If you are searching for why prayer plant leaves curling then before that let me tell you this plant has very incredible looking foliage and that is why it is kind of popular in many countries. They basically grow indoors so it prefers indirect bright light & also they thrive in moist soil rather you put them in soggy soil. If the conditions are not right the leaves eventually frizzle, curl up soon. I will discuss the solution of curling below.
Why is my Prayer Plant leaves curling?
Prayer Plant Leaves Curling is due to excessive light, this is the most common reason. Curling Occur because of sunlight, if it’s hot and absorbing too much water then plant leaves will curl up to protect the water loss. To fix this issue you can change the location or place it in the shade or partial shade where this gets low light for less hours compared to previous location.
The other reason for prayer plant leaves curling up is because of the low amount of water left in the soil to survive and to tackle this situation this plant generally curled to reduce the water shortage. To solve this problem you should immediately pour water and next time only give water to this plant when it’s about to dry its soil completely. In the prayer plant check the 2-3 inch top soil to know when not to water the plant.
When you overwater this plant it will be exposed to root rot, no air circulation in the potting mix leads to loss of foliage color and dropping of leaves. Always remember you should not pour too much water; it breaks the root’s core.
There is another reason for its curling that is low humidity and to rectify this issue you can just place a saucer or tray and put some pebbles and water now place it near the plant, these small container trays will produce moistness around the plant and it will get the humidity which makes the leaves fulfill its all requirement means now this plant can grow properly. This is a reason but the above 2 reasons would be final and most common prayer plant problems.
Prayer plant is quite a unique house plant as it stays flat the whole day but once the time changes to evening or night it stands up and the leaves roll back to prayer position magically. It’s the natural process of this plant. And some people brought this Maranta just to check this plant’s behavior.
Table of Contents
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Here are the 15 reasons why Prayer Plant leaves curling:
Too much Heat Stress
Prayer Plant leaves curling due to too much heat stress is a common problem. The Prayer Plant is placed in direct sunlight which makes the leaf curl. The fact that the sun absorbs all the water from the soil makes the plant feel dry and to protect the leaves from burning it curls up. This way plants save the water from leaves but it cannot save the leaf from burning. That is why if the location is not changed it will eventually die. In order to avoid this, you can try changing the place or just put it in a partial shade spot. If you still see the leaves curling up, you can try spraying them with water or misting them with a spray bottle.
Lack of Nutrition
Prayer Plants leaves curled up due to lack of nutrition which is another big issue that can happen to any plant. The leaves start to curl and wither away and they will eventually die. This can be caused by the low nutrition on the potting soil so the impact of this issue can be seen in leaves itself. If you notice your plant’s leaves curling, try adding more fertilizer or water more often to help the leaves recover.
Overfeeding
Overfeeding Prayer Plants is one of the most common mistakes that people make. This is because we are very good at thinking that our plants will grow more if we give them more nutrients. Plants do not grow more when you overfeed them, they actually curl up and then die. The best way to prevent this from happening is to start feeding your plants less and less until they are only getting enough water and sunlight.
Root Rot
The leaves of the Prayer Plant were curling because of root rot. The water inside the soil were not being absorbed by the plant because of the rotting roots. The Prayer Plants was not able to take in water and nutrients from the soil. The leaves began to wilt and turn brown and to fix this you can first drag out the plant from the existing pot and cut off the rotted roots. Then move your plant to a new container with new soil. Now take care of your plant it will solve your root rot problem in this plant.
Water Quality
The plant leaves are not growing well and seem to curl up inwards or outwards, this is due to the quality of the water. The leaves were green, but were turning brown and wilting. The plant was becoming weak and deformed and it would die soon. The water in the bucket or tap or where you use water can be polluted and cause the plant to wilt. To fix this change the water of your plant and it will start to recover soon and also remove the curl and damaged leaves from this plant.
Temperature Stress
Prayer Plant leaves curling due to temperature stress and your plant is not able to grow properly in that uneven temperature. There are many things you can do to prevent this problem such as changing the temperature to 75 to 80 degree F and see if it works. Otherwise change it to 55-70 degree F and see if they start growing well.
Too much Direct Sunlight
The Prayer Plant leaves were curling due to too much direct sunlight. The leaves were turning brown, wilting and dying off. The fix is to move the plant to a good spot where it has partial shade light. This plant will be happy after that so move it immediately if it has curling leaf signs.
Diseases
The Prayer Plant leaves are curling due to a disease known as fungal and also black spot disease. This is an issue that can be found in many types of plants, but it is most commonly seen in African violets. The black spot disease causes the leaves to curl up and turn yellow and then brown, which makes the plant look like it is dying. The disease is caused by a fungus that attacks the cells of the leaves as it slowly takes control over the whole leaf, which will eventually lead to them dying. The fungus is spread by water droplets that land on the leaves and cause it to create few spores. If you see your plant has this disease, make sure you get rid of all the infected leaves using a fungicide and also prune off all the infected leaves.
Transplanting Stress
Prayer Plant leaves start to curl due to transplanting stress. When they are transplanted the roots often get damaged, which causes the plant to get shock and they start giving signs like leaves curling. One way to prevent this is by carefully taking out the plant without hurting its roots. Also use fresh soil so the previous potting soil disease doesn’t get transferred.
Low Watering
The Prayer Plant leaves are curling because the plant is not getting enough water. It is important to water your plants daily and not just when you remember while walking to check other things. If your plant is not getting enough water, it will start to droop, causing the leaves to curl. You will know it needs more water when it starts to droop and die. To help keep your plant healthy, be sure to water it every day and not just when you remember.
Low Humidity
Prayer Plant leaves curling due to Low Humidity. Low humidity is a common problem for many hardy plants. When the humidity in your home falls below a certain level, it can be hard for plants to keep their leaves from curling up. This is because the plant’s leaves use water vapor to stay healthy and alive. If the humidity in your home falls too low, you should increase the amount of water you are giving your plants to prevent the curling. You should also spray the water or just provide water on the soil to make it moist so you can avoid leaves wilting.
Insect Infestation
The leaves may curl in Prayer Plants due to an insect infestation. The leaves that were in the middle of the plant are now curled around the edges, leaving a spiky appearance. The insect makes it turn brown and wilted. The insects are eating the leaves and doing damage to the plant’s overall health. This is a sign that the plant needs a pesticide or insecticide to get rid of all the pests seen on the plants.
Overwatering
Prayer Plant leaves curling due to overwatering can happen to all types of plants, not just Prayer Plants. Plants that are over-watered & get wet most of the time will start to wilt and droop. The best thing to do is to make sure that your plant is getting enough water but not too much. To fix this problem, you have to wait for the plant to dry the soil completely first and then start giving it less water. Also cut down all the leaves that are curled.
Lack of Sunlight
When the Prayer Plant is not getting enough sunlight, the leaves will start curling upwards and turn yellow then brown. This can be fixed by simply putting the plant in a brighter location, or by giving it more light from the artificial growth lights if you live in an area with low light. When the leaves turn brown, they can be removed and thrown away to make room for new leaves to grow. The plants always like to get a few hours of sunlight or at least some partial light to prepare food and if it doesn’t get this, then it will start to wilt as a sign of low light.
Old age
The Prayer Plant leaves are curling due to the fact that the plant is getting old. The plant gives signs like wilting and no longer has any green leaves left on it. It is important that you water your plant every day, but if you see that it is getting old and needs more water, don’t be afraid to water it more often. If you notice that the plant is not looking healthy, then it is time to replace it with a new one, this can be the final choice.
Why is my prayer plant leaves curling?
In winters when temperature is low Leaves might curl up to protect itself from cold or not to dry from warm air inside the room. Mostly prayer plant enjoy medium to high humidity & if you don’t have a humidifier you always use a saucer to fill water and pebble in it and place near marantas it will solve the problem else read the first two answers given above.
Also Read : Prayer Plant Toxic to Cats – Is this Houseplant Safe?
How do I stop my leaves from curling?
If you want to stop leaves from curling then change the previous spot it was placed in and check if it helps because excessive sunlight is the reason behind it. Secondly if you put them in damp soil it results in wilting and curling up leaves so check the watering schedule and reduce watering.
How often should you water a prayer plant?
You should give water to prayer plants once every 5-6 days in summer and wait for 2 weeks to give water in winters as they are in dormant stage and it will not absorb most of the water so keep the watering low in winters.
How do you know when a prayer plant is dying?
When a prayer plant is dying it will show signs like wilting, curling , leaves yellowing , wet leaves, droopy, wither and browning of leaves. You can always save this type of plant by reducing the watering as most of the time it is the reason for any big problem. And secondly provide prayer plants proper light and well drained fertile soil.
How do you care for Prayer Plants after leaf curling?
Caring for Prayer Plants Includes Proper Watering, Good Sunlight, Providing Timely nutrients and If any pest infestation occurs, do not worry just use an insecticide or pesticide to get rid of pests or atleast repel them with that.
Water your plant until the 2 inch topsoil is filled with water.
Partial shade area that gets a few hours of sunlight for Prayer Plants.
General purpose fertilizer used to feed nutrients into the plants soil so your plants can grow well.
Well draining pot that drains the water so we avoid any root rot situations.
Do check your plant daily to keep track of their health is also an important part of caring for Prayer Plants.
Wrap up
I hope you like the answer on “Prayer Plant Leaves Curling“ and if you want to read more such articles check below.
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