Prayer plant belongs to ornamental deciduous plants because it has unusual leaves with intricate patterns. Its height can reach one and a half meters. But at home, the plant grows no higher than 30-40 cm so that it can be grown even in small areas.
The prayer plant is famous for its beautiful leaves, which are elliptical and can be basal or arranged on stems in two rows. The color of the leaves depends on the variety. Their main background can range in color from white to dark green.
Bright veins, stripes, and spots stand out on it. Known for the way their leaves fold up at night, prayer plants are becoming one of the most popular plants to find in shops across the world.
Why is my prayer plant turning yellow? If you’re start to notice the prayer plant developing the yellow leaves, it can be the indicator that something is not quite right.
You need to outline the most common causes of yellow leaves in prayer plants to help you diagnose the problem.
Why is my prayer plant turning yellow?
- When transplanting or simply moving the pot with the plant, it gets stressed, leading to yellowing of the leaves. In this case, you need to wait until the flower adapts and returns to normal.
- Too low air temperature and cold drafts significantly adversely affect the plant’s foliage, turning yellow.
- If the prayer plant is in a sunny place, then sunburn can cause yellowing. The foliage of the flower is very sensitive to scorching rays.
- Insufficient watering and spraying have a negative effect on both the general condition of the plant and the appearance of the leaves.
- Excessive soil moisture may also be a likely cause of yellowing of the prayer plant, as a result of which the roots begin to rot. In this situation, you should water the flower less often.
- Pest infestation is the most obvious factor that makes prayer plants turn yellow. Insects can be seen with the naked eye. In this situation, it is recommended to wash the leaves with soapy water. In extreme cases, treatment with gentle insecticidal agents will help.
How to care for prayer plant at home to prevent yellowing
1. Consider lighting
Best home prayer plant grows in partial shade. It should not be placed near the southern windows, where direct sunlight can burn beautiful leaves. Western and eastern window sills are best suited. If the leaves begin to turn pale or lose their pattern, they have little light.
2. Air temperature
In the summer, the comfortable temperature for the prayer plant is from +22 to +24 degrees. If the room is cool in winter, the temperature should not be lower than +10 degrees. But it is best if it is within +16 to +18 degrees in the winter season.
3. Air humidity
This is one of the essential factors to consider when caring for the prayer plant. Dry indoor air can cause the leaves to dry out or even curl. Therefore, they should be sprayed daily from a spray bottle with settled water at room temperature.
If the room is cool in winter, spraying is carried out less often. Leaflets are significantly affected in rooms where heating radiators work in the winter season. To increase the humidity of the air, a flower pot is placed on a pallet with wet sphagnum, expanded clay, or pebbles.
4. Watering
The soil in the pot should be slightly damp all the time, so watering should be done regularly. Make sure the soil does not dry out.
However, it is unnecessary to water the same prayer plant too often and abundantly. If the soil is not wet but constantly wet, the roots will rot. For irrigation, only settled water at room temperature is used.
5. Prayer plant fertilizer
Fertilizing the prayer plant is very important, so fertilizers must be applied for it twice a month, from March to August. For this, liquid fertilizers for decorative leafy plants should be used.
The solution is made not according to the instructions, but weaker, dissolving one gram of fertilizer in one liter of water. When caring for the prayer plant at home, you should be aware that its roots are sensitive to excess moisture and nutrients in the soil.
Prayer plant transplant
The first time transplanting the prayer plant into a new pot and soil should be 7-10 days after purchase. In flower shops, plants are sold in shipping pots filled with peat.
Therefore, when the plant brought into the house starts to acclimatize, it is transplanted into a shallow, wider pot. First, the bottom of the new container is covered with drainage, after which a layer of nutrient soil and only after that the plant is placed in it along with the old clod of earth.
New soil is poured around and on top of the roots, and the plant is watered. Ground for the prayer plant can be bought at the store. It should be slightly acidic and have a pH of about 6.
Essentially, the soil mixture is prepared independently if there are the necessary components. To do this, mix the garden soil, peat, and sand. A handful of coniferous earth and a little crushed coal are added to the finished mixture.
An adult plant growing at home is transplanted once every two or three years. Pots for prayer plants must be shallow but wide. Each jar should be 2-3 centimeters wider than the previous one.
Before transplanting, dried leaves are cut off from the bush so that the plant’s strength is spent forming new, beautiful leaves and not restoring wilted ones.
Experienced flower growers advise cutting off all shoots before transplanting to create a lush variegated bush. It is imperative to leave one internode on the stems in this case. In this case, a lot of new growth will appear after a while, and the bush will turn out to be lush.
Conclusion
The prayer plant is a great choice for decorating a home or even an office space. Its large decorative leaves are adorned with silver, white, and red veins.
As you can see, the prayer plant leaves turn yellow, dry, and curl because of errors and unsuitable growing conditions. You need to find the cause of the problem, fix it, and the plant will delight you with new beautiful foliage.