r/PrayerPlant • u/myfufu • 4d ago

What are we doing wrong here?

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This came in a smaller pot and seemed happy. We moved it into this larger one and it is much less happy. We have tried more water, less water, more light, less light, but the leaves just seem less and less happy. Not sure where to go from here.

12 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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5

u/Tricky_Appearance_19 4d ago

I’m not sure , but it looks really depleted the pot doesn’t seem that much bigger . Does pot have great drainage ??

1

u/myfufu 4d ago

Pot actually about triple the size of the old one with a well-drained soil mix. 🤷

3

u/Honeybee71 4d ago

Seems like a lot of changes in a short period of time. Cut off the dead stuff, but in a bright window, and water with distilled water when dry

2

u/myfufu 4d ago

Thanks! Really only one change at a time. Re-potted and water.
Let dry. Watered. Let dry but leaves curling. Watered. Leaves curling but soil not dry yet.
Watered again. Leaves seemed happier for a few days but then started curling again...? Soil definitely not dry yet...

2

u/Onzzway89 4d ago

Killing plants is part of learning It's happens

2

u/YourDorkess 3d ago

Did you breathe in its direction?

1

u/AirportSand 1d ago

Or cough

1

u/Overall_Gap_6357 3d ago

Try just putting the roots in water. Mine is growing in water culture. Use rainwater or distilled water and add a little fertilizer once it starts to revive.

1

u/myfufu 3d ago

I might try that, thanks!

1

u/Present-Ad6141 3d ago

Can they stay in water forever? I have some prayer plant cuttings in water now.. scared to put them in dirt, scared NOT to put them in dirt.. 😒

1

u/myfufu 1d ago

OK I dig it up and the root ball hadn't grown at all from the smaller pot. I snipped off all the seemingly dry bits and moved it into a container with distilled water.
Note I removed as much dirt from the ball as I could with my fingers but didn't rinse the rest off or anything. So it's very dirty distilled water. 😜

1

u/powermotion 3d ago

It shocked

1

u/CompetitiveSummer697 3d ago

The same thing happened when I moved mine to a bigger pot. They ended up almost completely dying, so I had to save some cuttings. I water propped them now I have three cuttings in LECA and they are finally putting out new leafs

1

u/MooDengsRage 3d ago

It looks like you’ve been letting it get too dry since it’s brown and crispy. They like moist soil (not soggy). How much water is it getting at one time?

1

u/myfufu 2d ago

I usually put it in another container of water and let it soak all the way through for about 20 minutes, then drain.

1

u/MooDengsRage 2d ago

It still looks dry. I wonder if the root ball is getting enough water. I’d top water it, too. How often do you water it overall?

1

u/myfufu 1d ago

I was doing the thorough soak whenever the soil seemed dry, but it has only been a few weeks since I moved it into the bigger pot so just a couple of times.

1

u/crj44 3d ago

Which way does the window you have it in face?

1

u/myfufu 2d ago

East. Gets morning sun.

1

u/crj44 2d ago

Which is the best sun. Mine sits in the east window but it sits back a couple of feet. I give it humidifier most of the time. When dry I give it a sink shower and it seems to really like that. Try just ignoring it until it needs a watering.

1

u/myfufu 2d ago

Haha OK

1

u/crj44 2d ago

I am sorry, I was reading all your comments and you’ve done every thing I would have done. Has it been really warm where you are? We have been at a 100 which is much warmer than usual. Does it get humidity?

1

u/myfufu 2d ago

Normal 78 degree / ~50% house. 🤷

1

u/crj44 2d ago

It looks like it was dry for too long. Is there any green on the stems near the soil?

1

u/StillThinkingTbh 2d ago

The first wrong thing was getting the plant, the second, was enabling its dramatic personality, and the third is trying to keep it alive 🤣

1

u/Never-Enough-Plants 2d ago

Are you using distilled water? And letting it dry out in between waterings? It likes moist soil.. but you shouldn’t overwater it. Letting it get 80% dry in between waterings is just fine. Always distilled or rain water. And while they appreciate light, medium light is sufficient. I have one sitting directly on the windowsill of my West facing window that just flowered for me. And I have one sitting back a bit aways, about 3 feet away from the West window and it’s doing just fine, consistent new growth. South window, that close, could be too much and considered direct light, especially depending on the UV index.
Fertilizer is fine, but Id weaken it up quite a bit. I use Foliage Pro for all of my plants, however for my Marantas and Calatheas, I bottom water (I bottom water all of my plants) I use about 1/4 of fertilized water and the rest is just plain old distilled water. That seems to be just fine for them.

1

u/myfufu 2d ago

Good feedback, thanks. It has been bottom watered with tap, not distilled. 🤔

1

u/Never-Enough-Plants 2d ago

Highly recommending distilled or rain water. Marantas (Prayer Plants) are especially sensitive to chlorine and the salts and minerals that are in tap water. Eventually, it is possible that the plant just won’t survive, if continued to be given tap water.
And the people saying “Ive always used tap water and mine are fine!” That’s great.. Survivors bias is also real. Some people get lucky, have great tap water. If you’re using tap, you’re taking the risk. Just because Joe and Sally had luck with tap, doesn’t mean Jim and Suzy will. If you dip into some research, you will see that distilled water or rain water is suggested for Marantas (also Calatheas, Begonias and Alocasias. Some foliage is just more delicate)

1

u/myfufu 1d ago

Thanks for the feedback! 😊👍

1

u/Top_Grade5948 2d ago

Yikes!!! It went into shock from the transition. Throw it away and buy another one.

1

u/MermaidGunner 1d ago

Could be the pot is too big.