Picture source: Karaeads

If your Monstera leaves are turning yellow, you are overwatering - either by volume of water, or by frequency. Excess moisture in the soil can cause stress on your plant and turn the leaves yellow as a distress signal. You may also notice that maintaining consistency is really important for avoiding yellow leaves. Extreme moisture changes, such as letting your soil completely dry out before over-watering can cause the same distress.

So how often should you water your Monstera? The good rule of thumb is every 7 – 12 days depending of the size of your plant and the amount of soil-to-root ratio. This means that you have to lift the plant up to see if the roots are rootbound or if there’s a lot of soil. If there’s a lot of soil, water when the soil is ¾ dry. Monstera soil loves to dry out between watering so don’t even worry about them drying out if you forget to water over 7 days.

Picture source: Georgia De Lotz

If your Monstera leaf is yellow with brown edges, this is most likely a combination of overwatering and low humidity. Many people misunderstand the needs of plants where they water more when the leaves are yellow. It actually does more harm to the plant than letting it dry out. In this case, if your Monstera has brown and crispy edges, increase the humidity of your home up to at least 60% for the plant to heal. You can slowly acclimate the plant back to lower humidity as you go.

It's wise to invest in a humidifier for your tropical plants vs. misting with a spray bottle. Often times, it's hard to stay on a misting schedule and the air in your home might be especially dry during winter time with the heat on all the time. 

Picture source: Georgia De Lotz

If your Monstera stems are long, leggy and the leaves are yellow, chances are, you are overwatering and there’s not enough sunlight for the plant to photosynthesis. The water sits in the pot without being used, hence turning the Monstera leaves yellow. Monstera Deliciosa loves bright indirect sunlight, by the window. Make sure you don’t expose the plant to direct sunlight as the edges can burn and turn brown.

Picture source: Georgia De Lotz

If you are doing everything right – not overwatering, ample light and humidity but your Monstera leaves are still turning yellow, check for bugs and pests. Check if the leaves have white speckles or weird egg-shaped matters. 

Get a magnifying glass to monitor any tiny movement from these tiny bugs. Check for spider webs or make sure the underside of the leaves is not bumpy and brown. Pests like mealy bugs, thrips, aphids and spider mites can cause Monstera leaves to yellow because the bugs are sucking out the moisture from the plant. Perform preventive care on your Monstera to avoid bugs from invading your plant. 

Yes, you should cut your yellow Monstera leaf because it consumes energy and resources from the plant. Since the yellow leaf will die anyway and it’s an eye sore, you should cut the leaf off so the plant can focus its energy to heal and produce new growth. Don’t be afraid to cut off majority of sick and yellow leaves from your Monstera because if you have done the proper damage control, the plant will bounce back with new healthy leaves.