This is a perfect spot for it, as it loves bright light but does not want direct sunlight. This damages the internal structures of the plant and interrupts growth, causing parts of the leaves to turn yellow and then brown as they die off. 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. 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. Under-fertilizing is a less common problem, but it does sometimes happen. Calatheas are sensitive to the additives, such as chlorine, often found in tap water. You can also spray the leaves with a misting bottle to provide extra moisture. It could also signal that the air is too dry. Growing many Calathea in close proximity makes it difficult for the plants to get adequate airflow and light. Fungus gnats are tiny flying bugs that lay eggs inside houseplant soil, appreciating warm and moist environments. Thankfully, this pathogen doesnt cause any problems until conditions are favorable and it comes in contact with the foliage. As with most leafy plants, the most likely cause is underwatering. If you notice all these factors combined, make sure you move the plant out of the path of the direct sun straight away, or cover your window with a shear curtain to filter the suns rays. We are a member of several affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to external sites. This helps reduce the risk of spreading pests or diseases from one plant to another, which can cause brown spots on leaves. Then transplant your Calathea into a pot thats a couple of inches larger in diameter. The Calathea genus is one of the most common houseplants seen in indoor gardens. While aloe vera is somewhat hands-off when it comes to care, there are still some things that can cause drooping leaves. If you keep your Calathea under direct sunlight, the leaves will begin to sear, and holes will appear in the foliage. This common problem has a number of reasons, and most of them are luckily easy to fix. Creeping crawling bugs are generally not welcomed in our homes, but especially arent welcome in our houseplants. The colorful and patterned leaves of Calathea plants can be quite sensitive, depending on your chosen variety. Luckily, they look just as good as they feel, with a distinct crinkled shape and rich green and purple colouring. are members of the plant family Marantaceae and are native to tropical America and Africa. This problem can also spread above the soil line, causing the stems to rot at the base. If root rot has set in, your plant needs immediate and drastic treatment. WebHoles in Calathea leaves are a relatively rare problem, especially for indoor plants. As a matter of fact, any time the upper portion of the soil stays moist for 5 days or longer, you should consider watering less frequently. 8 Tips To Encourage Your Calathea to Grow Bigger and Faster, Can You Revive a Dying Calathea? Its important to only water when the soil is dry and avoid oversaturating the plant, as this can lead to root rot and brown spots on the leaves. This will, however, require removing the Calathea from its pot and discarding all the soil. Too much direct sunlight can burn the leaves and cause them to develop brown spots or scorch marks. Both synthetic and organic fertilizers can leach dissolved salt compounds into the potting mix. All About Gardening 2023 All Rights Reserved. Calathea White Star diseases can be fungal or bacterial, and usually stem from too-wet soil or foliage. By watering at the base of the plant instead, you will help reduce the chance of splashing the pathogen-filled soil onto the Calatheas leaves. The first step to solving the mystery is to identify the cause. Also consider repotting your plants to get rid of any eggs or bugs hiding out in the soil. This is almost always a lighting issue. 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. Water quality. Once a month or so, give it some liquid fertilizer with a 3:1:2 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Make sure you check the soil first before you water, as it may be another cause that watering wont fix. Syngonium Podophyllum Christmas Calathea Roseopicta Silvia Marantaces. If yours is in a spot that gets brighter light you may get sunburned leaves and youll have to be constantly checking that the soil is damp. On the other hand, stressed leaves can also be a sign of more persistent health issues. WebAnthracnose is a common fungal disease that causes Calathea leaf spots. 9. 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. The most common causes of brown spots on Calathea are overwatering, bad water quality, excessive sun, diseases and pest problems. Try watering your Calathea with rain water or distilled water. Once identified, apply an all-purpose fertilizer that contains the necessary nutrients for your Calathea. If youve encountered any problems with your Calathea, causing it to look a bit sad compared to when you first bought it, go through this list to find the cause and apply the relevant fix. Calatheas are sensitive to the chemicals in some tap water, leading to a build-up of salts in the soil that causes the leaves to turn brown. Your Calathea will be better off if you keep it a few feet back from any nearby windows, or hang a set of sheer curtains to filter and scatter the light as it enters the room. (14 Solutions), How To Save a Dying Calathea Plant (11 Causes & Solutions), How To Make a Calathea Grow Taller and Faster (Improve Growth Rate), Too much direct sunlight can burn the leaves, Calathea plants need consistent watering to stay healthy. They typically have broad leaves that are patterned with colorful blotches or spots. Take the time to inspect your plant for any signs of brown spots at least once a month. You can do this by placing a humidifier near your plant or grouping several plants together. Flush the pot every 1-2 months while using fertilizer, using the method we described in the section on water quality. Water with filtered water in the future and dont fertilize for a couple of months to allow the plant to recover. In fact, seeing brown spots on Calathea is an advanced sign of root rot and, at this stage, trying to save the plant can unfortunately often be a waste of time and resources. Make sure youve satisfied these requirements before you go looking for more obscure problems with your Calatheas leaves. In fact, its kind of amazing that they remain so enduringly popular, considering all the grief they give their owners. Give your plant filtered or distilled water to sidestep this issue. There are a few different diseases responsible for a Calathea having brown spots, but leaf spot disease is one of the most common ones. Once you have identified the cause of the brown spots, taking the necessary steps to treat them is essential. Its best to keep your Calathea in an area with bright light but away from direct sunlight. If you have been overwatering your Calathea, begin checking the top inch of soil in the pot, and dont water until that top layer of soil dries out. This allows you to check the plant for any signs of disease or pests before introducing it into your collection. If the Lower Leaves Turn Yellow and Other Leaves Become Spotted or Curl . Giving the plant this type of water can lead to leaf damage and even cause brown spots to form. Waterlogged soil stops oxygen from reaching the roots and leads to the growth of fungal issues that cause rotting roots and mushy stems. Whether you have a Calathea with large wide leaves or long narrow ones, youre likely to encounter wilting at some point. Grow lights are also an option if the natural light levels in your home just wont cut it. If the crisping on your Calatheas leaves is concentrated at the tips, you still have a dehydration issue, but its likely originating at the plants roots rather than the leaves themselves. Make sure the Calathea is growing in the correct temperature. Small webs between leaves and stems indicate one common pest problem spider mites. . Move your Calathea to a warmer location out of any draughts from doors or windows and away from registers and other sources of sudden temperature changes. So keep that in mind before you dampen the plants leaves. Apply the same steps in irradicating scale as with mealybug. WebFor example, if you noticed that pale, transparent spots appear on Calathea leaves, the plant was exposed to intense cold. You should only water the Calathea once the soil starts to feel dry. There are actually a few common issues that can impact these popular houseplants, depending on how they are grown. Once the stems have become soft, a large number of roots are likely rotting below the soil too. Yellow or pale foliage is one way this problem can manifest. This is because Calatheas are not heavy feeders. 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. In order to properly treat the issue, you must first determine the cause and then take the appropriate action to save your Calathea. Probably the best way to keep brown spots on Calathea at bay is to ensure the plant is getting the proper care. 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. Keep the soil moist from spring to autumn, and provide some humidity by misting the leaves daily or standing on a tray of moist pebbles. The good news is that treating and preventing these spots is easy once you know the cause. Calatheas can be fussy plants, depending on the species you have. If you read the section on browning tips, you already know that an overdose of fertilizer can be bad for your Calathea. For humidity above 40%, water the plant and wait for the leaves to return to normal. They hate sitting in soggy soil which quickly leads to root rot underneath the soil. That can make the leaves too dark for their patterns to stand out. Does your calathea plant look a bit unwell? If conditions are not quite right, you may encounter a common issue among Calathea growers leaves turning brown at the edges. WebINTRODUCTION: Calathea spp. If your Calathea has brown spots because of a pest infestation, you will need to liberally apply a pesticide to the underside and topside of the leaves. A number of sap-sucking pests are known to feed on the juicy leaves of Calathea plants. This can, however, take several months. Depending on the severity of the problem, you will likely need to repeat the process a couple of times until you are sure all the mealybugs are gone. 1. It commonly causes reddish-brown spots on the leaves of the Beauty Star and other Calathea and ornamental plants. These popular succulents aren't only popular during the holiday season. But were here to tell you: dont beat yourself up. The Misto is a great addition to a home collection. Their stunning leaves in a wide range of shapes, colors and beautiful leaf variegation have made them irresistible to collectors around the world. High temperatures can also result in curling to prevent loss of moisture in the leaves, and cold drafts can cause the leaves to shrivel. Low light conditions could potentially be the cause when the Calathea has brown spots. Once root rot begins, the plants cannot draw up the nutrients and moisture required to function, causing the leaves to turn yellow as a result of stress. However, if the Calathea has brown spots because of overwatering, reporting could potentially save the plant. They do have specific requirements for indirect sunlight, warm temperatures, high humidity, and frequent watering that keeps the soil moist but not soggy during the growing season. It's also important to avoid getting water on the leaves of the plant, as this can create a moist environment that is ideal for the bacteria to grow. Try to eliminate every other possible issue before adding fertilizer to your Calathea excessive nutrition is much more dangerous than a shortfall. You will need to water the Calathea once it has been repotted, but then refrain from watering again until the soil begins to dry out. WebLighting Conditions. To prevent future brown spots on your Calathea leaves, there are a few steps you should take. East- or west-facing windows are usually the best spots for Calathea plants. Months to allow the plant was exposed to intense cold the appropriate action to save your.! Also spread above the soil starts to feel dry spots on leaves organic. You must first determine the cause of the most common causes of brown on. Rich green and purple colouring likely rotting below the soil water with filtered water the. Area with bright light but away from direct sunlight Calathea leaf spots overwatering, reporting could be. 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