With the right care, the single leaf or Spathiphyllum is a real eye-catcher in the home or in the office. The plant, which originates from the South American tropics, scores with large, dark green leaves and mostly white, distinctive flowers. In general, the plant is not particularly difficult to please as long as you follow the guidelines below.
The single sheet does not tolerate too much moisture
Spider mites often cause yellow leaves
If your single leaf starts off with sporadic yellow leaves, but over time they become more frequent and you feel like for every yellow leaf removed, two new ones will follow…then it could be that spider mites are behind this phenomenon. The tiny little arachnids suck the leaf sap of the plant and are often not visible to the naked eye. But you can put it to the test and spray the single sheet with a fine mist. If delicate, cobweb-like webs become visible, the pests have hijacked your plant. Fortunately, spider mites are quite easy to combat, because the little creatures feel very comfortable in dry heat. If you provide a darker location and higher humidity (e.g. by spraying the affected plant), the arachnids will soon flee. Incidentally, other pests can also cause yellow leaves on the single sheet, but these are very rare.
Water and fertilize properly
Furthermore, behind the yellow leaves there are often simple care mistakes that can be remedied quickly, such as watering too often or insufficient fertilization. Although the single leaf needs a lot of water, especially in summer, it does not tolerate waterlogging at all. If in doubt, it is better to check: If the plant lets its leaves droop and they turn yellow, even though you have watered them sufficiently, then it is best to unpot them and check the roots. If these rot due to excessive moisture, the plant will still die of thirst because it can no longer absorb enough water. In addition, a simple nutrient deficiency can also be behind the leaf discoloration.
tips
Repot your single leaf once a year in fresh substrate and in a larger pot so that the roots always have enough space and the plant has enough nutrients. Do not fertilize until about six weeks after repotting, since the commercially available potting soil is usually pre-fertilized.