excessive green. Of course for all above to be true all yellowing leaves should be the oldest ones and procedure shoud stop or slow down with time (as plants find a new balance). If on the contrary it accelerates or you see already yelowing newer leaves while older ones still are greener, this would signal trouble.

Nice lesson Konstantinos