I received three plants as a Christmas gift from a local plant shop, and I’m brand new to plant care. I already can tell that I’ll love this hobby and really want to make sure I don’t accidentally harm them through ignorance.
Once of my new plants is the Rattlesnake. I don’t know what soil its currently potted in, so I’m working a bit blind here. Image 1 shows where the plants are currently located (hoping that’s enough indirect light).
This little guy is in a plastic nursery pot with drainage, placed inside a decorative outer pot. I suspect it was watered with hard tap water before I received it, as there’s visible salt buildup on the soil surface, on the bottom of the pot, and possibly white residue on the leaves.
The lower soil layer is still fairly wet (about 6–8 on a moisture meter). Would it be better to leach the soil to flush out salts, or should I fully repot it with a fresh mix? There are also green fertilizer pellets in the soil, which makes me wonder if repotting would be safer overall, especially since it’s winter and I’d like to remove those given its current state?
Any tips or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!
by ShakyShows69
8 Comments
How long have you had it? And are you misting it?
1/ repot …..
2 / meter at 4-5 in the winter
Summer at 6-7……
3 / humidifier
They need at least 60% ….
And last do not let them dry out soil most be moist at all times
Good luck
I think calatheas are one of the most difficult plants. It does not look like enough light. You may want to get a grow light. As for watering it doesn’t look like the water schedule is right. You will have to figure that out and not let it dry out too long but don’t over water. They are very temperamental.
I have one and that stubborn bugger would not grow after months. I got a grow lightbulb for my floor lamp and put it on a pedestal by its self and it is beautiful now I didnt repot it but I have to be very careful with the watering letting it get somewhat dry but not completely. I water it when the top is dry and the bottom is still just a little damp.
Hard to tell with the light. Do you have other plants there that grow well? Can you take a foot candle measurement with a phone light meter app? (maybe one in the morning & one at peak light on a good day)
One thing I would be concerned about: They like some air movement, like most plants, but they hate different temperature drafts. This means that they do not like to sit directly next or on top of a heater and they also hate to sit in a space where cold winter air rushes through when venting the room – most people also get sick if they sit right where the freezing temperature draft goes through. In your picture it looks like they sit right where cold air might move from the window to a connecting room? Make sure they don’t sit in full draft. Also make sure you air the room maybe more frequently, but for shorter durations, so that the temperature doesn’t fall below 17-18°C (16°C is the lowest I’d ever go). They don’t like to have 22°C to below 18°C temperature swings, especially not multiple times a day that happen in only a few minutes.
Maybe try to shower it in room temperature water once and wipe the leaves dry. They look quite dirty and store plants often contain pests (which would be easier to spot on “clean” plants). Remove fully yellow/dried leaves by cutting them off, they act as a potential pest magnet. It is hard to tell from the picture if it is just quite dirty or if some of the white spots are pests.
If you use tapwater to clean the leaves you need to wipe them dry, only if you spray it with distilled water to wash the leaves can you let it air-dry. Tapwater will lead to salt buildup on the leaves and soil and the white tapwater stains on the leaves can become permanent. Don’t mist by hand, the spikes only last at most 15min and short spikes are bad – stable and boring conditions are best.
If you water, treat tapwater with an aquarium stress water conditioner or use rainwater/tapwater. Frequent full watering (top or bottom) with time to let the top few cm/inches fully dry out again in between watering. 200-600FC light on average, no extreme cold/hot drafts, and 55%+ humidity for perfect leaves. And most importantly, good soil. As we usually heat our homes to 18°C+ during winter, they don’t really take winter breaks, so you can repot whenever. They will grow slower during winter though as they usually get a bit less light.
Calatheas are the most difficult plant to grow. I have almost 200 plants and I have killed every calathea I have ever tried to grow. I can even keep ctenanthe’s alive and they’re a close relative.
I’m new to calatheas as well but I’ve done a ton of research on them and people who seem to have figured them out are saying they like to be “moist” at all times. Not wet, and never dry. Make sure you check your calathea’s soil every 2-3 days and try to keep it somewhere in the 5-7 range on the meter. Best potting mix for them is coco coir, orchid bark, maybe a little perlite. They like their soil to be slightly acidic like marantas and monsteras, the bark makes the mix more acidic while providing better drainage and the coco coir retains moisture but it’s also airy enough to not become soggy. The perlite just adds more air pockets. As you seem to already know, never use tap water on calatheas, it’s their biggest hate and they will throw a tantrum about it. If it’s all you have available, leave it out for 24 hours OR add a small amount of API water conditioner to eliminate the chlorines/metals and the you can water right away.
Where are you keeping your rattlesnake friend? Hopefully not in the bathroom 🙁
It may need to acclimate to its newer environment.
Depending on where you live I wouldn’t repot in the winter. I also wouldn’t repot until it acclimates to your conditions. Near an east or west window is good, but not in it. As others have said drafts and cold are an issue. They don’t like mineral buildup, I water mine with RO and add fertilizer and silica to the gallon bottles I use. They’re divas for sure. The few I have are happiest protected. I have one in my IKEA greenhouse and another under a cloche. I have over a hundred plants and I bet I only have a handful of calathea at this point. Honestly, if I lived in a place where I could have a year round greenhouse I would keep a lot of them. Outside of that they’re too high maintenance for me in a place where it’s cold and dry 6 months out of the year. 😂