Prayer plant (Maranta)
Steve Draper
I bought a young prayer plant about 8 months ago, and have seen
fantastic growth ever since. I have followed plant books'
recommendations about light, food, water, repotting, etc. but the one
thing I cannot seem to provide for this plant is high humidity, which it
needs. (I do regularly mist it, but obviously not enough.)
Its lower leaves have large shrivelled brown areas which extend from the
tip to a centimetre or two into the leaf. The upper leaves are fine.
Two questions:
1. How do I increase humidity in a naturally dryish indoor climate, in
addition to misting?
2. What do I do with the currently damaged leaves, which are unsightly?
If I am to remove them, where should I cut them - just below the leaf or
right at the bottom of the long stem?
Any help would be much appreciated...
Steve.
Kay Easton
<steve....@rd.bbc.co.uk> writes
>I wonder if anyone has any advice about a Maranta house plant.
>
>
>1. How do I increase humidity in a naturally dryish indoor climate, in
>addition to misting?
Stand it on a large dish filled with gravel and water - the water will
evaporate providing local humidity, and the gravel is to stop the
maranta standing with its feet permanently in the water.
>
>2. What do I do with the currently damaged leaves, which are unsightly?
>If I am to remove them, where should I cut them - just below the leaf or
>right at the bottom of the long stem?
I would cut them carefully about 0.5mm from the edge of the brown bit,
ie so there is just a tiny bit of brown bit showing but not enough to be
unsightly.
--
Kay Easton
Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/
Sue Taylor
increase the humidity. The leaves do get unsightly and need cutting off
from the bottom every so often. I have a couple of large plants which also
hate central heating, like yours by the sound of it. When they are looking
scruffy I cut them right the way down and they regrow quickly with fresh
young leaves.
sue
Steve Draper wrote:
> I wonder if anyone has any advice about a Maranta house plant.
>
> I bought a young prayer plant about 8 months ago, and have seen
> fantastic growth ever since. I have followed plant books'
> recommendations about light, food, water, repotting, etc. but the one
> thing I cannot seem to provide for this plant is high humidity, which it
> needs. (I do regularly mist it, but obviously not enough.)
>
> Its lower leaves have large shrivelled brown areas which extend from the
> tip to a centimetre or two into the leaf. The upper leaves are fine.
>
> Two questions:
>
> 1. How do I increase humidity in a naturally dryish indoor climate, in
> addition to misting?
>
> 2. What do I do with the currently damaged leaves, which are unsightly?
> If I am to remove them, where should I cut them - just below the leaf or
> right at the bottom of the long stem?
>
gardenl...@optushome.com.au.invalid
<steve....@rd.bbc.co.uk> wrote:
>I wonder if anyone has any advice about a Maranta house plant.
>
>I bought a young prayer plant about 8 months ago, and have seen
>fantastic growth ever since. I have followed plant books'
>recommendations about light, food, water, repotting, etc. but the one
>thing I cannot seem to provide for this plant is high humidity, which it
>needs. (I do regularly mist it, but obviously not enough.)
>
>Its lower leaves have large shrivelled brown areas which extend from the
>tip to a centimetre or two into the leaf. The upper leaves are fine.
>
it could also be a temperature problem they will like a warm position
no cold draughts, i have 1 of mine in a hanger under the proch and in
winter it sgtarts to dies back, but it stays on a bit, but the ones in
the agrden die right back and then re-emerge in the spring.
>Two questions:
>
>1. How do I increase humidity in a naturally dryish indoor climate, in
>addition to misting?
>
this can be done with humidifiers or by simply having a bucket of
water near by, it can also be done by standing potted plants on a
stone filled dish abotu 2" or so deep and keep the stones covered with
water, placing that fish tank charcoal under the stones helps to stop
stagnation smell.
also for winter watch your watering it is best to let them dry a
little overwatering could stress the plant or cause it demise.
>2. What do I do with the currently damaged leaves, which are unsightly?
>If I am to remove them, where should I cut them - just below the leaf or
>right at the bottom of the long stem?
>
it won't hurt to cut the leaves off where they attach to the plant.
len
>Any help would be much appreciated...
>
>Steve.
>
- -
happy gardening (drop 'NoSpam' & 'Invalid') from e/mail addy
'it works for me it could work for you,'
<http://members.optushome.com.au/gardenlen/index1.htm>
"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
K
also hang a small plastic humidifier full of water on the back of radiators.
They can be bought cheaply from hardware/diy stores or a bowl of water
placed near the radiator has the same effect.
HTH
K
Steve Draper <steve....@rd.bbc.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3A1E450F...@rd.bbc.co.uk...
> I wonder if anyone has any advice about a Maranta house plant.
>
> I bought a young prayer plant about 8 months ago, and have seen
> fantastic growth ever since. I have followed plant books'
> recommendations about light, food, water, repotting, etc. but the one
> thing I cannot seem to provide for this plant is high humidity, which it
> needs. (I do regularly mist it, but obviously not enough.)
>
> Its lower leaves have large shrivelled brown areas which extend from the
> tip to a centimetre or two into the leaf. The upper leaves are fine.
>
> Two questions:
>
> 1. How do I increase humidity in a naturally dryish indoor climate, in
> addition to misting?
>
> 2. What do I do with the currently damaged leaves, which are unsightly?
> If I am to remove them, where should I cut them - just below the leaf or
> right at the bottom of the long stem?
>