Proud new owner of a calathea. Only I had no idea how to look after a calathea until I got it home š I am in a north facing dry apartment. Any humidifier recommendations or if you think Iāll need a grow light? Also extra tips to keep her happy are super welcome.
north facing window should be plenty of light as long as the plant is right by the window. the stems will stretch like the one in the middle if itās not getting enough light. any humidifier will do, even one of those diffusers thatās also a humidifier as long as you donāt put essential oils in. prayer plants are really sensitive to excess minerals and chemicals in their water. if your tap water is chlorinated, and you canāt collect rainwater, i would recommend filtering the tap water first to remove the majority of the dissolved solids, then add a drop of aquarium water conditioner per gallon of water to dissolve remaining chlorine/chloramines. i also add a bit of white vinegar to the water to reduce its ph since i know my tap water is slightly alkaline. these steps create what i like to call āsynthetic rainwaterā since it mimics rainwaterās purity and natural acidity.
2 Me gusta Thank you so much! I live in rainy England so collecting rain water shouldnāt be an issue. I do have a Brita filter so Iāll start using that to water it. I have misted it with my regular tap water. Hopefully I havenāt upset it too much. Itās not too far away from a large window/glass balcony door so hopefully thatās enough then, willing to invest if it isnāt though. Iāll get onto sorting a humidifier out!
0 Me gusta a brita filter is a great first step and definitely better than plain tap water, but most pitcher filters leave some chlorine/chloramines in the water which will irritate the plant. that is why i recommend the aquarium water conditioner as it will neutralize any remaining chemicals in the water. iām not sure if itās available in the u.k. but i use api brand water conditioner, and at $7 usd per bottle, itās a small but impactful investment. if the air in your place is particularly dry, and you notice leaves turning crispy on the edges, it may be a good idea to place an upturned clear plastic bag or similar item over the top to create a greenhouse effect, this will keep it a bit more humid around your plant while you look into getting a humidifier.
1 me gustaGorgeous! I mist mine every day with distilled water and otherwise follow Planta directions. (I do always use distilled water for her.) Had her far from an east window and sheās so much happier when I moved her closer.
2 Me gusta Thank you, I may get some distilled water for it then as it seems for once, itās not actually going to rain here for a few days.
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For mine I keep next to a humidifier I got off of Amazon and I only water with distilled water! I do keep her right under a grow light also.
1 me gusta I keep looking at Amazon but I just canāt decide. I hear they donāt like being moved or Iād take it to sit in the bathroom whilst I shower in the meantime š
1 me gusta I use the Levoit top fill humidifier
Definitely agree with the filtered water. Itās hard to over-water calatheas, so donāt be afraid to soak her. Iād avoid misting, especially once youāve got the humidifier going. The increased humidity is very short-lived but the droplets on the leaves can lead to some marks and fungus risk you donāt want.
3 Me gusta Iām going to go and buy a humidifier today then. Can I ask how long youād have it running for please?
0 Me gusta Wish I could give a simple answer but my baseline is 12 h/day and then you can adjust your starting place from there based on the following: 1. The warmer and drier your starting point, the more you want to humidify. Heat and dry air both cause the plant to lose more water and humidifier will mitigate that. So a 75-85 degree home that runs heat or AC a lot might do better with continuous humidifier, while a 65-70 degree home with lightly higher baseline could be fine with 5-8 h during the day (or if you lived elsewhere you might not need any.) 2. Weaker humidifiers will need to be on longer for the same effect. Most have a rating for the space size they can humidify. If itās rated for a larger space than you have then you can decrease; if itās rated for a smaller space then you might want a couple extra hours to compensate. 3. If, for some reason, you have to keep the humidifier farther from your plants then have it on longer. If itās a room humidifier (vs a mini desktop-type one) then a couple feet away is great. 4. Some humidifiers will almost mist or spray. Avoid it spraying water onto the plant; the goal is for the invisible air particles to be higher around the plant, not visible water droplets. 5. If your surfaces are damp then back off.
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