Hello everyone,
I got this beautiful peacock plant about 2 months ago. In the first 2-3 weeks, it started showing bad signs like curled leaves and yellowing. Since then, I learned it doesn't like to stay wet and requires high humidity. I have started waiting longer between waterings and gota humidifier and humidity meter. The highest I can get is about 37% humidity which may not be high enough but I live in the Midwest so maybe that's how it is…
I think I have managed to show down the damage but it's still not doing very good. I recently also purchased a moisture probe so I can do better with watering but I'm still not sure when to water. When the top inch is dry, top 2 inches are moist?? There are some dropped leaves and browning at the edges, especially at the bottom of the plant. I am dedicated to make it work but I'm not sure how I can take better care of it. I'm include photos showing it's proximity to the humidifier and general situation.
I appreciate you help and thank you in advance!
by youwouldntthink
5 Comments
I don’t know how to help out in this situation, but will be looking at what others suggest.
Is it near the humidifier? If not I would recommend putting it by the humidifier.
I always wanted when the top third of the soil is dry for calathea using a wooden skewer. I don’t really use moisture meters bc they’re not accurate esp if you have soil amendments. if you’ve already ruled out pests, this looks like it could be either inconsistent watering or it’s getting hit with a radiator or draft. what water are you using?
Unfortunately calathea are kinda drama queens. They don’t like tap water and need high humidity like all tropical plants. They want a chunky soil mix that also maintains moisture. Don’t let their soil dry out but also don’t over water – a chunky soil mix will make overwatering much harder to do as it won’t keep the soil too soggy.
I do think your humidity might be a bit on the low end – my peacock plant maintains around 45-50% humidity and it also has a few brown tips. A sign that they need more humidity is when their leaves curl upwards to try and retain as much moisture as possible.
Honestly if you’re really invested in getting your calathea thrive you may need to look into making a humid biome without drafts such as a cabinet greenhouse, or find some smaller area that can retain humidity (such as a bathroom).
I’ve had mine for two years and it is currently 2′ tall with 40+ large leaves. I always recomend: A terracotta self watering pot. $20 5″ pot is for sale online from Walmart. $5 if you dont mind the glass replaced with plastic reservoir.
No other humidifier. Lives over a heater vent.