Yellow Leaves on a Wandering Jew

Too Much or Too Little Water

• Growers may either pamper the wandering Jew to death or neglect it to death. Both dehydration and overwatering have the same symptoms -- yellow leaves -- with subtle differences in the location on the plant. When you don’t water the wandering Jew enough it becomes dehydrated and leaves on the lower part of the plant turn yellow and curl. Overwatering the wandering Jew affects both lower and upper leaves, new and old, and they typically fall from the plant at the same time. Additionally, you may notice a musty or rotten smell. Check the roots at the bottom of the pot; they may be rotten due to overwatering.

Sunlight

• The wandering Jew requires medium light, which corresponds to what you receive when standing under a tall tree. The best indoor spot for the plant is within several feet of a window with a southern or western exposure or in a window with an eastern exposure. Too much sunlight will burn the leaves, while not enough may turn them yellow, typically on the side that faces away from the light source.

Tip Burn

• If the tips of the leaves are brown with yellow edges, the plant may have tip burn, caused by a buildup of salts in the soil. Salts may come from fertilizers or from municipal tap water. If the salt concentration is excessive, the wandering Jew will start dropping leaves. Use distilled water to water the plant. If you suspect fertilizer salts, leach the soil periodically by flushing it two to three times with water.

Dieback

• The symptoms of dieback are quite similar to tip burn, except that it occurs on older leaves and a larger portion of the leaf turns yellow. The cause of this malady is unknown but it is believed that the plant stops supporting old leaves on the longest stems. The leaves first turn yellow and then begin dying from the tip. Solve this problem by pinching several inches off the ends of long stems.