--- title: "My mom’s rattlesnake plant is not doing so well, and we were…" description: "My mom’s rattlesnake plant is not doing so well, and we were wondering how we could help it out? Any advice would be appreciated!" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg/YNNgfq59RAubl1yjUuiIOA" community: "Anything about plants" author: "Krazyhorse" published: "2024-02-15T19:02:46.127775Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/e_rXIugm0B9LvvY95w6_4Jdf1-8E9-ox4eVwHWmBDxI/ZTJsr_kdQs2lTMoVIcE_eA.webp?size=large" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Anything about plants](https://getplanta.com/community/lZ7uAE3pQ86jnFGxrCwLrg.md) # My mom’s rattlesnake plant is not doing so well, and we were… _Posted by Krazyhorse on 2024-02-15_ My mom’s rattlesnake plant is not doing so well, and we were wondering how we could help it out? Any advice would be appreciated! ![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/e_rXIugm0B9LvvY95w6_4Jdf1-8E9-ox4eVwHWmBDxI/ZTJsr_kdQs2lTMoVIcE_eA.webp?size=large) ## 15 comments ### Alison commented on 2024-02-15 Looks like it has a few good leaves and is growing another one! I suggest pruning it, pulling off anything that will come off readily and cutting off any stubborn but unhealthy leaves. Looks like you could cut pretty close to the base of the dead leaf. Also check the roots for black, mushy roots and remove those. I think it’ll make a good recovery! ☺️ #### Alison replied on 2024-02-15 Let me know if I gave any bad advice! Lol! I’m still learning, too. #### Krazyhorse replied on 2024-02-16 Thank you for the advice! I’ll do that! ### YinDeezy commented on 2024-02-15 Adding to Alíson’s comments, what kind of potting medium are you using? Does the pot have drainage holes? How much light does the plant get? How often do you water? Are you watering with distilled or tap water? What’s the average temp and humidity levels? #### Krazyhorse replied on 2024-02-16 My mom says she waters it once a week with tap water and uses miracle grow potting soil. The pot does not have drainage holes. The plant is in a screened in porch so it gets tons of light, but it recently got kind of cold for where we live so maybe the temperature did it? Humidity is always between 40-60% where I live and the temperature is usually 70 and above but last week it went down to the 30s. #### Alison replied on 2024-02-16 Aww, it probably was partly the cold. 😣 I lost some plants this winter also. Drainage is also pretty important. I’ve learned that the hard way, too. Lol. #### YinDeezy replied on 2024-02-16 Calatheas can be sensitive to excess minerals in tap water. Don’t know if you have hard water where your located, but I would recommend switching to rain, distilled or water treated with aquarium conditioner. Miracle grow potting soil is very dense right out of the bag and holds onto moisture too long. Calatheas, and most plants, do well in chunkier mixes that are well draining. I would recommend repotting into a soil mix that has perlite, pumice or some kind of grit to help aerate the soil and increase drainage. Get that plant in a pot with drainage ASAP. You can repot into a plastic nursery pot and still use the outter decorative pot. When you repot, check the roots for root rot. Any roots that are brown or mushy should be removed. Choose a pot that is only 1-2 inches larger than the rootball. I suspect you’ll likely need to downsize in pot size afte checking the roots. Humidity sounds okay, but 30s is too cold for a Calathea. Probably best to bring it inside if it’s consistently below 50-60. There is still green on the plant so I bet it can recover with proper care. Good luck! #### Krazyhorse replied on 2024-02-18 Yeah, I thought the soil might be too dense. Thank you for all the help, I really appreciate the detailed response. I’m going to do my best to bring it back to life! #### Krazyhorse replied on 2024-02-18 Is there a specific soil you would recommend? _2 more replies in the app_ ### Plant Father commented on 2024-02-16 it looks overwatered, or the soil might be too dense #### Krazyhorse replied on 2024-02-16 Well I think she just watered the plants, so maybe that’s why it looks that way? Although I’m new to plants myself so I’m still learning what too much water is. I can definitely understand the soil being too dense, I’ll talk to her about possibly repotting it. Thank you! #### Plant Father replied on 2024-02-16 the sad, curled leaves are what makes me think it’s too wet. i’d definitely recommend at least checking on the roots because pots with no drainage are a shortcut to root rot and plant death in most situations. calathea should be watered once the top inch or so of soil has dried #### Krazyhorse replied on 2024-02-18 Yeah, I see what you mean. Thank you, we are going to check the roots and everything asap --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_