I need help with my rattlesnake calathea, as the leaves are turning yellowish and have interesting brown spots (see pictures). I only used distilled water and it is placed about couple feet away from a west-facing window. Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated!
The afternoon sunlight may be too harsh. Make sure the light it gets is indirect and doesn’t directly hit the leaves
0 J'aime Hmm, thanks for your comment and good to know! It doesn’t get any direct sunlight, so I think something else must be going on. Could this be the result of too little sunlight?
0 J'aime A west facing window has very strong sunlight so I doubt it. My next best guess would be overwatering. What’s your soil mixture like? If it’s too dense there could be water sitting around the roots and causing root rot. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a look at the roots. But calatheas are notoriously sensitive plants, you look at them wrong and they end up like this🤦♀️
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Usually overwatering and lack of enough light go hand in hand. And makes sense with yellowing leaves. Calatheas like to dry out between waterings more than you think. Like at least 60-80% dry before watering again. Most of these plants are sold in soil that only suits its life in a nursery, with perfect airy conditions. Too dense and holds moisture for way too long for household conditions. Ideally, you should change the soil out for something chunkier / airier. They also hate being repotted, so do so with care.
1 j'aime That makes a lot of sense! Thank you. Is there any soil type and specific brands that you would recommend?
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Ugh. Calatheas. The drama queens of all plantdom. Too little water they throw a tantrum, too much and they give up completely. I have one more left in my collection, and I'll be honest, I won't be that sad when I have to move her to the graveyard. She's been a real hag.
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Mine looks the same right now.
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