Pinstripe Calathea, also known as Calathea ornata, is a highly ornamental plant that makes a striking addition to a houseplant collection. It requires excellent drainage and some water retention, making it an ideal choice for those who overwater other plants. To care for a Calathea ornata, it is essential to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Overwatering can lead to root rot, which can kill the plant.
To water the Calathea ornata, mix your own soil with distilled water or rain water, or allow tap water to sit out overnight at a minimum. Use a general houseplant fertilizer throughout the growing season. Calatheas are tropical plants, so they love humidity, so it is crucial to keep the soil lightly moist at all times and water when the soil starts to dry out. They don’t like completely dry soil, so it is important to water it before it gets to this point.
When watering the Calathea ornata, keep it moist but never wet. Water as soon as the top of the plant reaches a certain level during the summer growing months. The pinstripe plant prefers moist soil, so don’t let it dry out much between waterings. Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing the soil to dry out half way down between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.
In summary, the Pinstripe Calathea is a highly ornamental plant that requires good drainage and water retention. To ensure its success, it is essential to provide adequate bright light, water regularly, and avoid overwatering. By following these guidelines, you can ensure the health and longevity of your Calathea ornata plant.
📹 Calathea Ornata: Addy’s Tips for Beginners (Pinstripe Calathea)
In this video, I share my experience with my Calathea Ornata, or the Pinstripe Calathea, and list some of its basic care …
Can I spray water on Calathea leaves?
Calathea, a plant native to South and Central America, can grow up to 60cm tall. It thrives in medium to low light, with a shield from direct light to prevent sunburn. Maintaining a high level of humidity is crucial for the plant’s health and attractiveness. Temperatures between 15-21°C are ideal for healthy and vigorous plants. Soil should be well-drained but rich, with no wet or dry, sandy soil. Fertilizer should be provided monthly during the growing season, but not in winter.
Repotting should be done every year or twice during spring or summer, and large Calatheas can be propagated by division. Divide the plant by half and place each new section in its own pot, keeping the new divisions shady, warm, and moist by covering them with plastic. Once new growth is seen, remove the plastic and continue growing as normal.
Should I mist my pinstripe Calathea?
Calathea plants require regular watering and misting to maintain their health and prevent root rot. They thrive in humidity and should be mistered using 2-in-1 watering cans and misters. Fertilizer should be used once a month between Spring and Autumn, and houseplant care tubes are recommended. Green watering cans can be used to water plants directly or as a spray bottle. To avoid excess water at the bottom, Calatheas should be kept in a plastic nursery pot or a decorative stoneware pot. Pots with a small hole at the bottom can help prevent excess water. Place the pot on top of its matching saucer and enjoy the benefits of Calathea plants.
Is it better to bottom water Calathea?
To water your plants, check soil moisture before watering, using a finger or meter. Adjust watering frequency with seasons and light, with more in summer and less in winter. Bottom watering ensures even hydration, while top watering requires care. Watering timing is crucial, with soil moisture readings like a wrung-out sponge. Adjust watering frequency with seasons, as plants drink more in bright light and active growth phases, while needing less in winter or low-light conditions.
How do I know if my Calathea is thirsty?
Calatheas have expressive foliage that curls inwards when thirsty, requiring soil to be felt for curling and watering for dryness. They bounce back quickly from underwatering. The most commonly found variety, Calathea lancifolia, is known as the Rattlesnake plant due to its braided leaves. To maintain their delicate leaves, place them in bright indirect light and observe their movement with the sun, avoiding direct sunlight.
Can I water my Calathea with tap water?
Calathea plants require high-quality water, which can cause their leaves to brown due to their preference for filtered or dechlorinated water. They can be sourced from a local water source, and storing water overnight can help evaporate chlorine and other chemicals. To maintain the plant’s vibrant colors and shine, it is recommended to wipe the leaves with a dry cloth to prevent dust accumulation, which can hinder photosynthesis and attract pests.
Additionally, it is essential to develop a watering schedule for each Calathea species, as they require different watering schedules. To determine when to water, gently touch the soil and only water when the top 2 inches of soil is partially dried out. Extended periods of dryness can cause dry shrivelled or curling leaves, requiring a thorough soaking.
How should I water my Calathea?
Calathea houseplants require an evenly moist soil with little dry periods between waterings, with an average watering of around 8 days. Overwatering can lead to root rot, so it’s important to avoid using tap water, which can contain chemicals like chlorine. Instead, use filtered or rainwater, and water less during winter months.
Calatheas thrive in humid environments, so placing them in rooms with high humidity can help create a humid environment. Misting leaves daily, having multiple plants around each other, and using a humidifier can help create the perfect humidity levels.
Brown edges on Calathea leaves are not due to incorrect care, but rather due to the type of water used. Tap water contains chemicals like chlorine, salts, and fluoride, which can build up and contaminate the soil, causing the edges to curl and brown. To avoid this, use filtered water or rainwater, avoid placing the Calathea in direct sunlight, and avoid using chemicals in tap water.
How much water does a Pinstripe Calathea need?
Pinstripe Calathea plants need 0. 8 cups of water every 9 days when they don’t get direct sunlight and are potted in a 5. 0″ pot. For 0. 5 cups of water every 9 days, they need 0. 5 cups of water. To personalize watering recommendations, use our water calculator or download Greg for advanced recommendations. Without ample sunlight, Pinstripe Calathea may struggle to thrive and drop leaves.
Do calatheas like bottled water?
To water Prayer Plants, use filtered water, either bottled or rainwater, as Calathea plants are sensitive to chemicals in tap water. Avoid using tap water directly, as it can be harmful. High humidity levels in rainforest environments are beneficial for Calathea plants. To achieve higher humidity, keep a humidifier near your plants or use a mist spray bottle to coat leaves and stems. This will result in healthy growth and vibrant, large leaves for your plant.
Should I mist my Calathea every day?
Calathea plants thrive in high humidity levels, so misting them once or twice a week is recommended. While tap water is acceptable, it’s important to consider the quality of water based on your location. If you have hard water, use filtered or bottled water to prevent soil buildup and brown tips. PLNTS. com offers various Calathea prayer plants, including the Calathea Zebrina, Calathea Orbifolia, and Calathea Medallion, to cater to different preferences. With a wide variety of Calathea options available, there’s a Calathea for everyone.
Should calathea dry out before watering?
Calatheas are long-lived houseplants with interesting foliage that thrive in warm, humid conditions and bright indirect light. They require evenly moist compost during the growing season and avoid overwatering in winter. They are suitable for kitchens and bathrooms, which are the most humid rooms in a house. To maintain their health, calatheas should be repotted every few years using peat-free compost. It is important to read the instruction labels on your plants to ensure proper care and care for your plants.
What does an over watered Calathea look like?
Overwatering calathea can cause yellow or wilting leaves, which can lead to root rot and yellowing leaves. To address this issue, stop watering and place the pot on a tray of gravel or pebbles. If tap water is available, allow it to stand for a day before using it to help dissipate any chemicals. If rain water is available, use it, but ensure to use clean, clean tap water to avoid any harmful effects.
📹 10 Awesome Tips to Stop Brown Tips on Your Calathea
I bet you’ve got a Calathea with brown tips on the leaves in your home. ——————– Download my FREE Plant Parent’s …
My daughters gifted me my Calathea Pinstripe as a Mother’s Day gift, I adore my plants a great deal, One of many issues is providing humidity for my pinstripe, I live in a small apartment in NY and it tends to be dry in the summer, I wanted to know if I could use a humidifier in my room, how big should the humidifier be? Hey, Paws you’re not crazzy my pin folded up on me at night and let down its leaves in the morning. I was waiting for her to humm, she is Such a Diva!
I do have that same plant AKA pin stripe Calathea an she is beautiful. I was fortunate to had found her at Lowe’s for $9.98. My Calathea medallion, Calathea makoyana was purchased at a nursery near me. I do love the Calatheas,but I do agree they are not for beginners. Love your articles I’ll keep perusal. 🌱🌱
Woww.. You’re maintaining the plant so well 👍🏼 I’ve the same Ornata at Kolkata, India and its extremely humid here all round the year yet the leaves are turning yellow and eventually drying out. And, of course, the plant is so demanding that I’m almost paranoid all the time and ask myself, What did I do wrong now? 😢
Great info about this gorgeous plant. I just got an ornata, a makoyana, and a white fusion. I’ve fallen in love with maranta and calathea plants. I have collected 6 since this past spring. I’ve only killed and replaced one and almost killed another lol. I think I need just a little more humidity but all are well at the moment. 🙂
I bought a small Ornata maybe 3 or 4 weeks ago so this article is very helpful for me. I bought this plant because it was beautiful, but it is a handful to take care of. I hope it will grow up healthy, but I did buy it at the wrong time. It’s winter and dry in my apartment, so I’ve been cranking up my humidifier and running almost all the time…just for this plant! I also like to place my Ornata in front of the humidifier 2x a week, take it to the shower with me so it gets a nice steam. Hahah, it’s a handful!
Definitely the most helpful article on calathea ornata! May I ask for more specific tips on lighting? How much light is too much/little? I got mine a week ago and initially it had its leaves up for a long time (only opens in late morning and early afternoon) so I thought it was getting too much light. I moved it to somewhere with less lights and even late at night, the lower leaves are mostly still open. I just can’t figure out if it’s getting enough light. Thanks!
Actually yours has not reached its full height and maturity. The get to about 2 ft tall and you will know that it matures when the pinstripes turns white. It’s turns from pink to white as it gets older. Mine fairs well in medium light. When it receives too much light, the leaves gets lighter (paler). It does well in an east facing window with a sheer curtain. It’s also likes a lot of humidity and you’re right, it is sensitive to the water. Like you, I use distilled water as well. I run my humidifier everyday specially in winter because the leaves edges get crispy brown tips. I also mist it at least 2-3x a day. I agree with some of the viewers that it is not for beginners because it can be fuzzy. I have 5 different calathea and I use a hygrometer to check the humidity and temperature and I use a moisture meter. I haven’t had to fertilize mine yet and it’s still putting up leaves. I’ll probably do so this spring when I repot it. It likes moist soil so I if I noticed that it’s close to getting dry (that’s when the moisture meter comes in handy,) I water it. Once you get the hang of taking care of it, it becomes addictive and you want to collect different types of calatheas. It’s worth it because they are so beautiful and unique looking!
Oh this plant is gorgeous! I have one at the moment that I’m starting to struggle with. Two leaves are completely healthy but the others are a little curly and brown at the tips. I’ve made sure that the soil isn’t too wet and only water when the soil is dry but do you have any tips for me? 😊 Thankyou!
I don’t know why this plant hates me so much. My other Calathea is happy and has given me no problems. Almost all of my ornata’s leaves have some browning and yellowing but now it’s trying to grow a new leaf. It seemed to really take a bad turn after I fertilized it. I diluted it in half and only water with distilled water (although I didn’t at first). I just want her to love me 😭
I just purchased my ornata with other calatheas for almost a week now. I mist them everyday, and now i just downloaded a humidity/temp sensors and it says that the humidity is above 40% here, do I still have to mist them everyday? I’m from the Philippines and it’s basically a tropical country. and the lowest temp from where I live gets to 18° (sometimes) but it’s usually 26°c to 31°c. I don’t have a humidifier, do i still need to make a pebble tray with water?
I purchased the pin stripe and the medallion at Lowe’s, the STRUGGLE is real. Your humidity in your house has to be always on point if not their leaves get’s all crispy and ugly. I purchased a humidifier hoping it would help…not so much. I will not buy again, but they are beautiful plants. Am getting away from tropical plants, they require extra stuff to make them stay beautiful.
I lost all my leaves on my beautiful medallion calathea. I was devastated!! But, I remembered what you said about the tubors and I kept watering and tending to the plant even though there was nothing there. Now, I have 2 spikes, one is nearly opened and another is barely out of the dirt. I was so excited!! Thank you because had you not told us about the tubors, I would have thrown it away like I did my Dottie!! I didn’t know back then about the tubors. So, you have been a great help!! Thank you!
Was fed up of having a constantly brown leaved calathea. Had never used tap water and was next to a humidifier. I watched this article and then picked up my calathea to check how she was, and suddenly noticed spider mites! If not for this article I wouldn’t have checked, so thank you! Wish me luck with spider mite eradication!
I have one calathea. The first I have ever had. It makes a lot new leaves on a regular basis but I have had big issues with browning tips. I moved it from my living room to my bathroom which has a lot of light and of course high levels of humidity. The washing machine is there and I also hang and dry my clothes in this room. I put a cup under the pot and I put water in it. I no longer mist it as it never made things better. Well things have improved a lot! But what a temperamental plant!
I’ve killed a few Calatheas… now I have two Calathea Makayona plants which I’ve found to be incredibly low maintenance. I use tap water, let them dry out completely between watering, and have no additional humidity in my home, and they do great. I’d recommend the Makayona to anyone who wants a Calathea that isn’t a pain in the butt! I might try my hand at a different kind at some point again with your tips, thanks!
never had a green thumb but wanted to start my plant journey this year. so i went plant shopping in july and bought myself around 10 plants, 2 of them are calatheas. so after a few weeks i learned more and more about the plants that i bought. and when i found out that calatheas are not that easy to care for, i was a lil bit nervous. but luckily all my calatheas are still happy living and growing and now i own 4 of them. a lil bit proud of myself. 😂
My rufibarba(/eldergrass I think) did SO much better after I started using water filtered in a Brita pitcher. It’s not optimal, but definitely better than just tap water. I also cut her down quite brutally this spring and she’s almost back to the size I purchased her as. No humidifier and a couple meters back from the window. Now she’s thriving—as long as I can remember to water often enough 🫣 Still growing halfway through November! Great article as usual! ☺️
Your timing is impeccable. My little calathea reseopicta has giving me so many problems. It’s a cutting I rescued from a larger plant that was fully non-revivable. The only little stem and leaf that was somewhat okay I snipped and rooted in water. Now it’s in some soil with perlite and it got a gnat infestation. So I cleaned all the old soil and sprayed it with anti-bug stuff specifically for houseplants. And now after two days in quarantine it has gotten all crispy and the top soil has white mold. This little cutting has been the black sheep of my plant family for weeks now 😂
I was over watering my prayer plant so I made a wicking system after perusal one of your vids on how to water plants while you’re away. I took a pretty vase and a thick string and gave it a reservoir to drink at it’s own pace. It’s only been a week but the two sprigs I had left are perking up and reaching for the grow light. It already looks much much happier than it did. When I re-potted it I found the bottom of the pot was basically waterlogged. It took about a cup of water on it’s own, but now I also have a handy little water supply nearby to pop my cuttings into to propagate. So instead of watering the plant, I’m just making sure it’s buddy vase is nice and full. Thanks!
Hello! Thank you for your article. I watched it with pleasure admiring your plants. I thought i’d share my experience with Calathea Warszewiczii, because, first of all, it’s total success. A little background story – i’ve been after Calatheas for over 20 years, i kept buying and “killing” the warszewiczii type in particular about 5 times. Non of them grew healthy at mine, eventhough i thought i had tried everything, and all of those Calatheas would eventually die within a year if i remember correctly. …It was until about 4 years ago i bought this current plant, of course it was in a glorious state, thriving and blooming, absolutely gorgeous. And then that sacred dance with all common issues began again.. i’ll skip the details, because you all, Calathea lovers, are aware of them:) So one day i decided to repot it and use a new potting mix. It was an orchid mix (i’m also an orchid lover) but not that one that consists mostly of bark but the one for, say, Cymbidium orchid, that consists of peat (turf) mostly, and bark. After that i noticed, that if i adjust my watering schedule, my calathea would demonstrate pretty normal growth.. But if i was late to water or watered it too soon i’d still have spots on the leaves, and sometimes there were signs of both too much and too little water on the leaves.. untill i put it on wick watering.. I didn’t buy any ready to use watering systems, i just dragged a wet 1cm wide piece of a stocking through the soil from the hole in the bottom of the pot through the soil up to the side of the pot on top and mount the pot over a suitable plastic container with water (i use fish tank water) Since then, my Calathea has been “drinking” as much as it wants, when it wants.
I just bought one. I’m scared already. They are gorgeous. I recently purchased an indoor greenhouse but noticed that the plastic tent has an odor and I am afraid to put it in because I know from perusal your articles that these plants hate any type of chemicals. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for all of your very helpful articles because I’m sure that many of my plants would not have survived my over-parenting.
Touch wood, I have three, and they have all been in my house for about two months, so far so good 😂 I bought a Stella prior to doing any research and assumed it would shrivel up within a week, so I think I must be doing something right. Right??? I have only used distilled water with super thrive. Two are sitting in their nursery pots on a damp bed of moss for increased humidity. I don’t use a humidifier because of you. It would be inconsistent. I’m a newbie to plants but no brown tips so far. I have watched this article about three times! Thank you for the help. Fingers crossed that I will make it another two months. ❤
The first plant I bought was a Calathea. And it’s freaking thriving! Pushing leaves out every week or so. To be honest, it’s just pure luck because I have a nice flat plants tend to like, and I let an app remind me when to water it. But the leaves did tend to slightly brown on the tip. I’l try filtering the water! Thanks for the tip!
Thank you SO much for this article! You answered all my questions that NO other article has touched on 🥰 I got my first calathea (ornata) two months ago and while it was gorgeous the first few weeks, it is now barely hanging on! At first just the tips were brown, and then way too quickly all the leaves started turning yellow, all the pink lines faded, the edges turned nearly black and curled inwards…I wish I could share pics! Only 5 leaves left that I trimmed all the edges on, and only it’s newest leaf is still shiny. I knew I had a BIG problem when even its only unfurled leaf turned yellow and mushy and flopped over within two days! Mistake #1, not only was I using tap water (although I do fill jugs and let the water sit overnight – but this is something I learned is not so effective for chlorine evaporation!), I was misting it with tap water as well, major fail – my poor plant 😭 on top of that, I was overwatering it (in my defense, the top two inches of soil were dry, but the pot was too big!) So the past two waterings have been with distilled. Mistake #2, it was living in my bathroom with a pebble tray, two wet rags hanging next to it, and next to my newer calathea (rattlesnake) I got last month and while all that is fine…the humidity is generally between 50-99%, which I now know is way too big of a range and inconsistent. Well let’s just say I just got done cutting off 5 yellow bottom leaves on the new one! Which brings me to mistake #3, the bathroom has an east facing window and the calatheas were about 8 feet away from it…I thought I was doing good on the lighting until I woke up earlier than usual today to see them getting PUMMELED with direct rays 😩 I feel like SUCH a failure!
Hi Jennifer from Trinidad is this plant also know as the Prayer Plant ? I love this plant alot and it seems that we live in one place being that you guys live so far away and i am in the Caribbean and we have similar plants or the same lol. I love them all whether the foliage or the flowering kind God blessed us with beauty to look at and enjoy. Stay well be safe take care keep yr plants healthy and happy they will love you
I have 2 makoyanas which are the loves of my life, and 1 zebrina. All 3 are situated with my other plants in front of a west window with blinds. I was determined to grow a green thumb in honor of my recently deceased Mother💔 who was an avid gardener and plant grower. The 2 makoyanas are really for her and thank goodness they are doing magnificently well. I am still learning, but no brown tips whatsoever and countless new leaves. The zebrina is not QUITE as happy, but still doing fairly well. It does have a few brown tips and some mild browning along a few edges, but it also has sprouted 5 or 6 new leaves in the short time that I’ve had it. In my paranoia to not overwater I tend to under water, and I imagine that I may not be keeping her moist enough. Could also be too much light. (I try to adjust the blinds when the sun hits it but a few times I forgot) I use distilled water on them, and now that winter is here, the humidity stays around 50 – which I know is too dry. Before, it would hover around 60. I thought I was going to have to introduce some additional humidity over the winter, but I was encouraged to hear you say consistency was more important, so maybe they’ll be okay, I’m in love with them! ❤️
I typically use tds meter to check the amount of inorganic and organic substances present in taps water or any water that you wished to check its quality. This can be helpful to plants sensitive to the chemicals present in water like calatheas or carnivorous plants. Anything lower than 20 ppm is good enough for me.
I totally agree! I’ve been giving my Calatheas filtered tap water from the beginning and they hardly developed any brown tips despite the humidity not being very high (not low either). I grouped them together further away from the window. The last two months the adult plants were not doing well anymore. A lack of light I suspect since the older leaves turned yellow. Also fungus gnats were a problem. The soil was moist, but not soggy though. Fungus gnats prefer moist soil for their egs and I can’t let the soil dry out like I do with my succulents and cacti. I recently gave the adult plants a humidifier that I leave on all day so I could move them closer to the window (and heating) where they receive more light during those dark months. I love Caltheas, but I will never buy a White Fusion again though. The leaves are paper thin and it’s impossible to keep it happy. My White Star is doing fine. For people who like Calatheas, but find them too high mantaince try Ctenanthes instead. Similar look, but much easier to take care of.
I had the same problem until I started using my aquarium water to water these plants. Brown leaves disappead and the new growth rate is fantastic. I even have one growing in my aquarium. Of course only the roots are in the water. I use this aquarium water to water all my house plants. There is no smell.
Brown tips is usually the result of insufficient humidity. I solved it by using a humidity tray, which is a saucer larger than the saucer under the pot. You put gravel in the larger saucer, put the plant and its saucer on top of the rocks, and add water. Use distilled water or water purified by osmosis. Fill large saucer until it’s near the top end of the saucer. The water will evaporate and provide the plant a lot of humidity. For Calatheas, the more the merrier. If you sprinke Ceylon cinnamon on the soil in the pot and also on the saucer underneath the pot, it repels fungal gnats. This is the reason some plant enthusiasts in tropical places, such as Indonesia, add cinnamon to the water when they water their plants. Ceylon cinnamon is better for gnat repellent than other types of cinnamon. As for a moisture meter, those are junk. Take a wooden chopstick, stick it in the pot to bottom, and pull it out. If the soil is wet, you will see some dirt stuck to the chopstick. It also tells you if the pot is damp near the bottom or all the way to the top by the height of the wet soil stuck to the chopstick. Rinsing off spider mites with water works. Cover the pot with plastic, so you don’t get water in the pot. Use your shower head and lukewarn water to literally spray the spider mites off the leaves. Be sure to check the underside of the leaves. Do this every day or every other day for a week and that will get rid of spider mites. It works on mealy bugs also. Calatheas really don’t need a grow light.
I generally avoid Calathea’s and Prayer plants as I just can’t keep them alive. I live in Melbourne and we have some of the best water in the world which is sourced from protected forests and requires very little treatment due to natural filtration. However, small amounts of chlorine and fluoride are added to our water which makes me think this is at least part of the reason why I’ve struggled with these plants so much. I might try using some sort of inline filter or catch rainwater on the roof of our building. Thanks for the tips!
i have two, both live on top of my fish tank, both doing well. Consistency is the key for mine i use a cheap water filter, i have the Stromanthe Triostar which i thought to be a really difficult plant but mine is fine so long as I am consistent and that in this case even extends to temp on cold nights, i move it next to my boiler but return it in the morning. Richard nailed it in this vid Calatheas are not the best starter plants as they are moody if not cared for correctly but if you do they are amazing! great vid mate thank you!
Mine is growing in my bathroom. I’ve noticed lots of new growth since I’ve brung it home. Then I watered it for the first time and closed the vent in my bathroom and noticed that leaves hidden in the middle are yellow and new leaves growing in have browning on it. I purchased a second one and placed it in an area on my job that recieves very few light. Slow new growth, NO browning and I haven’t watered it yet
All my 6 different calatheas have gotten so much better since I got my humidifer and started using filtered water I left out for 24 hrs (Don’t understand how it doesn’t help to dissipate the chlorine as when I leave a glass of water out overnight I definitely notice a change in the smell and taste?!) Have started using stress coat in all my water too. Only my 2 original plants have crispy edges now.
Taking notes for my Makoyana that’s currently being a sassy girl. Crispy leaves galore even tho the Orbifilia and Ornata not far from her are overall doing ok (new growth and limited browning). These plants are headscratchers for sure, but I love them so much 🥺 Thank you for this list of tips, there were one or two I wasn’t doing yet, so there’s still hope 😊
Calethea plants are very sensitive of location. Due to heat waves I brought 4 calethea plants in my living room from my covered entrances because 3 of them got evening sunlight and got brown leafs but the fourth one was in complete semi-shade area with no direct sunlight and no issue. This 4th plant got leafs drop issue so i kept it to its original place and can see the difference. I would suggest to observe your calethea very carefully to check best location.
Obviously the amount of light your plants get is important, but what I wandered about is does it matter the direction it comes from? This is very important to me because I want to give them plenty of light without being subjected to to much direct light myself. PS I’ve just invested plant growing Lights as preparation to growing house plants for the first time as I live in a flat in the north east side of my building. Pps new subscriber thanks
2:12 I live in apartment, I can’t collect rain water 😩 ! Even there is big Mansoon rain in summer and the streets are flooded to the knees, the rain barely gets into the pots on the balcony. I’m in Saïgon, tropical climate 33°c between 50-95% humidity depending the season, yet getting brown leaves because of improper care. The Calatheas were either indoor, either in partial shade a bit behind the Boston fern on my balcony, with morning sun – which can be very hot – from 6:30 – 11:30. Rest of the day in low light shade because of others plants and cuz my balcony is quite small between walls. The Calatheas all died. They’re beautiful but sound too fussy plants for me, I need to make a cross on that. I need easy going plants, that can both stand low light shade + burning hot morning sun, that can stand wet soil (draining potting soil mix still retains too much water) and some dryness ( when I water only once a week or every 2 weeks when the garden hose is broken … 😩) and also can stand the heat ( sounds like azaleas and fuchsia is compromised because they may not stand the heat) .
Hi there, I moved my Calathea Warscewiczii into the bathroom at the beginning of the summer and since then, she has thrived! She’s planted in a self watering plant pot, which i top up with filtered water. She has lots of new growth however, her leaves are starting to curl and brown. Any ideas why this might be and what can i do to prevent it? I don’t have a garden unfortunately so I’m unable to collect fresh rain water and I’m not using the dehumidifier at the moment because it’s been so hot lately! Thanks
Great article, I have Calathea’s and also suffer with the crispy brown edges on some leaves, I use tank water but have discovered recently that the PH of the water although it’s rain water is quite high Alkaline as its in a concrete tank….would the high alkalinity affect them? Its is putting out new leaves and in fact has 3 coming on right now, it’s also back 3-4ft from the window and is getting filtered morning light only. It sits on pebbles and I keep water in the saucer for some humidity. Is there anything else I should do apart from now trying distilled water. Thank you for very informative article’s
Congratulations for your website. Calatheas are very difficult plants . It is true that the quality of the water is the most important tip for a happy calathea. Although if the PH of the soil is not neutral the water can do nothing. The calatheas preferences on soil PH is neutral ( between 6.50 and 7.00. ) No more, no less . Calatheas are very sensitive : higher PH level will burn the leaves, lower will cause bacteria diseases and root rot . There are plants with high PH needs ( alkaline environment), there are plants with low PH needs ( accided environment) and there are plants that just don’t care. I prefer the last ones to be honest) . But if to grow a happy healthy calatheas is a real challenge – because this plants needs NEUTRAL environment. No more no less. That’s the challenge, that’s the beauty that’s the madness for all the calatheas parents – we need to get PH – measure and start measure our soil – and water. Wish you good luck!
Have you got any tips for a calathea (living / prayer plant) that gets spider mites? I’ve cut it down to just 3 leaves, all of which have brown tips still and sprayed with pesticide, sprayed with soapy water (I use dehumidifier water) and done a neem oil watering in the soil. It’s perked up, but looks worse for wear and not growing any new leaves. I’m still noticing some webbing coming back. Hoping the neem will take effect soon. It’s so frustrating.
I spoke too soon. Both my calathea and red maranta were doing SO well…until I moved. I now have awesome east facing windows, so my plants will flourish, right? WRONG. Both plants are PISSED. 🙂 Droopy leaves, browning edges…and it has only been a week. They sure will tell you when they aren’t happy about something!
I have a calathea that lives right next to a humidifier, which I leave on 24/7 and try to keep it at 50-60%. I water regulary with just distilled water. At one point, I actually think I put too much fertilizer in the soil. So, I removed it from that soil and replaced it with fresh unfertilized soil and all the leaves are dying back and I haven’t had any new growth. It is in a dappled-lit area and I keep the temperature around 18 to 23 Celcius ( 65-75 Fahrenheit ). What should I do?
No other plant has an issue with my drink quality tap water yes its drinkable without filtering and nore frewuent quslity gestet then any bottled water My rooms hunid dnough i dont give fertslizer and they stand in indirect light But they got blesve spots and shriveled and stuff like this i gave up on this kind of plant
Could you help me with my ZZ? “She” is 18yrs old but I’m not getting any new growth. She isn’t looking bad either. Just hasn’t given me anything new in over a year. I haven’t moved her in 10 years. I think I re-potted her in ’21 or the end of ’00. Please help. I love my plants like they are my kids.
I disagree. Tap water is not the issues. I suspect that the most common reason for the dry brown leaf tip/edge is the irregular/mproper watering. It can take only one bad watering mishap to ruin your houseplants with leaves. You let the pot go bone dry and forget about it. That’ll do it. If you catch it soon enough, then you might not see the browning tip but repeated offenses will give you the ugly brown edges. Leaving the plant sitting in water and forget about it will kill off the roots and the leaves will eventually show dry brown marks also. Dry indoor air has to be really really dry coupled with irregular watering to cause browning leaf margins.
Hey! so there is new product that is being sold with a lot of new plants, it is called Wick & Grow. Is this just another gimmick? I remember you telling us that you need to let the plant try, and constant watering is not good for the plant. Do you know anything about this new product. I trust you because you’re not trying to make money off of me like this product is.
Can you extend the end of the article a bit so we have more that 2 seconds to click that link to another of your articles that you put up? The end only shows the link for 2 seconds…. then the article ends and my queue loads my next vid… there isn’t time to click the link! I’mTIRED of clicking backwards to the article I just watched, then clicking forward to where the link is put up,. then click it fast fast before the article ends again.. it’s a lot of work just to chase that link down! I’ll admit, that is exercise, and I need exercise… 😛… but I don’t want to work that hard just to load the linked article! 🥲🤔🤐 Thank you….! I love LOVE you website!!