Prayer Plant - Calathea

PRAYER PLANTS

‘Prayer plant’ is the common name for plants belonging to the Marantaceae family, which includes 31 genera. Members of the Marantaceae were given this nickname due to the daily movements of their leaves, a process called nyctinasty. Simply put, plants have an internal circadian rhythm, just like people do. Plants in this family will lift their leaves at night and lower them during the day. It is theorized that these movements help the plant maximize their light absorption, as prayer plants are found in the shaded understory, spread across forest floors. Most prayer plants on the market today belong to a few genera, including Maranta, Calathea, Ctenanthe, Stromanthe, and Goeppertia. 

WATERING & HUMIDITY 

Prayer plants are infamous for being sensitive and finicky houseplants. In some respects, they can be. Prayer plants are definitely more demanding than other plants when it comes to watering and humidity. For example, leaves that are grown in 80% humidity will readily crisp up when moved to 50%. However, leaves grown out in lower humidity will be more resilient and less likely to crisp up. 

Prayer plants are happy around 60%, but can usually adjust to lower humidity. That said, lower humidity does typically result in slower growth overall. 

Prayer plants do best when given filtered or rain water (not distilled), as they are sensitive to minerals in tap water. If watered with tap, they will likely push incompatible minerals out through the tips of their leaves, leading to leaf crisping. 

Prayer plants have rhizomatous root structures, which means they are able to store a small amount of water in their tubers under the soil. These rhizomes can rot if not allowed time to breathe between waterings. Make sure to let the soil dry 30-50% of the way. Prayer plants tend to be thirsty, and will dry out more quickly than other plants, so their soil should be checked a couple times a week. When you do water, make sure to fully saturate the rootball.

LIGHT

Prayer plants grow in relatively low light in nature, which means they cannot handle direct light, even inside. They will do best in bright indirect to medium light, and can also handle low light. If your plant begins looking a little pale while getting bright light, try pulling it a little further away and see if it deepens up.

PESTS

Prayer plants are extremely prone to contracting spider mites. They are often the culprit when troubleshooting issues with a prayer plant. The mites themselves are hard to see, but, as their name implies, you will typically be able to see the fine webbing they produce. On the webbing, the mites will lay their eggs. The eggs turn cream in color before they hatch, and will look like little grains of salt on the webbing.

Most mild infestations can be controlled through regularly cleaning the leaves. However, if they are persistent, the plant may need topical treatment. Spider mites are members of the arachnid family, not “true” insects, so most insect killing soap will not be effective in treating spider mites. Topical sprays that contain spinosad (a naturally occurring substance, derived from soil bacteria) can be a great option. Another option would be to use predatory mites, which will eat the spider mites– but not your plants.  

If the prayer plant is heavily infested, it is also an option to cut the plant fully back. Prayer plants can be extremely resilient, in large part due to their rhizomatous root structure. They can be cut back to the soil and still have the energy to regrow. Cutting the plant back may feel severe, but it is a good way to rid a plant of a persistent infestation as a last resort. It should be noted, this is a riskier treatment option. There is always a risk of shock when cutting a plant back to the soil, so keep this in mind if trying it out. 

FERTILIZER

Prayer plants can be considered average feeders, and do not need to be fed every time they are watered. Most can be fed on a monthly or bimonthly schedule during the growing season (spring-fall). Use an all purpose formula. If using liquid, dilute to ½ strength. You can also use a slow release fertilizer.