Any tips how to care for my plant
3ft to light, indirect
Last watered 1 year ago
4
Hi @GleefulLithop97 , calathea like bright indirect light. 3 feet to the light may be too close. Pot needs drainage if it doesn’t have any. And distilled water if rain water only. I found that my calathea like very indirect light, no water for three weeks after giving them a drink and high humidity. Temps should be between 65 and 75°F. Soil should line to retain moisture. My calathea thrive off neglect and have grown to a larger size because of it. I’m in Texas where we have humidity year-round. My calathea are kept away from light to keep them from drying up under lighting.
It looks overwatered. Your plant card says its pot doesn't have drainage holes, which means there's a good chance it's suffering from root rot. I'll be honest, it looks rough. But if you act fast there's still hope it can make a full recovery.
First you'll want to pull the plant out of its pot and inspect the base of the stems and its roots. You're looking for signs of rot: mushy, darker in color, foul odor, etc. Remove all dead and dying leaves and cut away any rotted roots.
Before repotting, you need to find a new pot with drainage holes. Drainage is crucial for your plant's health. It helps soil dry out faster between waterings (which helps avoid root rot) and allows excess fertilizer and mineral buildup to be flushed out of the soil. Calathea don't like their soil to completely dry out, but they also don't like sitting in soggy soil. You also want to use a well-draining soil that won't hold onto moisture for too long. They do best in a chunky soil mix, so look for one containing orchid bark and perlite, or make your own using regular potting soil and add in plenty of orchid bark and perlite (2 parts potting soil, 1 part orchid bark, 1 part perlite should work well).
Lastly, always check the soil before watering. Insert a moisture meter, wooden chopstick, or just your finger a few inches down into the soil. Only water your Calathea when those top few inches of soil feel dry. If you're using Greg's watering reminders, think of them more as suggestions than anything. If you get a reminder to water but the soil still feel moist, hit the snooze button and it'll remind you again in a few days. The more you use the app, the more accurate the watering reminders will become.
Good luck, I really hope your Calathea bounces back! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask 😊💚
First you'll want to pull the plant out of its pot and inspect the base of the stems and its roots. You're looking for signs of rot: mushy, darker in color, foul odor, etc. Remove all dead and dying leaves and cut away any rotted roots.
Before repotting, you need to find a new pot with drainage holes. Drainage is crucial for your plant's health. It helps soil dry out faster between waterings (which helps avoid root rot) and allows excess fertilizer and mineral buildup to be flushed out of the soil. Calathea don't like their soil to completely dry out, but they also don't like sitting in soggy soil. You also want to use a well-draining soil that won't hold onto moisture for too long. They do best in a chunky soil mix, so look for one containing orchid bark and perlite, or make your own using regular potting soil and add in plenty of orchid bark and perlite (2 parts potting soil, 1 part orchid bark, 1 part perlite should work well).
Lastly, always check the soil before watering. Insert a moisture meter, wooden chopstick, or just your finger a few inches down into the soil. Only water your Calathea when those top few inches of soil feel dry. If you're using Greg's watering reminders, think of them more as suggestions than anything. If you get a reminder to water but the soil still feel moist, hit the snooze button and it'll remind you again in a few days. The more you use the app, the more accurate the watering reminders will become.
Good luck, I really hope your Calathea bounces back! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask 😊💚
@stephonicle it so annoying it was thriving two weeks ago, I think I have watered it a lot. I think this is root rot 😣 currently in denial about it
@GleefulLithop97 sorry meant to respond sooner! Based on your photos, the roots actually look ok, but the base of those stems definitely look mushy. Same thing happened to my Calathea Freddie, the stems rotted right at the soil surface and caused all the leaves to flop over 😕 All you can really do is remove all the rotten material, put in some fresh soil & cross your fingers new growth will emerge. You can also try a hydrogen peroxide soak before repotting to kill off any remaining fungus. 1 part peroxide to 1 part water, soak for 30 min. Keep us posted on its progress!