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Yes, I too had a scraggly, finicky prayer plant (maranta) just like so many that we see posted on this sub. I gave her everything I had to give (or so I thought). She got much worse than the second pic – curled leaves, no growth, constant mealy bugs – and I was just about to give up, but decided to double down instead. I figured, she can’t get worse, so I got drastic. Now she’s beautiful, happy, thriving, and grows new leaves about every week without losing old ones.
I see lots of advice and have read tons of articles about care of this plant and most of it didn’t seem to help. Here is what I did:
– When she was near the end, I chopped and propped her 3 most substantial stems, cutting just below the main node and stripping of all but one big leaf each. I used a propogration station like this: [https://www.amazon.com/Terrarium-Planter-Tabletop-Hydroponics-Decoration/dp/B07D29P5Z1](https://www.amazon.com/Terrarium-Planter-Tabletop-Hydroponics-Decoration/dp/B07D29P5Z1) and used only distilled water, changing it every 2-3 days. Nothing happened for the first few weeks, then finally roots sprouted. It took about 2 months before tertiary roots grew and she was ready to plant.
– I made a soil mix of 3 parts regular Miracle-Gro potting soil, 1 part coco coil, 1 part perlite, and a handful of orchid potting bark. Some advice says they don’t like fast draining soil, but I disagree.
– I got a shallow, wide pot for her (better seen in pic 3). I think this was the most important change, at she has very shallow roots and doesn’t want to have to dig for her water. She also does not want to sit in water. This pot drains out the bottom into a attached tray that can be dumped.
– Bonsai gravel was spread in the bottom of the pot, just enough to cover the bottom. This is so water never sits at the bottom of the pot. Then the soil mix was added. Using a chopstick, I poked holes for the roots and gently pushed them into the soil.
– Lastly, I moved her to our primary bathroom. This was essential because she gets high humidity every day. She’s in a corner next to windows that we keep the blinds shut on, so she never gets any direct sunlight. She seems fine with that.
Now, here is how I have maintained her for the last year:
– More than anything, I ignore her. It seems the more I fussed with her, the more she pouted.
– I water her maybe every 2 weeks or so. I let the soil dry out completely. Lots of advice says to never let it dry out, but I have found she really hates sitting in wet soil more than anything. I water until it comes out the bottom tray, dump the excess, then do it again. She gets a thorough soaking but left with no standing water.
– Only distilled water. I fertilize with a gentle bonsai 3-3-3 fertilizer maybe every 3-4 waterings.
– She had a problem with mealy bugs for the first couple of months after all of this, but I kept vigilant and checked every few days. At the first sign of mealy bug powder, she got wiped down with a rubbing alchol mix. I haven’t seen mealy bugs for about 6 months now.
– When she’s gotten too big, I chop and prop again, replanting the rooted stems in the middle of the pot to keep her looking bushy.
I love all my plants, but I had a lot of grief with this one until I took these drastic measures. Now she’s happy and extremely easy to care for. I hope some of this helps others that have struggled with a finicky prayer plant. Please let me know if I can share any more of my experience!
2 Comments
Thank you for posting a plant progress post! Please be sure that your post adheres to rule 3, including a link to your original post and the advice you found most helpful.
If chose this flair in error, please adjust your post flair and be sure to add as much of the following information as possible with your post if not already included: How long you have you had the plant, how long have you had the problem, how much light does the plant get, what are your watering habits, and does the pot have drainage. Posts without this additional information may be removed. The more information you provide, the better we can help!
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Link to original post here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/plantclinic/comments/11b1gn9/my_prayer_plant_and_i_dont_get_along_whats_wrong/](https://www.reddit.com/r/plantclinic/comments/11b1gn9/my_prayer_plant_and_i_dont_get_along_whats_wrong/)
Yes, I too had a scraggly, finicky prayer plant (maranta) just like so many that we see posted on this sub. I gave her everything I had to give (or so I thought). She got much worse than the second pic – curled leaves, no growth, constant mealy bugs – and I was just about to give up, but decided to double down instead. I figured, she can’t get worse, so I got drastic. Now she’s beautiful, happy, thriving, and grows new leaves about every week without losing old ones.
I see lots of advice and have read tons of articles about care of this plant and most of it didn’t seem to help. Here is what I did:
– When she was near the end, I chopped and propped her 3 most substantial stems, cutting just below the main node and stripping of all but one big leaf each. I used a propogration station like this: [https://www.amazon.com/Terrarium-Planter-Tabletop-Hydroponics-Decoration/dp/B07D29P5Z1](https://www.amazon.com/Terrarium-Planter-Tabletop-Hydroponics-Decoration/dp/B07D29P5Z1) and used only distilled water, changing it every 2-3 days. Nothing happened for the first few weeks, then finally roots sprouted. It took about 2 months before tertiary roots grew and she was ready to plant.
– I made a soil mix of 3 parts regular Miracle-Gro potting soil, 1 part coco coil, 1 part perlite, and a handful of orchid potting bark. Some advice says they don’t like fast draining soil, but I disagree.
– I got a shallow, wide pot for her (better seen in pic 3). I think this was the most important change, at she has very shallow roots and doesn’t want to have to dig for her water. She also does not want to sit in water. This pot drains out the bottom into a attached tray that can be dumped.
– Bonsai gravel was spread in the bottom of the pot, just enough to cover the bottom. This is so water never sits at the bottom of the pot. Then the soil mix was added. Using a chopstick, I poked holes for the roots and gently pushed them into the soil.
– Lastly, I moved her to our primary bathroom. This was essential because she gets high humidity every day. She’s in a corner next to windows that we keep the blinds shut on, so she never gets any direct sunlight. She seems fine with that.
Now, here is how I have maintained her for the last year:
– More than anything, I ignore her. It seems the more I fussed with her, the more she pouted.
– I water her maybe every 2 weeks or so. I let the soil dry out completely. Lots of advice says to never let it dry out, but I have found she really hates sitting in wet soil more than anything. I water until it comes out the bottom tray, dump the excess, then do it again. She gets a thorough soaking but left with no standing water.
– Only distilled water. I fertilize with a gentle bonsai 3-3-3 fertilizer maybe every 3-4 waterings.
– She had a problem with mealy bugs for the first couple of months after all of this, but I kept vigilant and checked every few days. At the first sign of mealy bug powder, she got wiped down with a rubbing alchol mix. I haven’t seen mealy bugs for about 6 months now.
– When she’s gotten too big, I chop and prop again, replanting the rooted stems in the middle of the pot to keep her looking bushy.
I love all my plants, but I had a lot of grief with this one until I took these drastic measures. Now she’s happy and extremely easy to care for. I hope some of this helps others that have struggled with a finicky prayer plant. Please let me know if I can share any more of my experience!