Question
Hi Will- I have several Silver Queens(4 to be exact) located in various areas of the house.  They are actually all from the same original plant that I received over 10 years ago. They were ALL doing wonderfully.  Very bright color and VERY full. All of a sudden, say within the last three months, leaves started turning yellow. Three of them still look pretty good. One, the "mother" plant needs lots of TLC. I do not notice any pests. What do you think?

Thanks! Lauren

Answer
Hi Lauren,

It is a bit odd that they are all suddenly deteriorating at the same time. Pests would not cause leaf yellowing, so rule that out. Something has changed in the environment or in your care. I can only point you in some directions that may or may not apply.

Cool temperatures around or below 60 degrees F. will cause chilling damage to the leaves.

The days have become gradually shorter over the past 3 months. If your Silver Queens were already close to their low limit of acceptable light, then the shorter day length may have tipped them over the edge causing them to shed older leaves so they can continue to grow new leaves.

On the other hand, if your Aglaonemas are all receiving sun from south facing windows, then they may now be getting too much light because of the lower angle of the sun in the sky.

Reduced light and shorter days will slow growth rate and cause the plants to use less water. On the other hand, in northern climates, winter heating devices dry out the air and cause greater evaporation of moisture from the soil and leaf tissue. In other words, you probably have to adjust your watering routine from what it was this summer.

If your local tap water is on the hard side or you use chemically softened water, then the excess mineral salts will alter the soil pH and cause leaf yellowing. If this applies, flush the soil with filtered or distilled water and stop using tap water.

Finally, pruning may be in order. Aglaonemas tend to become leggy because they inevitably drop older lower leaves as they grow ever taller. If the temperature, light, and water are all on target, then pruning is the likely answer. If you email me a photo of your plants to my address below, I can probably determine if pruning is in order.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC


Thank you Lauren for your compliments about my answer. Happy I could make you feel comfortable. I understood your problem because I have cared for thousands of Aglaonemas and have faced your dilemma many, many times. I look forward to receiving your plant photos.

~Will