Yellow leaves
Leaf · Medium
Yellow leaves are a symptom, not a diagnosis. Start by checking moisture, leaf pattern, and which leaves changed first.
Diagnose yellow leavesGarden Reference
Practical answers for common garden problems.
Search symptoms, compare likely causes, check the simplest fix first, and use calculators before you buy materials.
Common problems: Yellow leaves · Wilting · Holes in leaves · Wet soil · White powder
Common Garden Problems
Start with the symptom you can actually see
If you are not sure what is wrong yet, start here. Compare the symptoms you see, check the most likely causes, and begin with the simplest fix.
Wilting
Whole plant · High in hot weather
Wilting can come from soil that is too dry, too wet, too hot, or from damaged roots. Soil condition matters more than the leaf posture alone.
Diagnose wiltingHoles in leaves
Leaf · Low to medium
Leaf holes usually point to physical feeding damage or abrasion, not a nutrient problem.
Diagnose holes in leavesSoil staying wet
Root zone · Medium
Soil that stays wet too long usually points to watering frequency, container drainage, or underlying soil structure.
Diagnose soil staying wetWhite powder on leaves
Leaf · Medium
A white or dusty coating often points to powdery mildew, especially where air movement is poor.
Diagnose white powder on leavesCurling leaves
Leaf · Low to medium
Curling leaves usually point to water stress, heat, or sap-feeding pests. The direction of the curl matters less than what you find when you check the plant closely.
Diagnose curling leavesPlants not producing fruit
Whole plant · Low
Fruit set problems usually come down to bloom-time temperature, watering consistency, or excess nitrogen rather than a disease or pest.
Diagnose plants not producing fruitBlossom end rot
Fruit · Low to medium
Blossom end rot is a dark, leathery, sunken spot at the blossom end of tomatoes and peppers. It is almost always about watering consistency, not a calcium product you need to buy.
Diagnose blossom end rotBrown leaf tips and edges
Leaf · Low
Browning that starts at the tips and margins usually points to leaf scorch from heat, wind, drought, or fertilizer salt buildup outdoors, or low humidity on indoor tropical houseplants, rather than disease.
Diagnose brown leaf tips and edgesBlack spot on leaves
Leaf · Medium
Circular black or purple spots with feathered edges, often ringed by yellowing, point to black spot, a fungal disease especially common on roses in humid conditions.
Diagnose black spot on leavesLeggy, stretched growth
Whole plant · Low
Thin, pale, widely spaced stems reaching toward a light source usually mean the plant is not getting enough light, most often seedlings started indoors.
Diagnose leggy, stretched growthRoots growing out of the pot
Root zone · Low
Roots visible at the drainage holes or circling the soil surface usually mean the plant has outgrown its container and is root-bound.
Diagnose roots growing out of the potStippled or webbed leaves
Leaf · Medium
Fine, light-colored speckling on leaves, especially with webbing between leaves or stems, points to spider mites rather than a nutrient or watering problem.
Diagnose stippled or webbed leavesSmall flies around the soil
Root zone · Low
Small dark flies hovering near the soil surface are almost always fungus gnats, drawn to potting soil that has stayed damp for too long.
Diagnose small flies around the soilSticky residue or cottony spots
Stem · Medium
Cottony white masses in leaf joints or small waxy bumps on stems, often paired with a sticky residue on and around the plant, point to mealybugs or scale.
Diagnose sticky residue or cottony spotsSudden leaf drop
Whole plant · Medium
A houseplant dropping several leaves at once, without gradual yellowing first, usually points to a sudden environmental change rather than a slow watering or nutrient problem.
Diagnose sudden leaf dropPopular Calculators
Plain tools for planning soil, mulch, and irrigation
Use these to estimate soil, mulch, compost, and drip supplies before you haul bags home or order parts.
Raised bed soil calculator
Calculator
Estimate cubic feet, cubic yards, and common bag counts for a rectangular raised bed, including a Mel's Mix breakdown for Square Foot Gardening.
Open calculatorContainer soil calculator
Calculator
Estimate how much potting mix you need for a round or rectangular container before you fill it.
Open calculatorMulch calculator
Calculator
Work out how many bags or cubic yards of mulch are needed for a bed, border, or path.
Open calculatorCompost calculator
Calculator
Estimate how much compost to blend into a bed without overapplying it.
Open calculatorDrip irrigation planner
Calculator
A planning guide for line length, timer placement, and emitter spacing in a basic bed setup.
Open calculatorSeed starting calculator
Calculator
Enter your last spring frost date to see when to start seeds indoors and when it's safe to move common crops outside.
Open calculatorWatering and Irrigation
Fix the setup, not just the symptom
When the same problem keeps returning, these guides can help you improve watering, drainage, and overall garden setup.
Raised bed watering
System guide
A practical watering setup for gardeners who want fewer stress swings and more predictable soil moisture.
Read system guideDrip irrigation for one raised bed
System guide
A simple one-bed drip setup that keeps the first project manageable.
Read system guideVacation watering
System guide
A basic plan for keeping beds and containers alive while you are away without soaking everything first.
Read system guidePlanning a garden irrigation system
System guide
Work out what you actually need before buying parts. Zone count, timer type, and delivery method matter more than any specific product.
Read system guideContainer and houseplant watering system
System guide
A simple setup for keeping potted plants and houseplants on a consistent schedule without daily hand-watering.
Read system guide