Calathea Leaves Not Folding And Drying Up — What Can I Do?

Question

My calathea prayer plant won’t ”pray!” I‘ve tried adding fertilizer, putting it in a self watering pot to keep the soil moist and moving it around to different rooms for sunlight, but the leaves won’t fold up that they should at night. Additionally, some leaves are curling and drying up. It starts with a little crinkle to the sides and then they curl into the middle and just dry up, one by one. My poor baby started with 8 leaves and now is down to 4. Any thoughts?

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Answer 1

The curling leaves are likely due to moisture stress. In the winter months you need to cut back on watering. Let the soil dry between watering during fall and winter. Then during the spring and summer, water frequently to keep the soil moist but not wet. Also, try watering with distilled water to avoid chlorine or chloramine. They also need high humidity. You can add a humidifier to the room or set the pot on a pebble tray. Not all calathea are "prayer plants" so your plant may not pray.

These articles should help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/calathea-plants/calathea-vs-maranta.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/what-is-a-pebble-tray.htm