Not giving the Calathea enough water can also cause the leaves to develop brown spots. If you do decide to feed the Calathea, make sure to use a balanced liquid fertilizer, and apply it at 1/2 its strength no more than once a month during the spring and summer. As the underwatering continues, the leaves will start to feel dry and crispy, brown spots can form, and the plants health and growth will suffer. Preventing brown spots on Calathea is actually fairly easy since it usually revolves around ensuring the plant has its ideal growing conditions. With the help of these tips for preventing brown spots on your Calathea leaves, youll be able to keep your plant looking healthy and beautiful. In fact, its kind of amazing that they remain so enduringly popular, considering all the grief they give their owners. This will result in brown spots forming on the leaf where the water drop sat. (And dont forget that your container must have a drainage hole!) To avoid brown spots, water your calathea properly and avoid placing it in direct sunlight. WebUse half of the recommended dose If the amount of fertilizer is still causing your leaves to turn yellow, dilute it further with water. The result is brown, dead tissue at the tips and edges of leaves. Low humidity, lack of light or transplant shock after repotting are other potential causes. For example, you might accidentally poke the side of a young leaf with your scissors as youre trimming away dead growth. As mentioned before, Calatheas are very sensitive to overwatering. If underwatering is the issue, youll probably see your plants leaves and stems drooping before they begin to get discolored. Once it begins, root rot can spread quickly and kill a Calathea in a matter of weeks. It also improves the quality of indoor air. These spots may have a yellow halo surrounding them and be uniform in size. Bacterial and fungal diseases can cause leaf spot disease on Calathea. No matter what, you will need to increase the amount of watering you give the plant, while also upping the humidity level. This can stunt any new growth your Calathea tries to send out. In this article, gardening expert and houseplant enthusiast Madison Moulton walks through the most common calathea problems, and how to fix them! This can cause fungal diseases and nutrient deficiencies, leading to brown leaves. Further signs of a dry environment are crisp, brown leaf tips. When it comes to plants, prevention is key. Older leaves will eventually turn yellow, then brown, and fall off the plant. This is almost always a lighting issue. If you keep your Calathea under direct sunlight, the leaves will begin to sear, and holes will appear in the foliage. Weirdly enough, too much water can be even worse than too little when it comes to maintaining a healthy plant. If the soil has turned dry and started to peel back from the edges of the pot, youve almost certainly waited too long to water. That can make the leaves too dark for their patterns to stand out. This substance is a buildup of salt that occurs when you overfeed plants. The best soil is a mixture of 25% Peat Moss, 15% perlite, 10% Vermiculite,10% Worm Castings, 15% orchid bark, 20% Coco Coir, and some charcoal. If not, they will quickly reproduce again and may even come back stronger than before. Hi, I'm Naomi and I'm here to help fellow houseplant lovers get their own plants thriving! However, this can vary depending on the brand used. Aglaonemas are often vibrant and colorful, with strikingly patterned leaves. Does your peace lily have brown tips and you aren't sure why? The most common causes of brown spots on Calathea are overwatering, bad water quality, excessive sun, diseases and pest problems. Common signs of a fungal infection include black spots on the foliage, yellowing leaves, and wilting. If your Calathea is not receiving enough nutrients, it can cause brown spots on the leaves. Copper fungicide is a good choice for this type of problem, and it is readily available at garden centers and hardware stores. Once you have the issue causing the brown spots on Calathea identified and corrected, the plant should make a full recovery. Calatheas are just plain difficult. Use this list to determine which problem is most likely and change the conditions until your Calathea is strong and happy again. Properly sanitizing your tools and space when handling plants is essential. The moisture should evaporate from the leaf in a few minutes. This article may contain affiliate links. Once identified, apply an all-purpose fertilizer that contains the necessary nutrients for your Calathea. Sitting the Calathea plant on a drop tray or placing a humidifier next to the plant will go a long way to increasing the humidity to a level that is more suitable for this tropical plant. The drier the air, the more quickly a plant loses water to transpiration, the process by which vapor escapes from the tiny pores in the leaves. Trim away problematic areas and plant in new soil and a new pot to recover. Treat the Calathea with horticultural oil. You can also help reduce the chance of overfeeding the Calathea by reducing the amount of fertilizer you give the plant by 1/2 of its strength. Excess fertilizer. To do this, look for any signs of overwatering, underwatering, exposure to direct sunlight, pests, diseases, or nutrient deficiencies. Treating brown spots on Calathea can be difficult, especially if youre not sure what is causing the problem. A good general rule of thumb is to water the Calathea once a week during its active growing season and then reduce it to about once every 10 days during the winter season. Calatheas are a houseplant that likes its soil to stay moist but not soggy. Calatheas need specific care in order to thrive. Lets dig in and take a deeper look at the most common problems you may run into with this picky houseplant. To identify overwatering, look for yellow or wilted foliage and slimy, dense roots that give off a foul smell. Then transplant your Calathea into a pot thats a couple of inches larger in diameter. Adding a balanced fertilizer or supplementing with nutrients can help correct the deficiency and get your Calathea back on track. If, however, the soil is dry and pulling away from the sides of the plant, your problem is not enough water. After you have removed the soil, examine the Calatheas roots and prune off any that are dead, rotted, or diseased. 9. 1. Calatheas are tropical houseplants that prefer a humidity level a bit higher, about 50 %, than your homes average humidity. When you spot the yellowing of the Calathea leaves, carefully check the underside of the leaves as well as the stems. The best way to avoid overwatering your plant is to root it in a coarse and airy potting mix that will keep water from pooling in the pots base. Once a month or so, give it some liquid fertilizer with a 3:1:2 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This is because Calatheas are not heavy feeders. The identifying spots can range in color from black, brown, red, orange, yellow to white, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If your Calatheas leaves are fading to yellow or white, take a look at the problems weve listed above and see if any of them fit the bill. When the Calathea has brown spots caused by overfertilization, you will need to flush out the excess minerals that have built up in the soil. Do you have some problems with your Chinese Money Plant and aren't quite sure what to do? Why Your Monstera Deliciosa Is Crying, Sweating and Dripping Water. If the Lower Leaves Turn Yellow and Other Leaves Become Spotted or Curl . This kind of environment encourages fungi and bacteria to breed rapidly until they begin to invade your Calatheas roots, rotting the plant from the bottom up. While, again, you dont want the soil to be soggy, you can create a pebble tray by placing gravel or pebbles in a pot saucer, placing water in the saucer, and then sitting the pot that contains your Calathea on the pebbles or gravel. To restore the pattern, simply move your Calathea to a location where it receives more shade or less direct light. Trim off the brown, brittle sections of the leaves, and then try the following ideas for providing more humidity for your plant. That means you can place the Calathea in an area where it receives direct morning sun, as long as it is kept out of direct sunlight for the remainder of the day. Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil are effective treatments for dealing with common pests. Calatheas evolved in the misty jungles of the tropics and often find the air in our homes rather dry for their moisture-loving leaves. Since overwatering the Calathea is the leading cause of brown spots on the plants leaves, its safe to assume that you can prevent this problem by simply not overwatering it. If the excessive sun continues, the overall growth rate of the Calathea will suffer. Pour distilled water into the pot, soaking the soil thoroughly and letting the excess liquid trickle out of the holes at the bottom. If so, then that is your confirmation that the plant is too dry. This means growing the plant in the right soil, lighting, humidity level, and temperature, while also providing it with the proper amount of watering and feeding. Fiddle leaf figs are popular houseplants, but they can also be a bit difficult to care for. Related: Calathea Light Requirements: The Ultimate Guide. You should never prune more than 1/4 of the plants leaves as the Calathea does need its leaves to absorb nutrients from the sun. When using fungicides, always read and follow the instructions printed on the back of the bottle. When you know what is missing from the soil, get an all-purpose fertilizer with those nutrients. Then repot the Calathea in a clean, sterilized container with fresh soil. Another common pest to look out for is mealybug. In that case, we have some bad news: your plant has cooties. Root rot is a serious issue that requires immediate attention. Ensure that the soil is well-draining and allow it to dry out between waterings. If you mist your Calatheas, use a fine droplet setting and try to avoid letting it sit in a sunbeam immediately afterward. This will give any chlorine in the water enough time to dissipate. As with watering, too much heat can cause the same problems as too little. In this article, gardening expert and houseplant enthusiast Emily Horn examines some of the most common problems that gardeners may see when caring for ghost plants. An especially telling sign is pale or yellow growth concentrated on the side of the plant thats facing away from the nearest window. Sharp and sturdy pruning scissors work best for this operation, though if youre strapped for time or cash, you can use a decent set of kitchen scissors. The easiest way to determine whether or not overwatering is the problem is to look at the soil in the pot. If you have lower than that, you may need to raise the humidity in your home. In most cases, the problem is associated with poor growing conditions or neglect. If your Calathea falls below 55 degrees, its leaves may start to turn yellow and die. In most cases, however, the problem is usually more of an annoyance than a serious issue. WebSyngonium Podophyllum Red Spot Araces. Unfortunately, they are not always easy to avoid. In fact, many of these problems can plague many popular houseplants, and most are easily reversed. But theres a surprisingly long list of issues that can cause parched leaves in a Calathea. On the other hand, stressed leaves can also be a sign of more persistent health issues. Webcalathea growers only during the past year or two. Make sure the area you move the plant to doesnt have too little light either. Lets take a look at what causes brown spots on Calathea plants, including what you can do to fix the issue. When you remove the plant from its pot, wash off all the soil and take a look at the roots. Common nutrient deficiencies that can cause brown leaves include nitrogen and potassium. Plant cells are mostly made up of water, filling up space and allowing them to maintain their structure. The issue of overwatering isnt something to fool around with, since it makes the roots soggy, which leads to root rot. So, whats wrong with your Caltheas leaves? The most crucial factors in keeping your Calatheas leaves happy are proper soil and proper sun. These can be large patches of pink or more subtle pink markings. Some species such as Calathea allouia L. produce potato-like tubers and are Again, isolate the plant and treat as many times as required to remove the problem. This problem can also spread above the soil line, causing the stems to rot at the base. If, however, there is an abundance of infected leaves, removing them all can cause the plants growth and health to suffer. This disease can be hard to treat and hard to get rid of, so preventive measures are the best option for protecting the Calathea from these diseases. Probably the best way to keep brown spots on Calathea at bay is to ensure the plant is getting the proper care. Brown spots on calathea leaves are a common issue caused by improper watering and direct sunlight. As with all pest problems, start by isolating the plant. Also, never fertilize when the plant isnt getting enough light to produce new growth that means the fall and winter months, unless youre using grow lights. Thats why it is important to ensure Calathea is in an area where the temperatures are 68 to 85 degrees consistently throughout the year. Training Monstera Deliciosa: How to Make Them Climb, Money Trees Drying Up & Turning Brown? If youre not sure whether or not this is the cause of the brown spots on Calathea, take a look at the top of the soil. Wipe the blades with isopropyl alcohol or a 10% dilution of bleach. in-depth article on proper illumination for Calatheas. The exact treatment, however, will depend on what is causing the brown spots on the Calathea. Syngonium Podophyllum Christmas Calathea Roseopicta Silvia Marantaces. It also helps keep plants cleaner. Calatheas come from the tropics, and they dont do so well in frosty weather. Yellow or pale foliage is one way this problem can manifest. Check your Calatheas root ball for mushy, slimy, gray, or black spots. Then, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to remove the bugs, using repeat applications at recommended intervals until all the pests have been removed. Look for bright yellow or orange spots on the leaves to know if If you dont start supplementing with added fertilizer, the plant will no longer have enough of the chemicals it needs to build and maintain its leaves. Return it to its more humid home when the partys over. Temperature issues. So keep that in mind before you dampen the plants leaves. Unfortunately, they are not without their issues. . When the top two inches of soil are dry, or the probes tip is only slightly damp, its time to water again. If the humidity issue isnt fixed, the leaves will begin to dry out and become crispy, the plants growth will slow, and it can become stressed. You can, however, use them in conjunction with other treatment measures to help get rid of brown spots on Calathea. Check the soil of your Calatheas pot before adding more water. Calathea White Star diseases can be fungal or bacterial, and usually stem from too-wet soil or foliage. Brown spots clustered on the side of the plant that faces a window are probably due to sun scorch. WebAglaonemas are native to Southeast Asia. Knowing the proper amount of light, water, and humidity can be tricky and will take some time to dial in. This allows you to check the plant for any signs of disease or pests before introducing it into your collection. Calathea Misto is native to the tropical Americas. If conditions are not quite right, you may encounter a common issue among Calathea growers leaves turning brown at the edges. Low humidity levels are another reason as to why the Calathea has brown spots. This is a problem that can affect any plant, but Calathea roots are particularly vulnerable to chemical stress. . Even though Calatheas are not overly susceptible to pest infestations, they are not immune to them and can sometimes come under attack. Lastly it helps keep down on pest, like spider mite. When these chemicals accumulate in the soil, they make it harder for the roots to take up water. A Calathea placed by a drafty window in an otherwise warm room can suffer from temperature shock when the chill wind hits it. There are actually a few common issues that can impact these popular houseplants, depending on how they are grown. When a Calathea has outgrown the space in its pot, the roots begin to double back on themselves, circling and twisting into a tight clump that doesnt let in enough water or nutrition to keep the plant healthy. All these preventive measures are done to help reduce stress that can occur when pruning any plant. 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