my cousin got me this plant for christmas and i have no idea what im doing
my cousin got me this plant for christmas and i have no idea what im doing
Bright indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves. Chunky mix because it is a thirsty plant. Calathea are tricky. They can be sensitive to tap water but can acclimate over time but you may lose some leaves as it acclimates to your environment and care.
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use fish tank water if you have access to it, or buy some aquarium water conditioner to treat your tap water to neutralize chlorine and chloramine. filtering before treating is also a great idea to remove excess minerals. rain water is another excellent choice for sensitive plants like these. if you donât have a hygrometer or humidifier with a built in hygrometer, look into getting one. itâs an important investment for plant care as most tropicals will only thrive if the humidity is kept above 50% consistently. prayer plants in particular are very sensitive to dry air
1 LikePrayer plant, aka rattlesnake plant! Love mine and they're so easy too! Would highly recommend a cheap moisture meter on Amazon and humidifier or your bathroom if there's good light. Never go by the reminder to water on here. They're amazing beautiful plants God made!
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Do you think the reminder to water on here is too often or not often enough?
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That will depend on your soil type, size of pot, and your environment. Itâs very individual. Itâs best to check the soil frequently at first so that you can get to know your plant in your environment. Eventually, youâll find a good balance.
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You just canât go by a schedule with watering in general. You have to go by the moisture in your soil and the conditions the specific plant likes. I walk around weekly and stick a moisture meter in mine to see if they are ready.
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i really seriously recommend staying away from moisture meters. theyâre often overpriced and they donât actually measure the level of water/moisture in the soil but itâs conductivityâwhich is based on many more factors than the moisture levelâ and so they are very inaccurate and unreliable. a bamboo chopstick or skewer is a much more accurate gauge of the soilâs overall moisture. stick it all the way into the bottom of the pot, wait a few minutes, and if any soil sticks to the skewer you know itâs still wet. much like testing a cake when baking. this method isnât even necessary for prayer plants though as they only want the top 1â of soil to dry before watering again. your fingers are the best gauge of soil moisture in this instance
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