Yellowing leaves: Too much water or not enough or lacking nutrients? I am useless when it comes to diagnosis. Last week, the Zucchini posed a major challenge when I was left with 29 shrivelled offerings. More on that in a few weeks. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who offered suggestions. For now, I am trying to balance the watering schedule …
Dragon Tree – Too Much Water or Not Enough?
I don’t have a clue.
My Dragon tree is a typical example. The leaves are turning yellow and dying off. It is on the watering system, so now I think maybe I overwater as I have just discovered it is drought tolerant.
This is a picture of the tree on 21st March 2025, after months of rain.
My search for care of the Dragon tree offered minimal information. House plants, yes. This no. Does anyone grow Dragon tree(s)?
Overwatered Cyclamen
I was so delighted with my pink cyclamen I bought another.
All was going well until I noticed the leaves were turning yellow. Just one or two at first and then …
The stems were limp and rotting at the base. I then tested the soil with my moisture meter, and wow, the reading was off the scale! Whoops.
I removed the dead/dying limp leaves and stems and then drenched the roots in a i to 1 part of the hydrogen peroxide to one part water. See the video below. His explanation is far better than mine
Then repotted in a slightly larger pot so the roots have room to breathe. We will see.
I am also going to try sowing some of the seeds. I usually deadhead the flowers so it came as a surprise (after reading on one of my fellow gardeners’ blogs) that the flower heads turn to seed pods.
Hydrogen Peroxide
I was also reminded of several more uses for hydrogen peroxide in the garden.
I planted these today, so watch this space!
The Red Palm Weevil
My neighbour’s majestic palm tree is now infested with the dreaded palm weevil. I am hoping when the lavae hatch, they don’t decide to move onto our palms. I am told they probably won’t as they are the wrong kind… we will see.
I wrote about the threat back in 2012
This is the view from our garden terrace.
Poor tree. However, the dying leaves are falling across the electricity cable, which is a fire risk.
Nasturtiums
I use nasturtium flowers, seed pods and leaves in salad. One minute the plants are healthy, and the next they look like…
Would you say under- or overwatered?
I tested with the moisture meter, and they had been overwatered!
This was the plant on the 21st April
https://www.almanac.com/plant/nasturtiums
Repurposing Gardening Tip
Tip: Instead of buying fancy ties and string to tie back your plants, cut old stretchy clothes into strips!
That’s it for this week, fellow gardeners. Do pop over to Jim’s blog to catch up on other Six on Saturday gardening bloggers.
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Piglet in Portugal 
I love all these tips and the fact that you’re sharing your challenges. It’s so helpful for all of us. I’m glad most of the solutions have worked. I’ve never tried to plant the Cyclamen seeds, but maybe I will now. Thanks!
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Your nasturtiums look like mine and I think they are just yellowing and dying from age/season not because of watering. We have similar weather, I think.
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Hi, capentalc. Thanks for the tip. I did not realsie they had a limited life span!
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Yes, they look great for about 3-4 months from Feb – June and then they yellowed-out and die completely. I leave the seed pods where they are and new flowers will come back next spring.
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Lots of challenges/opportunities (🤣) there! I am always killing cyclamen. They are OK for months and then somehow I don’t check before I water and, before I know it, they are gone. Sorry about that lovely dragon tree though. Hope you figure out what’s wrong with it before it’s too late. I never used to water our dragon trees when we lived on La Palma.
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Hi Frogend D, the cyclamen are a challenge. I am hoping to save the white one. On a positive I did discover the seed pods. I usually deadhead the flowers before they get to that stage. Good advice on dragon tree. Plus I can imagine it was hotter and drier in La Palma than here on the west coast.
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Watering is always a challenge. I tend to underwater, if anything, because I am cheap and lazy. Eventually one learns the personalities of one’s plants. Tomatoes in a pot – lots of water, I actually tend to water my vegetables, and the few plants I have that I wanted even though I know they need more water than is naturally available. Nearly all the native plants I have do not need to be watered, unless in very dry weather. Growing in pots is more challenging. Unglazed pots will dry out quickly. Good luck!
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Hi win, yes. I think I kill my plants with love and make myself a lot of work. The veg are always thirsty but I’ve even overwatered those on occasions. Good point about unglazed pots.I do tend to pl;ant in plastic pots and use the terracotta pots as decoration …but some plants I have planted directly in the terracota pots and as you say they do try out quickly. I’ll have to review these
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Hi Carole, that’s interesting! I would say that the dragon tree is overwatered because it likes to stay dry for several weeks, even months. I have one in my greenhouse (that is still small), but I only water it once a month. ( and a quick watering)
For the rest, your moisture meter is practical and you see, I would have said that the cyclamens and the nasturtiums were underwatered. I was wrong! But it’s true that you must have had a lot of rain…
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Hi Fred, yep. I think I will remove the watering system from the dragon tree. You’ve help me make up my mind 🙂 Do you feed yours. I was also suprised the cyclamen was dying because of overwater. I check the pink one today and that had some soggy stems. The moisture meter is invaluable.
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Yes I feed mine but it’s potted ( Once a month)
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Have you tried those watering globes, Carole? I always had issues with either under or overwatering any potted plants. Last summer, I invested in and used a watering globe in a potted flower I had purchased. I followed the directions included and that plant stayed perfectly healthy from the time I bought it in late spring, all summer, and into the fall!
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Hi Terry, thanks for the tip. I’ve never heard of watering globes. I will check them out.
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Lots of problems with overwatering. Good luck going forward.
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Thanks, Laurie. Getting the watering right is certainly a challenge.
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