The bright colors of crotons attract growers.
Its striking yellow, red and orange striped leaves, sometimes streaked with purple and white, make it an eye-catching houseplant and a favorite among houseplant growers.
Dealing with crotons losing their bright colors can be frustrating and intimidating. It can be disappointing to find that your crotons don’t provide the vibrant colors you expect. This article is a comprehensive guide to identifying why crotons lose color and how to make croton plants more colorful.
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Why are my croton plants losing their colors?
If your crotons are producing dull colors, it’s an indication that the appearance of the leaf has been compromised. Several factors contribute to croutons losing color, including:
1. Insufficient lighting
This is still one of the main factors that cause crotons to lose their bright colors. Crotons need plenty of bright light to provide their attractive colors. They thrive in direct sunlight, and research shows that crotons get 4-5 hours of sunlight.
The fastest way to destroy your plant’s foliage is to deprive it of the amount of sunlight it needs. While some crotons need more shade than others, crotons generally need bright light to survive and radiate their brilliant colors.
Image: @a_gubinskaya via Twenty20If grown indoors, place the pot or container in a location where it will receive enough sunlight; a location near the window is often recommended. The use of fluorescent lamps would also suffice.
On the other hand, crotons that receive too much sunlight would affect the appearance of the foliage: this is generally identified by gray spots on the plant. When this happens, provide shade for the plant.
2. Balanced fertilization
Crotons would benefit from deprivation of manure rather than overfeeding fertilizer.
Some fertilizers contain a lot of chemicals, and frequent contact with croton root can do the croton more harm than good. Over-fertilization affects the colors of croton plants.
3. Weather conditions
A low humidity environment is an ideal environment for the croton to thrive. Warm climatic conditions are best for crotons because they are tropical plants.
Growing crotons in inappropriate regions could negatively affect the appearance of the foliage and the colors would begin to fade. Humidifiers are recommended when weather conditions are not suitable for plants.
4. Watering
Although irrigation is essential to the growth and survival of a croton plant, a large part of the problem that arises from irrigation is overwatering the plant. Overwatering the plant causes stem rot, which often affects the appearance of the foliage.
5. Infestations
Severely affected leaves often lose color. If the infestation is light, you can spray the croton plants with water to spread plants or insects.
You can also use alcohol wipes to clean plants or use insecticidal soap. If the infestation is severe, remove infected plants from healthy plants.
How do you make your croton plants more colorful?
Here are some ways to make croutons more colorful.
1. Consider Soil Transplanting
Once you’ve determined why your croton plants are producing dull colors or leaf wilting due to over-fertilization, it’s a good idea to change your plant’s soil. Changing the soil does not mean that you also change the environment.
Remember that crotons do not take the impact of environmental changes well, so you may need to take extra care when repotting. After a successful transplant, do not add fertilizer to the new soil for about a month to allow your crotons to recover from overfeeding with fertilizer.
2. Provide adequate lighting for your croton
If the lighting is dim, provide brighter light for the sun. If the croton plant has been out of bright light for too long, you may need to keep it in a place where it gets about 6-7 hours of sunlight for a while.
If the lighting is high, shade the croton plant to keep it from getting too much direct sunlight.
3. Control pests when you spot them
Use insecticidal soap or remove infected plants if the infestation is severe.
4. Adjust your schedule to meet the plant’s watering needs
If you are not watering for a long time, water the plant regularly, but keep in mind that the soil should always be moist, not soggy. If the croton plant has been overwatered for too long, water less and let the roots recover.
If you want your croton plants to be more colorful and none of the above reasons can be attributed to the appearance of the leaves, nitrogen-based fertilizers can help provide nutrients that would improve the appearance of the leaves. plant leaves.
Additional Tips for Making Your Croton Plants Colorful
- Provide shade if the croton plant receives too much sun. This should be done when the leaves begin to have gray spots.
- Examine the fertilizer to be used and check the amount needed for the plant at a time
- Keep the plant away from places with drafts, air conditioners and vents.
- Clean the sheets regularly; Cleaning rids the croton plant of any accumulated dust or mist that may have settled on the plant, helping to improve the color of the plant.
- Avoid fertilizing during the winter and fall months. The crotons prepare for these seasons by hardening, fertilizing them during these periods, making them flexible to withstand the climatic conditions of these seasons.
At last
Although croton plant color loss can be disheartening, taking the right preventative and restorative measures should help your croton plants regain their brilliant colors. Give your crotons time and before long their vibrant colors will be visible to all.
- Reviving a Dying Croton Plant (Steps to Follow)
- Croton Plant: The Complete Guide to Growing and Care (2021)
- How do you keep croton plants from getting long?