Why do papaya leaves turn yellow? Papaya fruits are really delicious to eat. This tree is growing well in tropical and subtropical countries.
Growing any kind of trees that produce fruits is sometimes challenging. There are problems that may show up and immediate action is needed to fix the problem.
Why Do Papaya Leaves Turn Yellow?
Some causes why papaya leaves turn yellow are; transplant shock, pests, diseases, watering problems, lacking nutrients, aging leaves, and lacking sunlight.
When you see yellow leaves on the papaya tree you need to analyze what is causing the problem. By looking at the tree you may find some clues about the problem.
If you already know the cause you need to apply some treatment to fix the problem.
Lacking Sunlight Cause Yellow Leaves On Papaya
Papaya needs enough sunlight for at least 6 to 8 hours per day.
If you plant a papaya tree in a little bit of shade area where it only gets 1 to 2 hours of sunlight then the tree will not grow well and yellow leaves may appear.
Try to grow papaya trees in an open area a few distances away from tall and big trees. For example, there are big mango trees in your location.
Those mango trees will likely block the sunlight which causes the papaya tree to grow stunted. Without sunlight, the papaya will not be able to make food. Aside from yellow leaves, brown leaves on papaya trees may also appear.
Lacking In Water
The papaya tree needs water to grow much better. This tree is somewhat drought tolerant and they don’t need to be watered every day.
The papaya tree can survive a few days without water but still, you need to give them water, especially during summer.
When there is no rainfall and you don’t water the tree for almost a couple of weeks, you might see yellow leaves on the tree.
You can water the papaya tree every week but not too much. Avoid the water being logged. Caring for the papaya trees is important to prevent yellowing leaves.
Overwatered Papaya Tree
Too much water can cause yellow leaves and curling leaves on papaya trees. Don’t water the tree too much to prevent such problems.
Most of the trees are not watered daily. The trees are much bigger than plants and trees can handle more water and longer.
Papaya trees can survive a couple of days not being watered. Don’t water the tree if rainfall is available more often.
Too much water can cause root rot and when roots are damaged, yellow leaves may appear and other problems like curling leaves on papaya trees may also happen.
Lacking Nutrients
Yellow leaves on papaya trees may show up if the tree is lacking in nutrients like nitrogen and iron.
Nitrogen and Iron are important elements to increase the production of chlorophyll in the leaves.
The chlorophyll helps to maintain healthy leaves on papaya and keeps them green. If there is less chlorophyll in the leaves, you will see yellow leaves.
You need to improve the soil nutrients by adding fertilizer rich in nitrogen and iron. Also, other elements like phosphorus and potassium will help the papaya produce more fruits.
Also, avoid over-fertilizing papaya trees because too much fertilizer can cause burn on the tree roots which affects the tree growth. The lifespan of the papaya tree will be in a good shape if the tree stays healthy.
Transplant Shock
Transplant shock on a papaya tree can cause yellow leaves. When a seedling or a tree is being transferred to a new location, the tree may suffer transplant shock.
If you are going to transplant papaya trees, you must do it at an early stage. Transplant shock will be lessened if you are going to move the tree at a young age.
Old papaya trees don’t go well to be transplanted. They are prone to transplant shock which is not great and the tree may take time to recover.
You must plan if you want to transplant papaya seedlings to make sure the tree will survive and grow excellent.
Pests And Diseases Attack Papaya Tree
Pests and diseases may attack the papaya tree which leads leaves to turn yellow.
Some of these pests and diseases are; Aphids, Leafhoppers, Red Spider, Papaya Fly, Whitefly, Nematodes, Cutter Ants, Borer, Thrips, and Scales, Mildew and Powdery mildew, Root Rot, and Anthracnose.
You need to protect your papaya trees to keep them healthy. There are pesticides and fungicides that can be used against pests and diseases.
There is also an organic treatment that can be used like neem oil and horticultural oil.
Aging Papaya Leaves
When the papaya leaves are aging, it is normal for them to turn yellow. You cannot stop leaves from age and they will become yellow very soon.
Those yellow leaves will also change to brown and then fall on the ground. If you see only a few yellow leaves on a papaya tree, then it might be just normal.
If you grow papaya tree many times before, you will know that it is just a normal thing.
Why Papaya Leaves Turn Brown?
The papaya leaves may turn brown when the black spot attacks the tree. Affected leaves will turn brown and may dry up completely.
You need to control these black spots to keep the papaya tree healthy and prevent leaves to turn brown.
Why Papaya Leaves Curling?
Too much heat can cause papaya leaves to curl. Even if the papaya tree is growing well in tropical countries where sunlight is abundant, still too much heat can cause leaves to curl.
Aside from extreme heat, pests and diseases can also cause the leaves to bend. Controlling pests and diseases is important to keep the papaya growing well.
It is great to know why papaya leaves turn yellow. Some reasons why papaya leaves turn yellow are due to water problems, lacking sunlight, lacking nutrients, transplant shock, aging leaves, pests, and diseases.
You need to fix the problem immediately to keep the trees thriving and make them survive. More delicious papaya fruits will grow on the tree.