have intricately patterned foliage , supplicant plantsare stunning houseplant , but they do have a repute for being a bit finicky . Still , you do n’t need to be hanging by a orison when grow these plants indoors . All it really wants at the end of the day is proper and coherent prayer industrial plant charge .
What are prayer plants?
" Prayer industrial plant " can be a catch - all term for dissimilar type of flora that close down up their leave at night like praying hands . Calathea , stromanthe , ctenanthe , and maranta are genera within the Marantaceae kinfolk that are often referred to as prayer plants .
They all sport plants that go through this specific foliage movement . There ’s no clear consensus on why we see this folding movement in appeal plants at night . That said , the most common theory is that at night , prayer plants shut down up their foliage to keep body of water from sitting on them during nighttime , which could make them more vulnerable todeveloping fungal diseases .
The most vulgar specie of plant referred to as “ appeal plants ” isMaranta leuconeura , which is native to Brazilian rainforests . Maranta leuconeuratends to be more forgiving than other plants in the Marantaceae family , especially when it make out to watering and humidity .
This plant is known for its ellipse leaves with either sinister green hare - track grading running down them or raised herringbone pattern vena in blanched , flushed , or wan yellow . Marantas grow low , generally hit a meridian between 1 and 3 feet . As houseplant , they ’re around 8 in tall . Every so often , they can put out small , pink - white-hot blossom .
How do you care for prayer plants?
Maintaining a prayer plant life can be a delicate fine art , and you might have lots of ups and Down along the way . Here are crucial footmark for appeal plant care to help you grow a hassle - spare maranta inside your rest home .
tone 1 : irrigate your works when the top inch of soil feels wry to the touch .
While entreaty plants appreciate light , well - draining stain , they also love their grow medium consistently moist . Note : Tap water can give them burnt edge , so leave out your pat H2O for a Clarence Day to provide the chlorine and fluoride to dissipate , or use distil water .
Step 2 : Give your plant ample humidity .
These plants only do best in moist melodic phrase , generally preferring 50 % or higher humidity . you could leave your plant on top of a pebble tray with water or sour on a humidifier for a few time of day a day . It helps to habituate a hygrometer to guess your menage ’s humidness .
Step 3 : Provide your maranta with sizeable indirect illumination .
You ’re better off yield your plant vivid indirect light or average light . Too much verbatim visible radiation can sear its leaves . If you do n’t get much spark at all in your home base , considerinvesting in grow luminousness .
measure 4 : Keep the temperature range for a maranta flora between 65 and 70 stage Fahrenheit .
If you ’re using air conditioners and heater in your home base , pay attention to the humidity levels to keep your maranta glad .
Step 5 : enforce a balanced liquid fertilizer every two workweek throughout the growing season .
Avoid using plant solid food in the descent and winter . Over - fertilizing while your plant is abeyant can make it vulnerable to leaf burn and disease .
What are common prayer plant issues?
You might have a mickle of troubleshooting to do if you ’re a first - clip prayer plant proprietor . Still , if you keep on top of signs of trouble , you ’ll come out on the other side with a lush , rich plant life . Keep an eye out for these appeal plant egress and address them as they come .
Step 1 : Look forbrown , kinky edges , which could indicate hard urine , harsh lightness , and dry air .
Address each likely problem one by one to nail the culprit . Use distilled water system in place of tap water , pull your plant life aside from the window , and deform on a humidifier .
Step 2 : confirm whether you have any curling leaves .
Curling foliage is typically an indicator of underwatering , so give your plant a deep drink of water if you point out leaves curling .
stair 3 : Remove yellowing leaves and describe the cause behind them .
Yellow leaves may show overwatering , so cut back on watering if you see them . Yellowing leafage with white speck can also meanspider mite impairment , which should be treated with a foliar solution and extra humidness .
Step 4 : Look for any fading leafage .
While too much unmediated twinkle can scorch a prayer plant and incinerate its leaf edges , too short visible light can lead to fade leaves and leggy stems . If you do n’t get enough natural light , view investing in grow illumination .
When should you repot a prayer plant?
Sometimes , you might not be doing anything amiss . A struggling supplication plant may simply be one that wants a new home . After acclimatize your new prayer plant to your home for a few weeks , it ’s a estimable idea to repot it in a planter that ’s at least 2 inch bigger than its original greenhouse pot . This is because many greenhouse plants are often very rootbound , so the roots may not have fair to middling breathing room or enough blank to take up body of water and nutrients .
If you ’ve had your appeal industrial plant for a while , it will often allow you know when it needs to be repot . You may discover etymon growing out of your drainage gob , for example . Your leaves may also look droop or curled if your plant is not adequately retrieving water through its roots . The full news is , you usually only need to repot your industrial plant every two or so years .
Despite having an intimidating reputation , the entreaty plant life can be a fuss - free flora under the right conditions and tending . The three main culprits of a contend plant are underwatering the soil , using grueling water , and give way to supply plenteous humidness . Still , an adjustment period for a new prayer plant does n’t mean your human relationship with this notoriously finical plant is doom . All it take is a piddling attention , and you ’ll have a thriving industrial plant before you do it it .
