Why Are My Watermelon Plant Leaves Turning Yellow? Causes and Solutions

When the lush green leaves of your watermelon plants turn yellow, then it’s a sign of trouble, which not only affects your watermelon plant but can also affect its ability to produce fruit.

There are different reasons for watermelon plant leaves turning yellow, in which improper watering, pest infestation, and environmental stress are pretty common. To solve these issues, you need to understand them first, and only then will you be able to solve them.

​If this happens the first time to your watermelon plants, then don’t worry. I have a detailed guide that will first explain to you why watermelon plant leaves turning yellow and brown, and then tell you how to treat each one of them, so let’s get into it.

Why My Watermelon Plant Leaves Turning Yellow:

If your grow watermelon for the first time, and notice its leaves turning yellow then probably won’t be a seasonal change. Most people take watermelon plant leaves turning yellow in summer as a seasonal change but 90% it happen due to a reason, which include, lack of nutrients, improper pH level, improper watering, and pest infestation etc.

If it never heard these words then don’t worry I got you cover, by explain different reasons and causes of your watermelon leaves turning yellow.

Lack of Nutrients:

If you are a gardener, then you now know what lack of nutrients does to a plant. It is one of the main reasons for turning a plant’s leaves yellow, including watermelons. Nutrient deficiencies is main responsible for watermelon leaves turning brown. One of the most common nutrient deficiencies you will face in watermelon is nitrogen deficiency. It happened to watermelon when its soil didn’t get the required quantity of organic matter.

The yellowing leaves in watermelons are also caused by iron chlorosis, in which the leaves turn yellow, but the veins remain green. It is caused by a lack of iron in your watermelon plants.

(source)

Treatment:

To treat nutrient deficiency in watermelons, you first need to test the soil of your garden. In the test, you will see what is lacking in your garden soil, so add fertilizer according to what is missing.

Poor Drainage:

Poor drainage in plants happens for a lot of reasons, in which overwatering is at the top of the list. Other than that, clay soil is also a pretty common reason for poor drainage. Overwatering with clay soil cause waterlogging in watermelon roots, which not only causes root rot in watermelon but also prevents the roots from absorbing oxygen, which leads to stress out the plant, and it shows that stress by turning its leaves yellow and then brown.

Treatment:

One of the most common solutions for waterlogging, which I usually recommended to new gardeners, is to avoid both overwatering and underwatering. Watermelon needs about 1 to 2 inches of water per day, depending upon climate and its varieties. Other than that, use sandy soil, which has proper drainage capabilities.

Pest and Insects:

I usually say this to other gardeners, and also mentioned it in my other blog, is pests and other dangerous insects are responsible for turning your plant’s leaves yellow. Well, it’s no different in watermelon too. There are different watermelons insects and pests, like aphids, spider mites, Leafminers, Acalymma vittatum, etc, that affect their growth and stress out the plant. As a result, it starts turning its leaves yellow; aphids feed on the watermelon sap, which ultimately weakens the plant, and as a result, it deforms its leaves.

Treatment:

Well, its treatment is simple; just inspect your watermelon plant as soon as it starts to grow. If you notice any signs of pests, then start using any good pesticide, depending on your pests. Other than that, if possible, use nets and covers to protect your watermelon against different pests.

Temperature Stress:

Watermelon prefers warm temperatures and mostly grows in summer. Watermelons thrive in constant temperatures and don’t like temperature fluctuation, and it mostly stresses out watermelon plants, which basically have two types of stress.

Cold Stress: Watermelon requires about 65 to 95F temperature, and the watermelon can’t withstand temperatures below then 65F, which eventually leads to stress out the watermelon plant, which is then expressed by turning its leaves yellow and brown.

Heat Stress: As discussed, watermelon plants can withstand temperatures up to 95F. So, if temperature reach more than that, then it will be considered extreme for watermelon, and that leads to heat stress, which results in the form of leaves turning yellow.

Treatment:

The treatment for temperature fluctuation is simple but needs time. You should protect your your watermelon plant from both too much heat and too cold temperature. Let me tell you about a personal method that I have used for quite some time. I use a cloth cover that protects the plant from extreme sunlight during the day, and at night, it protects the watermelon plant from frost.

Improper pH Levels:

Improper pH level is also the main reason of yellow watermelon leaves. Most people ignore it but trust me, it is a considerable fact that cause your watermelon leaves turning yellow, and other related issues.

On a normal basis, watermelon needs a pH level of 6.0 to 6.8, so make sure to get your soil pH level according to its requirements.

Treatment:

First of all, you need to check the soil of your garden where you plant your watermelons. Then, if its pH level is low, then you can increase it by adding lime to it. But if it’s more then required value then you can reduce it by add sulfuric acid or aluminum sulfate to the soil.

below we have a video demonstration about manage pH level of your soil.

Conclusion:

Watermelon leaves turning yellow is a concerning issue that needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Some people consider it seasonal change, but different issues like nutrient deficiency, watering issues, pests, etc cause it.

To solve it, you need to understand each of these issues; then, it will be easy to solve your particular issues. I hope the above guide helps you solve your yellow leaves on the watermelon, but if you still need any help, ask in the comment section below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.