Hi team!
I'm new to this lovely forum 🙂 I have this indoor plant (a Google search suggest it's a Calathea) for about 6 months now. It was initially next to a wall with minimal sunlight and was thriving, and had been growing really well in that time. Over the last month or so, in the Australian winter, it has become exceptionally sad, seen in the picture above. I have continued to water it, moved it next to the window to get some sun and moved it to a slightly warmer room (in case it was a reaction to the cold). I also tried removing the saddest leaves, but it has continued to deteriorate. I'm not sure what to do and was hoping you could please provide some suggestions? I was thinking of changing the soil? Does it need a bigger pot (I actually repotted it from the plastic store pot to this slightly bigger ceramic one)
Thank you so much!
by iamazucchini
3 Comments
Oh… Could you be over watering, especially if it’s winter? Always check by poking a finger in the soil to see how damp it is. I’m surprised by how little water some of my plants need in winter.
Calatheas are tender creatures, so I would:
Check the roots
Repot in a mix of soil and about 20% perlite
Figure out the humidity, they demand high humidity
Treat your tap water with water conditioner to eliminate possible chlorine and metals.
Pray to the plant gods
Seriously consider never buying a Calathea again and instead go for Philodendrons and Aglaonemas.
Maybe taking a look at the roots would be a good spot to start. If you smell dank earth, you have root rot. Gently rinse off the roots. Snip away any unhealthy roots leaving just the lighter, beige-ish roots.
This is when I’d probably decide to go back down a pot size. Make certain your soil mix contains perlite, or something similar to help water pass through the pot more easily. It’s my understanding that calatheas are dramatic. I’m hoping once you take a look under the plant you’ll fix the issue and carry on 😊