Hi everyone! I’m in the middle of a plant-drama-induced crisis and could really use your expert eyes (and maybe some emotional support lol).
Last Wednesday, I rescued a large Calathea Triostar from total abandonment. It was extremely dirty and dehydrated. But the worst part was the substrate: it was a literal block of organic matter—so hard, compact, and rigid that it felt like a brick.
The "Surgery":
I spent over two hours of very careful, painstaking work just to free the roots from that "soil cage". It was absolutely necessary because they were suffocating, but I know the trauma was massive. I ended up dividing the plant into 5 separate pots.
Current Situation:
The "Taco" Look: Since the transplant, all the leaves have been tightly curled into cylinders and haven't opened at all.
Condition: Some edges are starting to get crunchy/brown despite the soil being moist.
Location: Central Mexico (the air can be quite dry here).
What I’m doing so far:
I moved them away from window drafts to a shelf with my other plants to maintain a microclimate.
I’m taking them into the bathroom for steam sessions during my showers.
I’m trying to be patient, but it's hard!
My Questions:
Given that the roots were so abused by the compacted soil and the 2-hour cleaning, is there any specific "home remedy" to help them recover from such severe trauma?
Should I try the "baggy method" (covering them with clear plastic bags) to force high humidity, or will that be too much stress right now?
Any success stories of Triostars coming back from this level of shock?
I really want to save these 5 sisters. Any advice or encouragement is welcome!
by AstralThread
2 Comments
They’re gonna need constant humidity, not just when youre showering, to see improvement. In fact, intermittently giving humidity and taking it away can cause extra stress cause the plant cant acclimate. Honestly. I’d get a humidifier. Its plant changing with calathea
I just got a triostar a weeks ago and she looks a bit rough right now. In my experience with other Calatheas it takes about a week for them to adjust to new climates, (yours might take longer because of the trauma) mine had the taco look for about a week and now has opened back up and is looking better. The most important thing is a consistent climate, even if the climate is not perfect. The in and out of the bathroom with showers and varying light levels and humidity can cause a lot of stress.
What I would do is keep her in an area with plenty of light and keep her in a well draining mix that you keep moist. I have never had large issues with humidity, (from SE Colorado where it is really dry) so I would just focus on consistency, if you do not see improvement in 1-2 weeks I might try something like the baggy method, but otherwise you should be fine.
Good luck! Some of my calatheas have thrown fits and crisped up after repotting, so that might also have some effect on it.