When I bought my calathea I had no idea how fussy they were or how exactly to care for them. It seems that I accidentally gave it ideal conditions and it thrived. Then I went away for a few days and the weather got very warm, when I returned it was totally smashed, hanging over the sides of the pot, dried out and brown. I watered it well, cut off the brown bits and it did not appear to help! It died completely above the soil level. I had a feeling that all was not lost, so I waited ... two months later I saw a little green spike, then two more. I studied calathea on you tube and now it is bouncing back enthusiastically! Don't give up...

Wonderful lecture! God Calatheas are such a struggle. But my orbifolia and musaica and zebrina make me feel like it's all worth it. But still, I feel like I have three plants in the ICU 24/7.

This is the most realistic and practical video I've seen. It was so helpful to see examples and I don't feel like such a failure knowing even experienced planties have the same issues. Thanks so much for sharing your calathea journey and tips!

I'm glad I'm not the only one with the calathea struggles D: lol. I bought it to be my new friend and RELIEVE stress but that's not what's happening 😂

I have an extensive experience with caletheas and gosh are they suicidal or something!

My calathea was really struggling, and I could NOT find out what it was! So what I did was cutting back all of the uglier/dead leaves, and all of the sudden my plant is even prettier than I started with! This is a tip for people who can’t figure out the problem :) hope it helps for you too!

Wow, all bases were covered here on this beautiful plant. I learned so much and will now try to stop torturing my poor dear Calatheas. Thanks so much for the tips.

I lightly mist and water with a very low level of H2O2. Mine are well over 20 years old, gorgeous and the soil is always stink free upon repotting. Cold damage. Trim off ALL damaged leaves. The plant will otherwise send all of its energy to attempt to heal itself, (which will ultimately kill roots), rather than its energy concentrating on producing from its roots to produce leaves. Once all damaged leaves are cut, water wisely and cover with a clear glass jar or even better a cut 2 liter clear plastic soda type bottle. It's the plant ICU "greenhouse" type of treatment. This works well with propagation as well... I have even successfully used minimally damaged cuttings to start new plants, later cutting off the original damaged leaves after new growth is hearty. I can't speak highly enough of the extra use of more Oxygen supplied by a 1%ish Hydrogen Peroxide addition to watering and misting. Bonus, it kills molds and fungus. H2O2 for the win.

Thank you. A really helpful video that gives me some hope. I bought a calathea for the beauty of the green and purple leaves and had No Idea how much effort they require. I will repot this afternoon with new soil for better drainage and keep my fingers crossed.

This was very useful....I bought a calethia ...as long as I remember I moved it to a brighter spot for a day...n I noticed the next morning...the leaves had changed colour...the underside was faded...I immediately moved the plant to the shade... Later the entire leaf became light brown...later dried...I lost most of the leaves....I discovered it as leaf bleach...I see one new growth....

This was definitely one of the most helpful troubleshooting videos on calathea! Thank you!

Nursery places selling these plants also over-fertilize. Then you get them home and you think it is something you did. Yes, water matters seriously with these plants. Distilled or rain only. Any misting water needs to be distilled also. I have never had any issues misting. I do it twice a day and it does help. The thing is, people need to understand you are misting, NOT drenching it until the leaves are soaking wet and it drips into the soil. THAT makes for the fungus infections. My white fusion is a real diva plant: I am actually sorry i got it now due to the constant attention needed to keep it looking good. A fabulous display plant though, IF you can keep it happy.

I got a calathea medallion as one of my first plants. 2 weeks in after i got it, i started noticing droopy leaves, i left it at a brighter location and it went back to normal. a week later sprayed it with some pre mixed neem oil just as preventative treatment, and the next morning the leaves were burnt to crisps. i wiped off the residual neem oil and left it alone. through this whole time i water when it needs and keep the soil moist, but the leaves continue to be very droopy. i suspected it might has root rot, so i took it out of the nursery pot and repotted it for the first time after 3 weeks i got it. so i thought it was a humidity problem, so i gave it a pebble tray and a humidifier. i think it gave me 3 new leaves in total before repotting, and 2 in progress of growing and unfurling right now. the new leaves are relatively healthy and not too droopy, but the old leaves are always droopy and started to curl. the plant is looking very dead and sad despite some of the leaves are still doing ok. I'm not sure what's wrong with my calathea. Please help!!!

Mabuhay from the Philippines! My name is Susan and your new subscriber . I am starting on Calathea Plants and getting scared already. Just the same, i will accept the challenge of taking care of the rattlesnake that I have with me. your tips on taking care of Calatheas, I have written them down on my plant notebook as not to forget. Thank you for your tips and stay safe.

I agree with the statement that misting increases the chances of fungal infection. I personally lost a few plants before I understood this thing. I learned that if we mist it is important to have a good airflow around the plant - like a fan etc or else the water stays stuck between the node areas of leafs & causes fungal infection.

Guys... if you're gonna get these rare beautiful plants, invest in some expensive Fox Farm soil or a giant bag of really good coconut coir. Another good brand that people hate on is miracle grow moisture control but you have to add half perlite in your mix and a quarter vermiculite. You can also add half bark as well for more aeration but I've used that mix and the calatheas love it. It helps prevent root rot as well. I started using more perlite and more vermiculite in my potting mixes. Vermiculite helps with aeration, prevents fungus gnats, holds extra moisture for them as well. If you use fox farm (all of the soils are really good) add a lot more perlite bc I noticed it can become dry or like sludge over time. Truthfully? The best and cheapest soil to get is miracle grow moisture control combined with half perlite and a quarter vermiculite. If you use terracotta pots use more vermiculite since it dries out quicker.

very helpful video, thank you! a newly purchased calathea has just curled all of its leaves in the last two days, and i guess i'm going to unpot it and take a look at the roots!!

This is great information. I fell in love with mine when I got it small and now it’s not going well. Thank you this really helps. I heard if the stripes fade , it has too much sun. They are so so sensitive and picky to take care of and still beautiful. Hope that I get mine back on looking better. It has brown leaves.

Thank you so much! I only have 1 calathea and couldn't justify to myself to buy a huge humidifier to stop it from crinkling. The diffuser fixed it up in 2 days!

Thank you! I had to let my Calathea go because it was too much maintenance and I didn’t know how to help it. I understand now that it was the water I was using!

Really appreciate the timestamps in the description!

I've experienced all these scenarios in the last 5 years and what I do is to just cut the leaves gradually and a new leaf grows. I live in the Philippines and I put them under a tree or direct but shaded area.

Some calatheas just aren't worth the effort, I find zebrina to be by far the most sensitive you can do every single thing right and they'll still turn into a withered mess they just have no will to live.

No need for an electric humidifier or essential oil diffuser. Just hang a slightly damp cloth near the plant - this will increase the humidity levels to more than 50% - and the humidification achieved is better than standing the plant pot on pebbles in a tray of water. However, you will need to re-damp the cloth periodically. In the kitchen, just place your damp dish cloths near the Calathea.

So thankful for this video, my Calathea definitely has fertilizer burn or water stress. Still figuring it out I’ve only had it for 2 weeks

thank you so much for this video! Almost 2 months ago I ended up purchasing a medallion, white fusion, and rattlesnake. My rattlesnake is 95% dead and my medallion is hecka struggling with browning on the leave edges, my white fusion is hanging tougher than the other two but even then she, too, has her moments. I’m definitely getting gray hairs from how high maintenance they are and not being able to pinpoint exactly what’s going on. I wish they would whisper to me what hurts lol!

I cannot explain how helpful this video has been for me. I burned my prayer plant it seems and the soil isn't aerated enough. I just couldn't figure what i was doing wrong. But i'm about to go save it. thank you!!!

Omgoodness, EVERYTHING I wish I would have known before my Calathea Medallion got so distressed. THANK YOU

Thank you so much for this video. My Calethea looks like it's gone through hell and I've watched several videos on Calethea care without relevant information to my specific problem. Now I know what to do :)

what does it mean when my calethea eclipse leaves are turning downwards? like not curling but turning more downwards like this rainbow emoji 🌈

THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this! I accidentally scorched my calatheas leaves - I had it for over 3months. And I am so sad at how they look I didn’t know what to do.

I bought calythia for the first time today and wanted information on how to take care of it. This video was very helpful.

Perfect timing to see your video. I have just placed an indoor plant order which includes a Calathea Illustris - Peacock plant. I had no idea how fussy they are, so your tips are very welcome. When the plants arrive, I will be ready for the Diva, and fingers crossed, keep her alive🍃

I've had my calathea for 3 months and it's a mess ☹️☹️☹️ Hopefully I can save it! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Thanks a lot, congrats. I'm in Guatemala Central America average Temps 68 to high 90 's... I'm going to use distilled water, one was sunburned had to remove those leaves, otherwise they are doing well. Cheers 🥂 😊

I bought one that has the perfect soil. I believe it is Coco coir. It is one of the few plants I left and didn't repot. It is thriving

Lots of practical, useful information. Thank you for making this video.

Thanks for the video!! what do you think caused the tiny holes on the leaves at 5:37? thanks! is it water burn mark, as in caused by water left on the leaves?

My prayer plant has gone mad. The leaves are in perfect condition and are sprouting every where... The best way I've found to water my plants is to wait until the soil is dry and then sit the bottom of the plant pot in water for ten minutes. It takes the water it needs. I also use tap water which hasn't affected the plant at all.

This is an awesome video. Thank you so much for all the detail you've put in. Really covered all the bases I can think of!

Very informative. I will be working on my house plants asap. I have a calathia with burned tips. I will be checking the roots and taking off the decorative rocks it has.

I have (had) a beautiful Calithea not sure which variety. Thanks for the tutorial- I’ve felt is needed to repot it and I’ve wondered about the water so this all makes sense. I’ll add more drainage in a bigger pot and only use filtered water and see what happens. Will let you know. Best wishes

Very helpful video. I don't have calatheas but I have a big philodendron and a couple of leaves look exactly like the first plant you showed. I suspected it was a watering issue so I repotted it this morning in a faster draining mix - I hope that takes care of the problem.

What a good video! Very informative and you are super likable. Thank you for the info!

Thanks for the video. It is very interesting to have all problems together. I have a musaica that started to have crispy leaves. Some even dried out entirely.. I tried changing its spot and have it now in a west facing room, 3 meters away from the window. I also realized that my house is very dry, so I also have an oil mistifier, which is not very powerful but seems to do the trick. The calathea is also sitting next to a monstera, theoretically that should help. Now the crispness has stopped and it even has new growth! I am so proud of my plant!

Do you cut off the curled, brown leaves or just repot the plant and they bounce back? I can't figure out what the issue is with mine. I have a humidifier next to them now, which gives them 67% humidity, they are not getting direct light, but the leaves just don't uncurl. Any tips?

I must be lucky, my calathea is doing great, and is even flowering inside! I water once week, feed her once a month, i have a calathea Roseopicta “dottie”

In my country. Humidity and degree are 80% and 30oC in the morning. Down to 60% and 32oC in the afternoon. My strategy is that, cocochips and pelite as the soil. Which can help a lot with the drainage, cocochips keep the root moist and pelite keep the soil loose so the root can "breath". Cause I tend to notice that horticulture sand or cactus soil hold too much water.

Thank you for this. The lady who owns the plant shop where I buy plants gave me a free calathea with curling leaves. She was shy to sell it but I love it alot so she gave it for free. I am new in taking care of indoor plants and your video is a big help for me. I really want to save this lil plant. I am hoping these ideas will work.Thank you 😘💖😊

Fabulous video! You definitely know your ishh! Thanks girl 🌱🕺💞

my prayer plant has everything! it is crispy, brown along the edges, started to wilt and curls in. oh no

Hi. Bought my calathea medallion for nearly 3 weeks now on clearance. Eventhough it wasn't in good condition still bought and gave a new home. The problems are brown tips, 2 pale leaves ( think they are new leaves), some leaves doesn't close at night time and droopy, lastly the stems are dark ( is that normal?) Do I need to repot it? What soil mixture to use? Please help me, I'm a newbie and want to revive this beautiful plant.

Very informative! Thanks for all the info. Now I knew why most of my calatheas are dying or looking brown.

This only seems to happen to my Calathea medallion. All my others a throwing out growth and very happy, no criapy edges

How often do you add worm castings? Thank you for preparing me for a few calatheas I have getting delivered 👍 Also, have you tried distilling your own water?

my ornata is such a diva, I almost regret buying it because how high maintenance it is but it's so beautiful so I'm trying so hard to keep it alive. I think for mine it's a humidity problem since I live in the high desert in CA and it's so dry out here. thank you for the tips!

Thanks! I just got one and was lookin for some care info. Very informative!!

Great informative video on Calathea’s

Quick tips: get a moisture meter and humidity and temp monitor. Calatheas love at least 50% humidity. People who lives in cold areas specially needs this because air gets so dry that it will cause leaves to turn brown as well. Make sure you group them together because at night, the plants transpires and release water so they help each other out by creating micro climate. It increases humidity. It was a pain in the ass having the humidifier running everyday but it really will save your calatheas. She’s right about the fertilizer and using distilled water. I learned that the hard way. If you can, use a large terrarium with grow lights. It will keep these type of plants happy .

I re-potted my Peacock plants because the leaves were browning and they came with green fertilizer pellets. I bought distilled water and watered them after re-potting and left them in the bathroom with the hot shower running to get them some humidity. My question is, when I examined the roots, I found bulbs. They seemed a bit soggy. What are these bulbs and should I not have removed a few?

Ah, very informative and so useful thanks... I loved my Calathea plant, i was away for a while and when I returned it had got completely run down... I wasn’t sure what did it but from this It seems that it was the cold temps for long periods of time, whilst I was in a warmer climate... I wonder if there are other plants similar that you recommend? that may be more resilient/easier... Great vid btw! 👏🏻

Thank you , I have a zebra plant the is getting curling inward/downward and brown crispy tips . And my calathea is identical problem . My humidifier doesn’t work-yet . Since I was using tap water after letting it sit for 2 days . I want to give them a good shower but my shower water isn’t going to work . It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, so I’m going to collect some . I think I’ll go buy distilled water since I think they are pretty dry .

Just finding you and have grown to love calatheas! My question is: how have you learned SO much about them! Will be checking all the videos out! Ty!

This was so useful, thank you!

So informative, Thank you 🙏🏽.

Such useful info! Saving these tips. Thank you so much.

THANK YOU for sharing the info on root damage and the cold 🥶 damage I think that’s what I have going on, but I’m impatient to fix wilty leaves and I think I just made a bad problem worse 😪 w too many different actions

Ty now I understand. I rescued one from a local hardware store recently. It was in a plastic pot with drainage holes. But the plastic pot was in a snug fitting, beautiful, clay pot. So there was no way for it to drain. I’m praying I can save it. Thanks again.

Hi very good video, you have a new subscriber 😄 ! I have a calathea and he's doing great for the moment, i have him for almost 6 months and i putted him on a saucer full of water ( the pot is not touching the water ) i mist him 2 or 3 times a week and he is with a lot of others plants it helps i think ! But i just bought a triostar and i already noticed that this one Will be harder To maintain 😂 ( sorry for possible mistakes im french 🙂)

Sooo helpful thank you! Love the oil infuser tip

When you have to cut the dead leaves, how far down should you go...

Thanks for the video! I have my calathea for almost a year and I'm struggling with it's brown leaves for months! While I fix the issue should I cut the brown part of the leave or should I cut the entire leave? Only have 3 healthy leaves 🙈

My calathea’s old leaves are drying but new leaves are growing too, is it normal?

Thank you for all the good information I'm gonna get some distilled water when I go to town today l only have 2 prayer plants want to feed them and water them how's the best

I took my zebrina out of soil..she looked very good before the switch..gently washed her roots,spayed with peroxide and let dry..moved to leca, in her new pot,over night,all leaves have curled...bummed,not sure if it is just transitioning, have to wait and see..roots looked very good and healthy..

Thanks. I think I need to check my roots and repot my plant.

My calathea curls when it wants water. Once I water it, it uncurls

Very good information

.. Ohh, sounds like I need to do a repot, again 😳 I bought a little onata about 2 weeks ago, and when home I realised it was soaking wet, so it sat on my kitchen table over night when I desired to repot it the next day.. Once out of the pot it was dripping with water and I moved half of th soil and filled up with well drained soil, put it back on the table and within minutes it curled up the Leaves.. Today I noticed that several of the leaves are damaged and the poor thing doesn't look very happy.. From what I can understand, it could be root rot, as I actually let it keep the soil surrounding the roots although it was soaked.. I have to give it the chance and hope for the best..

Are self-watering pots a good choice for Calatheas?

Thank you so very much for this video I was having problems with mark calathea and now I know what the problem is so I can fix it. thank you so very much.😀

Thanks you for the tips......i hope my calathea will grow after watching my videos following your tips.

I'm so grateful for your channel! I adore my calathea and I think I've given it water damage:( Your video is the most informative thing I've found (and I've spent all day googling and in FB groups). Is the only solution time and flushing? I flushed it yesterday BEFORE realizing that the water wasn't as pure as I thought it was, so I'm torn about flushing again, and about repotting in case it stresses her out. I don't want to just wait if I should do something...

I am also facing the same issue.. Thanx for the suggestions

I had a prayer plant that was doing amazing, it was in my bathroom window on the same watering schedule as my African violet (bottom watering) which was also doing so great in the window. Suddenly I noticed it dropping, I tried to water it, the water went nowhere so I took it out of the water, away from the window but she’s still dropping. Any advice? It’s been pretty cold here for AZ especially in my bathroom. I don’t think it got to 60 though maybe 65 at the lowest.

Thank you! My very first calathea had suffered from root rot a few weeks ago. But seeing this video, I am not sure if I managed to get the roots healthy again. I repotted her and cleaned the roots but she lost 2 or 3 leafs since then. But all the other leafs look very healthy, no browning tips, no curling. Calatheas can be so confusing 😂

Thank you for this info! I’ve killed all my Calathias so far. The new one I bought is in my bathroom with a humidifier and I’m using room temp filtered water from the fridge. Do you think I should buy distilled water instead?

I've had a Rattlesnake Calathea for a week now and it's already driving me crazy lol. Took mines outside as well and the leaves curled with in minutes. Hope I can save it.

I got a calathea for my birthday from my aunt, and the edges were brown. I think she bought it a few days in advance and then brought it to my house (an hour car ride) so It most likely is water stress. The soil looks really dry so I’ll probably water it soon. One thing, tho, is that my aunt told me to cut the brown edges off (she’s really into plants so I trust that’s what im supposed to do) but I didn’t cut in the shape of the leaf 😭. So hopefully that doesn’t damage it more.

Mine grow lush and beautiful. I have found that the secret is to sprinkle with water on the soil like light rain. I do this every 3 days. If I give them more water than this, the leaves will yellow . I do not feel that they do well with deep watering. Every two months or so I will give them more but mostly just water the top.

These are really helpful tips and demonstrations! I have a calathea crocata that has been temperamental since I got it, about 4 months ago. Oddly enough I got a calathea makoyana at the same time that I've basically ignored other than to move it around the house and I've had zero problems with it. I accidentally burned off all the flowers on the crocata and many of the leaf tips with too bright sunlight, but then the leaves started to pale when I put it farther from the window. I recently discovered an intense spider mite infestation and had to prune off many of the older leaves. Surprisingly there's a lot of very healthy looking new growth under the mess, but the leaves still look a bit pale and the tips are slightly crispy and it's really disappointing on such beautiful dark foliage. What do solidly pale leaves and crispy tips mean? Less light, or more? More fertilizer? More water? More humidity? Some combination of all of these? I haven't been able to find any pictures online that match what I'm seeing, and I would love to save this beautiful plant!

I have a suggestion to help save a severely damaged Calathea due to cold snap (or from accidental neglect). I have several different types in my FL home & while all were thriving, I had one that I was convinced was a goner (for reasons unknown). Before I retired it to the compost pile, I decided to try switching it to semi hydro. Shook as much soil out from the roots as possible, got a cotton wick, Leca pebbles & placed it in a self watering planter. Used distilled water & high diluted fish emulsion. When I first replanted my Calathea, it has no viable leaves, all were brown & wilted, but I left it alone. It took a very long time, maybe even a couple months, but eventually a new leaf sprouted! That was about 6 months ago & it hasn’t stopped growing! Not only did it bounce back, but it’s thriving! Still putting out new leaves, all winter long. I eventually transferred another Calathea to semi hydro after it also began to struggle. They both have never looked better. I will prob transfer the rest of them as I find the right planters. Seems to work great for me here in FL, prob b/c the a/c really drys out the air (even tho I do the same thing as u & use diffusers throughout the house to increase humidity) but I always have issues w/ my Calatheas eventually having crunchy leaves. The semi hydro set up has fixed that problem completely

How long do you leave your diffuser on a day please??

I have a Calathea Rufibarba with drooping, curled up leaves that are brown on the edge. I have repotted it and moved it to the bathroom, put it on a tray of pebbles, mist it and there has been no improvement. Should I trim the leaves?

Answered several questions...thanks. JIm

I have a calathea bicajoux i got from shipping the plant is not badly damaged but the leaves are disorganised and all over the place what should i do?

You're right. Chloromides don't disapate if left. A rainwater tank is a good investment.

Hi Great vid very informative, thanX. I have a problem with my Calathea Triostar it seems ok but all the bright red colour on the underside of the leaves has suddenly faded away! Could this be a lack of fertilization. Any suggestions. Mal

Worm castings, while often marketed as a fertilizer, are more accurately classified as a soil amendment. They are deficient in nitrogen and other essential plant nutrients, and therefore do not meet the criteria to be considered a fertilizer. Despite this, companies are permitted to label worm castings as a fertilizer, leading to confusion.

I use a diffuser for my calethea and I *lightly* mist them daily, I do use tap water that has been sat out for 24 hours and so far no problems but I have very soft water so maybe thats an advantage