Am I Taking Good Care Of My Prayer Plant?

Did you place your prayer plant in a spot with lots of indirect sunlight?

Is your prayer plant planted in a well-drained potting mix?

Is your prayer plant planted in a slightly acidic soil?

Do you wait for the soil to dry out between waterings?

Do you keep it in a warm room, with temperatures consistently above 60 °F?

Do you keep it in a room with high humidity?

Do you feed your prayer plant regularly?

Do you keep your prayer plant free of pests and diseases?

Move your prayer plant. You can set your prayer plant near a window where it will get indirect sunlight. Never set your plant in direct sunlight as the sun will scorch the plant’s leaves, or leaves will develop blotches or patches and fade in color intensity. The plant is generally tolerant of lower light areas. In the winter, when the plants go into dormancy (and sometimes die back completely), give them bright light to maintain growth.

Repot your prayer plant. You can use a general-purpose houseplant potting soil, as long as it is well-draining. If you are using soil that does not drain well, add perlite or coarse sand to the mixture. To improve drainage, add rocks or gravel to the bottom of your pot and be sure that the pot has a drainage hole.

Repot your prayer plant. This plant prefers slightly acidic soil. Use a peat-based potting mix with a pH of 5.5 to 6.0 or mix two parts sphagnum peat moss, one part loamy soil, and one part perlite or coarse sand together. It is best to get only clean, pre-packaged materials that have been commercially processed and are free of insects and weed seeds.

During the growing season, water prayer-plants frequently and never allow the potting soil to dry out. You should water when the top of the soil is just starting to get dry. These plants are very susceptible to drought, but try not to let water sit directly on the leaves or let the plant get soggy. Not enough water and overwatering can cause the leaves to turn yellow and drop from the plant.

A prayer plant prefers normal household temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures can damage the leaves.

Prayer plants prefer a very humid environment. Increase the humidity by grouping plants together, or put a small humidifier or bowl of water near the plant, or fill a tray with small stones and water just to the level of the stones and place the pot on top of the stones. You can also mist the leaves with room temperature or warm water.

Fertilize your prayer plant every two weeks from early spring through fall. Dilute a balanced, water-soluble houseplant fertilizer (10-10-10) to half strength. If you use too little fertilizer, your plant will grow slowly or hardly at all. Cut fertilizer back to once a month or so in the winter.

Good job! You are taking good care of your prayer plant.

Since prayer plant houseplants may be prone to pests such as spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids, it is a good idea to inspect new plants thoroughly before bringing them indoors. You may also want to occasionally check prayer plant houseplants as an added precaution during watering or feeding intervals for any problems that may arise.