Although umbrella firs are largely considered to be undemanding in terms of care, yellow needles can still appear, which fundamentally spoils the overall appearance. The plant seems sick, but what's behind it?
Why does my umbrella fir tree have yellow needles?
Umbrella firs can develop yellow needles due to drought, nutrient deficiency, root rot, stress or pest infestation. Countermeasures include cutting off discolored parts, mulching, fertilizing, watering, checking for spider mites and spraying in hot weather.
The umbrella fir suffers from drought
One of the main reasons why the umbrella fir gets yellow needles can be drought. Umbrella firs need a moist substrate and cannot tolerate drought. Did you water too little and were there periods of heat? Then don't be surprised by yellow needles. Especially if the umbrella fir is in a pot, it should be watered regularly.
Indication of a nutrient deficiency
The second main reason for yellow needles is a nutrient deficiency. The umbrella fir can lack the following nutrients:
- Potassium: Deficiency is often found in sandy-dry soils
- Nitrogen: Add peat to the soil so that nitrogen can be bound better
- Phosphorus: Provide fertilizer containing phosphorus
Rot in the root area
Furthermore, a yellow needle dress can be caused by rot. This is caused by moisture in the root area that accumulates over a long period of time. This often occurs in heavy and clayey soils. Prevent this by adding humus or sand to the soil when planting.
Stress-related yellow needles
Stress can also lead to yellow needles. Stress for the umbrella fir arises, for example, from too much sun and the associated heat in summer. The direct midday sun can be particularly damaging to it.
In addition, a transplant, severe frost and pest infestation mean stress for the umbrella fir. Spider mites sometimes appear on pests. They particularly like to colonize young specimens. They suck on the underside of their needles, whereupon they turn yellow.
Immediate measures against the yellow needles
Depending on the cause behind the yellow needles, you should now take one or more of the following measures:
- cut off discolored parts
- Mulching soil
- fertilize with fir fertilizer (better less and more regularly)
- water abundantly
- check for spider mite infestation
- spray from above when hot
Tip
If yellow needles appear after transplanting, it may be due to a lack of water. The root area was reduced by digging. This means that the umbrella fir can then absorb less water and less water.
