Yellow Monkey Grass

Causes

• Liriope naturally turns yellow in the winter, as old growth dies away to make room for new spring growth. However, yellowing could indicate that your monkey grass is either receiving too much water or too little. Though this plant is very drought and water tolerant, even monkey grass has its limits. In the extreme heat of summer, monkey grass planted in full sun may also suffer. Nutrient poor soil may also be at fault for your plant's yellow color.

Identification

• If you suspect your plant may be yellowing for the wrong reasons, the best way to find out is by checking the soil. If, upon digging 6 inches into the soil, you find it to be bone dry, your monkey grass is likely suffering from too little water. By pulling a monkey grass plant out and checking its roots, you can determine whether it is suffering from root rot. If the roots are mushy, this is likely the case. If your grass is turning yellow from its base prematurely, this can also be crown rot, a fungus that attacks monkey grass over-saturated with water.

Remediation

• If watering is causing monkey grass to yellow, watering practices in that area of the garden simply need to be changed. If the plant is suffering from crown rot, there is unfortunately no remediation for the fungus and all affected leaves should be immediately removed to prevent further infection. This can be done with plants suffering for other reasons as well, for aesthetic reasons. If watering doesn't seems to be an issue, the monkey grass is likely growing in nutrient poor soil and simply needs some amendment to the soil surrounding it.

Care

• Beginning in late fall, it is common for monkey grass to yellow. This yellow growth should be allowed to stay through the winter to protect the root structure and new growth from damage by the elements. Monkey grass also requires very little water over this period in time. In late February or early March prune back yellow monkey grass with shears or a lawn mower, depending on the quantity in your yard, and count on healthy green leaves for the next six months.