How to Grow Prayer Plants as Houseplants:- The prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura), a perennial favorite of novices and aficionados alike, derives its name from the way its leaves fold up at night, opening and drooping in tune with the body’s circadian clock. If one uses their imagination, the leaves could represent grateful hands folded in prayer.
How to Grow Prayer Plants as Houseplants
A variety of cultivars possessing vivid foliage and distinctive designs are deserving of inclusion in indoor plant collections. Fortunately, there are just a few hybrid plants among the majority of species accessible, so cultivating any plant you choose will essentially be the same.
Where to Plant a Prayer Plant
The ideal conditions for prayer plants to thrive are bright, indirect light, lots of warmth, and humidity.
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Kitchens and bathrooms are great locations to start. Keep the plants away from drafty windows, fans, air conditioners, and heaters.
How to Plant a Prayer Plant and When to Do It
Plant prayer plants from nurseries in the spring or early summer, while they are actively growing. This makes it more likely that the plants will be able to recover from any harm sustained during the procedure. To prevent over-potting, which can result in root rot and other issues, pot the plants in a container that is one size larger than the nursery pot.
Brightness
Prayer plants, like many other tropical houseplants, do best in bright, indirect light, which is comparable to the intensely forested conditions of their natural habitat. Place plants next to windows, but out of the direct sunshine. If prayer plants receive excessive light, they will burn or fade.
Water and Soil
Prayer plants do best in well-drained soil. While regular potting soil mixes are effective, adding perlite can enhance soil mixtures that contain a high concentration of water-retentive sphagnum moss. Combine one-quarter potting soil and three-quarters perlite.
Give your plant regular watering, but avoid letting the soil get too wet—especially in the winter months. Sometimes prayer plants go dormant, slowing down their growth. When this occurs, allow the soil to dry a little bit more to prevent rotting.
Humidity and Temperature
Outside of greenhouses, bathrooms and kitchens are ideal places for prayer plants to thrive because of the higher humidity and warmth there compared to other parts of the house. Lower temperatures can cause root rot by slowing down the growth of the plants. Plants are also impacted by low humidity, which results in browning margins and dull foliage.
Apply fertilizer
While the plants are actively growing, fertilize the prayer plants approximately once per month. When watering as usual, use an all-purpose water-soluble mix and make sure to completely saturate the root ball area. For information on how much to use, refer to the box instructions.
Trimming
Prayer plants shouldn’t normally be pruned because doing so can stunt their development. On the other hand, dead leaves and stems can be pruned at any season. Spring or early summer is the optimum time to pot (or repot) a prayer plant.
Select a pot that is one size bigger than the preceding pot or nursery container. Repotting prayer plants only needs to happen every two or three years because they grow slowly. Take the plant out of its pot, give it a shake to get rid of any loose dirt, and then repot it in new soil.
Problems and Pests
Prayer plants are very vulnerable to decaying roots. Take cautious not to overwater or leave plants submerged in water for extended periods of time. Mealybugs and spider mites are just two of the pests that prayer plants and their relatives are vulnerable to.
Mealybugs are fuzzy, white clumps that typically form on the undersides of leaves, along stems, or in the spaces between leaves and stems. They can appear year-round. For easy-to-reach infestations, use a soft cloth, paintbrush, or your finger. Apply an organic insecticide, such as pyrethrin or neem oil, to difficult-to-reach areas.
During the drier winter months, spider mites typically develop on plants as small, spider-like webs that crisscross leaves and stems. The leaves of the plant have a sand-blasted appearance due to larger infestations. Neem oil effectively eradicates these pests.
