I just got this beauty and I’ve been reading that calatheas like rain water. Are we just putting containers outside when it rains? We’re about to get a week of rain so I could collect it. I’m just not sure if that’s really how we’re getting it. What happens during a drought?
by SweetElection157
23 Comments
honestly it’s not about the rain water. it’s about the sasssss
Yes I use rain water- I collect in my 🌧️ barrel which I already had for my outdoor garden- it prevents browning on edges due to minerals found in tap water- you can also use distilled water as well- or if you don’t care you can use tap( not cold water- room temp) good luck
No. I use tap water without issue. We have low dissolved solids in the water here, though.
I actually use the water from my dehumidifier in my basement, easier to collect than rainwater.
No. I use tap water and my prayer plants do just fine
Use distilled because my tap does have chlorine and I do get brown leaves otherwise.
I use tap but let it sit out for 24 hours prior to using.
Nope I use my tap water which is spring water
It really depends. Some varieties are more sensible than others and not all tap water is born the same.
In my personal experience with one single Calathea roseopicta , water made a *huge* difference. It wasn’t dying with tap water, but certainly it was not thriving. Leaf edges getting crispy and burnt and all the new leaves were burnt right from the start. Still in the “rolled” early stage, completely burnt already.
I switched to demineralized water (with a Ca/Mg supplement) a couple months ago and I got three new, almost flawless leaves. Two more currently growing, still in the rolled phase, but looking very good.
So in my specific case, it made a difference.
I use tap water with aquarium conditioner to take out the chlorine and chlorimides.
For ph: You can do a rough ph check. Buy a cheap test pen it’s not going 100% accurate but it’ll give you a range.
For TDS: If using tap water with high chlorine or hard water you may use fish tank water treatment products, or the easiest let it sit for 24 hours before watering.
Tap. Only the strong survive 😀
I only use rainwater, and they are happy. My silver band is still flowering. I collect enough water for the year, so I always have enough on hand.
I just use RODI water that I reconstitute with weak minerals and ferts. You don’t need rainwater, but Marantaceae typically don’t care for hard, alkaline water or chemicals like chlorine/chloramine.
Nope! … that said the one i (literally) threw outside onto a flowerbed in annoyance is thriving, and the other 2 are dead(but im very confident that wan neglect based, and not water type based!)
I’ve got several very happy calatheas, indoors who also get (but allegedly hate) tap water and have been doing fine for years. (Again except for those period sof extremely neglect)
Can’t grow a pothos indoors to save my (or its) life tho. Go figure.
I use deionised water. I did use tap water a few times to test it out but the leaves started browning so I made the switch. My tap water is quite hard though, so the browning makes sense.
Nah. Tap water gave my marantas crunchy crispy edges, it improved with some tap water conditioner. For some of my very sensitive calatheas, I use distilled water.
I do. I have buckets in my driveway (my curb appeal style is “redneck”) and I fill a jug and bring it to my office to water the plants there too. I add mosquito granules, which not only stops mosquitoes but fungus gnats too.
I use rain water for all my plants. I was collecting it in a 5 gal bucket from roof runoff but I noticed an oily sheen on the water from that, plus some algae or moss growing in it which means the 02 is being used up. So I’m thinking of trying an upside down umbrella over the buckets to increase the surface area of what I can collect instead of the roof. I then store it in camping containers with spigots (a lot leak but hopefully found some that don’t).
However, I’ve heard that you can treat tap water with API Stress Coat, used for aquariums, and it makes the water much more tolerable. Leaving it out and open in a container also helps the chlorine dissipate.
I use bottled water when I water in pot plus a weak plant food. I do spray the foliage down in my terrible hard Texas water shower every other week to keep leaves dust free.
I typically try to use rainwater for as much of my watering as possible. It’s easy for me to collect and store a few jugs. During the summer only my most finicky plants get it.
I use rain water! And if it’s warm and rainy I put them outside for a bath
more about the humidity with mine