Hi, i’m the proud owner of this jungle velvet calathea since june this year. I always put it in indirect bright sunlight in our bedroom. I water it when it’s necessary (when the soil feels dry) with rain water, mostly from the bottom.
The last two new leafs turned out less dark green than the others with some yellow spors/stains on them. How can I prevent or ‘cure’ this? Are there other remarks in general? Thanks in advance!
by dr3stij
5 Comments
I am also having this issue so I’m commenting to follow along.
So far I have assumed that it’s not getting enough light since it’s coming into winter months now so I was contemplating moving my plant.
My jungle velvet is the thirstiest of my calatheas and it thrived outside when it was super humid. So I would suggest increasing humidity. You also mentioned that you’ve had it over a year; maybe it’s just time for a repot.
I found that mine likes to be blasted with as much light as my LED grow fixture can push out (that’s probably the equivalent to getting outside morning sun/afternoon bright shade). It reaches for the light, it loves the light, it worships the light. Seriously, I thought I was going to burn it, but it really loves bright light.
Also, they will adapt very well, after some initial fussing & tantrums, to low humidity (30% or so here), but need to be watered on-time every time, or they will droop very dramatically. I resorted to keeping mine in unglazed terracotta and watering the heck out of it every other day, because I worry I’ll rot it if I can’t maintain quick drainage and good airflow with how often I drench the thing.
During the adjustment period when I brought it home, mine did do the brown tips on leaves and even on new growth, and a few leaves looked rubbish enough that I had to snip them off, but after a month or so it settled down and has been a champ since. I think they just hate change.
I have had no problems with mine, Im feeding it big green leaf.
Are any of you feeding yours?
After awhile, the medium they are planted in runs out of nutrients.
Mines not coming out of the pot yet, so im not repotting until then.
Personally, I think you might be watering too much. Mine yellowed from overwatering. I don’t water until it looks slightly droopy and this practice has made all the difference with my calathea and begonia care. The jungle especially loves humidity so it lives with my anthuriums at 75/80%. We also figured out that calatheas really thrive with a layer of peat moss covering the top of soil and mist until damp every other day.