Itâs time to water this baby and Iâm scared to death. Please bombard me with tips and warnings etc. I only know he will want distilled. Does he need to be repotted? Critique me. Donât hold back!
I use tap water and aquarium water conditioner for my plants.  Distilled water lacks minerals most plants need, I only use it on my Venus fly trap.Â
They like to be a little root bound but are the roots coming out of the drain holes in the pot? Also even if it wants repotting September is not the ideal time unless you have to. Â They are about to go dormant and are slowing down this time of year. Â Better to repot in late spring or summer. Â
OKJawn
First off⊠beautiful specimen! Doesnât look like thereâs any issues at the moment however, if the roots are poking out of the bottom, I would say a repot might be refreshing, but it looks happy. Distilled water of course every week when the TOP INCH of soil gets a little dryâ likes to be moist not soggy and not DRY.
kissedbyfire7373
I have one of these, the oldest calathea I have at 7yo.
Depending on if you have regular tap water, just use a Brita filter and leave it out for 48h. It’s mostly the chlorine that bothers plants but too much minerals is no good either. Or get a big gallon of spring water.
Mine loves semi hydro, but if you’re new to plants I’d get more comfortable with them till spring.
The pebble tray is useless unfortunately, so is misting. If you have a sunny bathroom I’d put it there. They need 50%+ humidity. If your house is typically dry, then you’ll need to invest in a room humidifier or group a bunch of plants together for a little jungle effect.
Low light still means it needs to see the sky, just not direct rays.
If you repot, add 2 inches tops.
To keep spider mites at bay, shower the plants once a month. They need dusting too, not just furniture. You can spray with soapy water every two weeks.
Just watch out for the mites. They’re little assholes.
3 Comments
I use tap water and aquarium water conditioner for my plants.  Distilled water lacks minerals most plants need, I only use it on my Venus fly trap.Â
They like to be a little root bound but are the roots coming out of the drain holes in the pot? Also even if it wants repotting September is not the ideal time unless you have to. Â They are about to go dormant and are slowing down this time of year. Â Better to repot in late spring or summer. Â
First off⊠beautiful specimen! Doesnât look like thereâs any issues at the moment however, if the roots are poking out of the bottom, I would say a repot might be refreshing, but it looks happy. Distilled water of course every week when the TOP INCH of soil gets a little dryâ likes to be moist not soggy and not DRY.
I have one of these, the oldest calathea I have at 7yo.
Depending on if you have regular tap water, just use a Brita filter and leave it out for 48h. It’s mostly the chlorine that bothers plants but too much minerals is no good either. Or get a big gallon of spring water.
Mine loves semi hydro, but if you’re new to plants I’d get more comfortable with them till spring.
The pebble tray is useless unfortunately, so is misting. If you have a sunny bathroom I’d put it there. They need 50%+ humidity. If your house is typically dry, then you’ll need to invest in a room humidifier or group a bunch of plants together for a little jungle effect.
Low light still means it needs to see the sky, just not direct rays.
If you repot, add 2 inches tops.
To keep spider mites at bay, shower the plants once a month. They need dusting too, not just furniture. You can spray with soapy water every two weeks.
Just watch out for the mites. They’re little assholes.