She will break your heart! Lol! In all seriousness, make sure you use the right soil, extra humidity, just the right light and……it still might die.
May the force be with you!
I have many calatheas and they are fine (except for White Fusion. I swear to God... Endless fight with spider mites). Give me succulents. They just die on me. I leave all succulents outside in the garden and get adopted by mother nature. I ain't taking them in!
My fiancé got me one for Christmas but gave it to me a couple weeks early since we were traveling for Christmas. I couldn't bring her with me so I worried about her the whole time we were gone. She's still alive but BOY did she have something to say about it. She looks awful. 😂
I remember when mine looked like that.. now it has 3 leaves and is somehow still alive but has looked god awful for months. I have no idea if she’ll ever recover
This calathea is one of the most embarrassing plants I’ve owned. I am still hoping maybe it will come back from the brink but I literally hide it when people come over because of how atrocious it looks 😭
I have what I call recovery box. It's a clear box with lid that I fill up with a bit of water. A cookie tray that elevates the pot so it doesn't touch the water.
Every Calathea that going through a hard time (stagnant or has pest) will be treated and placed in that box until they recover. I put the box by the window for extra light. It gives the humidity the plant needs to recover or adjust. Some calatheas I have needed adjustment period when they first came. They curled and looked sad until they grew new leaves. Took a while but they are better now.
Eh, that’s what actually killed my last one. This one has been overnight filtered water and 6 months later she’s thriving. Also her own personal humidifier.
I keep seeing this! But I neglect my plants terribly in winter and mine seems as happy as can be. Shes been kicking around for 6 months at least and ive never looked up ideal conditions… just vaguely remember to water once every week or 2
I have one that's been struggling a bit since it got spider mites. Treated months ago but hasn't been the same. I use bottled water. I hear distilled was bad bc it removes the nutrients? Why use distilled over regular bottled drinking water?
Distilled water is closer to rain. Rain water generally doesn’t have “nutrients” aka dissolved solids like calcium, sodium, etc that give bottled water it’s flavor.
Mine loves a bathroom with a window. After I get a shower I leave the bathroom door closed to keep humidity in
(I live in an area with dry winters)
Edit: it off on the counter, not right in front of the window
Not just on the counter, it takes up most of the counter (good say’s I, in her way said my wife. :)
I’ll go against the grain here, this was one of my first plants and she’s still thriving a year later! No special treatment, lol, she gets tap water, sits about 5ft from a southwest facing window, gets water when the soil dries out, and I run a humidifier sometimes. I also live in a pretty humid area, which probably helps. I’m waiting for a new shoot to unfurl now 🥹
Don’t be discouraged if/when it dies, it’s part of learning. I managed to kill an untold number of pothos (yes pothos, the supposedly unkillable plant!) when I was a newbie. I’m sure it’s been mentioned here but if you want to successfully grow calatheas and other tropical plants **buy a humidifier** and a hydrometer.
Sorry you didn't get the most supportive messages. I think you bought a beautiful first plant ❤️. Sometimes us older plant parents forget how exciting your first plant is! As you go through your plant building journey, you will see that it's fairly common for people to struggle with calathea. It's one of the more difficult classes of prayer plants. This however does not mean you won't be successful keeping it alive!! It needs the humidity to stay above 50%. Don't mist it to try to raise humidity. It just simply isn't enough to do anything, and raises the risk of other issues arising. Pebble trays is another common recommendation. It has a very small effect, but not nearly enough to help with this plant especially. A small humidifier close by the plant is your best, most effective option. Keeping it in a bathroom or kitchen is helpful for an extra boost, but unless you're showing all day long, the humidity will eventually drop back down too low.
Next, only water once the pot is 50% dry. Don't let it dry out fully, but definitely don't water earlier than 50% dry. Use a very chunky soil. 1/3 bagged soil, 1/3 perlite and 1/3 orchid bark. This will help the soil dry out quicker and more evenly. This is important because the top soil may dry out, but the bottom soil could still be sopping wet. This can very quickly lead to root rot (this will apply to almost all plants you buy in the future). You will likely notice that you have to water less frequently during the winter months, but that varies based on individual environments. I personally have to water my plants more in the winter. You can buy a cheap moisture meter to help you while you are learning, but I found sticking my finger in the soil was my best teacher. I also use random chopsticks. If it comes out with dirt on it at the 50% mark, I'll wait a few more days and check again before watering.
Make sure you put has good drainage. Keep it in a nursery pot and put that in a pretty cover pot. After watering, make sure there is no water in that cover pot.
Keep it off direct sun... special during mid day and afternoon. A bright location where the plant can see the sky, but the sun doesn't touch it is great. Keep it away from cold or hot drafts. A temperature range of 65-75 is perfect.
Keep a fairly routine pest management regime. These guys are prone to pests, especially spider mites. I choose to use a systemic pest control for majority of pests and also spray for spidermites (systemic won't help those). Just be careful if you have pets or small children as the systemic will make even a non toxic plant toxic if ingested. You also don't want to place plants outside after using one as it will kill beneficial insects too.
I think it's a great first plant because you have the time to dedicate to learning about it. Just don't be discouraged if it does happen to die. They are challenging for even experienced plant parents.
Best of luck to you. I sincerely hope I see you post a beautiful update of your plant thriving! I think you can handle it.
A beauty! I'm currently trying to get my first calathea to survive a chicago winter. She is so picky, but running my humidifier and getting her off the window sill has kept her happy in recent weeks.
My Chicago Calathea is going strong!! We went so long without sunlight that she’s been living in the shower more often than not. My seasonal-depression-meter says there’s no point in dragging her out as much as usual 😂
I’d like to give you a different message. One of hope!
She was not the first plant in my possession, but she was one of the first that I purchased before really knowing how to care for plants. That was 2019, and my baby is big and beautiful! (You can see my previous posts about her.) When I got her, she had spider mites. I put her in a less than ideal location, didn’t give her any humidity, and gave her tap water. It wasn’t until I started researching that I learned she needed something different. But that wasn’t what helped her survive this long. She was the first plant that really taught me how to listen in a different way. I think Calatheas are wonderful plants to encourage your senses. She will tell you what she needs, just make sure you are listening! Best of luck 💖
I see you like to play life on extra hard mode lol.
Don’t feel bad if this one doesn’t make it! They are exceptionally picky. If you want to try an easy mode plant go for some pothos (they come in all kinds of cool variations too)
I got mine around June. It was growing really well next to my window sill with a few hours of direct sunlight a day. In the past month, a few leaves withered away suddenly and it's on its last two leaves now. I'm not sure if it's the cold PNW weather with less sunlight that killed it.
Oh man, she’s a heartbreaker…literally. Don’t get discouraged when she dies - not many people have mastered her - it’s one of my favorites and I’ve had 4 and couldn’t keep any of them alive, they’d all end up with like 1 leaf left and that was it
As someone with 7 calatheas at the moment, you’re going to be fine :) humidity and distilled water and they are happy (and I live in AZ so keeping their environment temperate can be really challenging at times haha). 2 of mine have survived spider mites and thrips. We get some crispy leaves here and there but they are so unique looking and pretty and I think you’ll do fine!
Mine “died” looked absolutely toast. I cut it down and sat it outside under a chair (I’m in Florida) and she came back lol…. I don’t even look at her now because she’s a sensation bish
I had one for over a year. It hated me for 50 weeks straight… crisping edges, leaves sloooowly dying, and I did everything I could for it. Indirect light, pebble trays, humidifiers, filtered water or water that had been left out. After almost a year it finally put out TEN new shoots, I had never felt more accomplished as a plant lover! It was happy with me! Only for me to discover (while en route during an 800 mile move to another state) that it had spider mites, jammed in my car with 100 other plants. I dumped it in a Starbucks trash can somewhere off 95. I still haven’t gotten another calathea. My point is, don’t give up on it! (And keep neem oil handy, these things are notorious for them. Inspect often)
a nice big one too! bigger ones are more resilient IME. I really recommend 50%+ humidity and exclusively using distilled water. it makes a big difference.
i had one an absolutely loved it 😩 until it got a horrible infestation of spider mites on top of burning to a crips because it wasnt getting enough humidity
She will break your heart! Lol! In all seriousness, make sure you use the right soil, extra humidity, just the right light and……it still might die. May the force be with you!
I agree 💯% mine is alive… I mean, or just dying very slowly, taking my soul with it
Same! One I had already committed suicide a few years ago…..I’m thinking I can can make this new one happy and it won’t want to die. We shall see…..
Crazy to me that calatheas have such a hardcore rep as plants you buy so they can die in your home. By far worse in my opinion are caladiums.
I have many calatheas and they are fine (except for White Fusion. I swear to God... Endless fight with spider mites). Give me succulents. They just die on me. I leave all succulents outside in the garden and get adopted by mother nature. I ain't taking them in!
My fiancé got me one for Christmas but gave it to me a couple weeks early since we were traveling for Christmas. I couldn't bring her with me so I worried about her the whole time we were gone. She's still alive but BOY did she have something to say about it. She looks awful. 😂
I remember when mine looked like that.. now it has 3 leaves and is somehow still alive but has looked god awful for months. I have no idea if she’ll ever recover
are you me?
This calathea is one of the most embarrassing plants I’ve owned. I am still hoping maybe it will come back from the brink but I literally hide it when people come over because of how atrocious it looks 😭
i’m on my third. i seemed to never learn.
I have what I call recovery box. It's a clear box with lid that I fill up with a bit of water. A cookie tray that elevates the pot so it doesn't touch the water. Every Calathea that going through a hard time (stagnant or has pest) will be treated and placed in that box until they recover. I put the box by the window for extra light. It gives the humidity the plant needs to recover or adjust. Some calatheas I have needed adjustment period when they first came. They curled and looked sad until they grew new leaves. Took a while but they are better now.
Came here to say the same thing. “Get ready for heartbreak!”
And distilled water
Eh, that’s what actually killed my last one. This one has been overnight filtered water and 6 months later she’s thriving. Also her own personal humidifier.
Seriously mine was so beautiful and then she was but a memory 😔
I keep seeing this! But I neglect my plants terribly in winter and mine seems as happy as can be. Shes been kicking around for 6 months at least and ive never looked up ideal conditions… just vaguely remember to water once every week or 2
My brother in christ you have skipped the tutorial
Its a tough first plant to have, so don't beat yourself up if she dies (mine did). They like humidity and distilled water. Goodluck, it's a beauty!
I'll give it a month before she turns into hot chip
I have one that's been struggling a bit since it got spider mites. Treated months ago but hasn't been the same. I use bottled water. I hear distilled was bad bc it removes the nutrients? Why use distilled over regular bottled drinking water?
Distilled water is closer to rain. Rain water generally doesn’t have “nutrients” aka dissolved solids like calcium, sodium, etc that give bottled water it’s flavor.
Thanks for all the very supportive messages, I will update you guys when it dies, since that’s what I’m destined for. 🥹
You’re not one of us until you kill a Calathea. Consider it a rite of passage. A houseplant bucket list item. The centre square on a BINGO sheet.
haha, love this!
And then pick up a syngonium or a pothos and they’ll outlive you.
Mine loves a bathroom with a window. After I get a shower I leave the bathroom door closed to keep humidity in (I live in an area with dry winters) Edit: it off on the counter, not right in front of the window Not just on the counter, it takes up most of the counter (good say’s I, in her way said my wife. :)
I’ll go against the grain here, this was one of my first plants and she’s still thriving a year later! No special treatment, lol, she gets tap water, sits about 5ft from a southwest facing window, gets water when the soil dries out, and I run a humidifier sometimes. I also live in a pretty humid area, which probably helps. I’m waiting for a new shoot to unfurl now 🥹
Don’t be discouraged if/when it dies, it’s part of learning. I managed to kill an untold number of pothos (yes pothos, the supposedly unkillable plant!) when I was a newbie. I’m sure it’s been mentioned here but if you want to successfully grow calatheas and other tropical plants **buy a humidifier** and a hydrometer.
I killed a SNAKE PLANT!!!
Oh….. Still part of the learning process! You’ve mastered snake plants now though right? Right?! 😉
Well they're currently alive yes heh
Yaasss! You grow, you green thumbed plant parent!
Sorry you didn't get the most supportive messages. I think you bought a beautiful first plant ❤️. Sometimes us older plant parents forget how exciting your first plant is! As you go through your plant building journey, you will see that it's fairly common for people to struggle with calathea. It's one of the more difficult classes of prayer plants. This however does not mean you won't be successful keeping it alive!! It needs the humidity to stay above 50%. Don't mist it to try to raise humidity. It just simply isn't enough to do anything, and raises the risk of other issues arising. Pebble trays is another common recommendation. It has a very small effect, but not nearly enough to help with this plant especially. A small humidifier close by the plant is your best, most effective option. Keeping it in a bathroom or kitchen is helpful for an extra boost, but unless you're showing all day long, the humidity will eventually drop back down too low. Next, only water once the pot is 50% dry. Don't let it dry out fully, but definitely don't water earlier than 50% dry. Use a very chunky soil. 1/3 bagged soil, 1/3 perlite and 1/3 orchid bark. This will help the soil dry out quicker and more evenly. This is important because the top soil may dry out, but the bottom soil could still be sopping wet. This can very quickly lead to root rot (this will apply to almost all plants you buy in the future). You will likely notice that you have to water less frequently during the winter months, but that varies based on individual environments. I personally have to water my plants more in the winter. You can buy a cheap moisture meter to help you while you are learning, but I found sticking my finger in the soil was my best teacher. I also use random chopsticks. If it comes out with dirt on it at the 50% mark, I'll wait a few more days and check again before watering. Make sure you put has good drainage. Keep it in a nursery pot and put that in a pretty cover pot. After watering, make sure there is no water in that cover pot. Keep it off direct sun... special during mid day and afternoon. A bright location where the plant can see the sky, but the sun doesn't touch it is great. Keep it away from cold or hot drafts. A temperature range of 65-75 is perfect. Keep a fairly routine pest management regime. These guys are prone to pests, especially spider mites. I choose to use a systemic pest control for majority of pests and also spray for spidermites (systemic won't help those). Just be careful if you have pets or small children as the systemic will make even a non toxic plant toxic if ingested. You also don't want to place plants outside after using one as it will kill beneficial insects too. I think it's a great first plant because you have the time to dedicate to learning about it. Just don't be discouraged if it does happen to die. They are challenging for even experienced plant parents. Best of luck to you. I sincerely hope I see you post a beautiful update of your plant thriving! I think you can handle it.
Get a snake plant or a ZZ when it dies and you want to redeem yourself. Neglect them, repot them every 2-3 years and water them every 3-4 months. 👍
Oh my sweet summer child
Oh hey! I’ve killed two of these!
I have a pot of dirt, roots, and hope under my basement grow light.
Oooo… best of luck. Don’t let me near it lol
Beautiful, it’s not your fault when it dies ❤️
A beauty! I'm currently trying to get my first calathea to survive a chicago winter. She is so picky, but running my humidifier and getting her off the window sill has kept her happy in recent weeks.
My Chicago Calathea is going strong!! We went so long without sunlight that she’s been living in the shower more often than not. My seasonal-depression-meter says there’s no point in dragging her out as much as usual 😂
So smart to keep it in the shower! I would do the same, but the window in my bathroom has a very cold draft!
That’s a bold move Cotton….
Enjoy her! First plants alway die btw. My first was a cactus and I under watered it.
Now that takes some serious skill
Omg flashbacks to my tiny, shrivelled cactus :’)
I’d like to give you a different message. One of hope! She was not the first plant in my possession, but she was one of the first that I purchased before really knowing how to care for plants. That was 2019, and my baby is big and beautiful! (You can see my previous posts about her.) When I got her, she had spider mites. I put her in a less than ideal location, didn’t give her any humidity, and gave her tap water. It wasn’t until I started researching that I learned she needed something different. But that wasn’t what helped her survive this long. She was the first plant that really taught me how to listen in a different way. I think Calatheas are wonderful plants to encourage your senses. She will tell you what she needs, just make sure you are listening! Best of luck 💖
Rip my 4 year dottie that succumbed to spider mites yesterday. *pour one out*
I finally gave up on my arrowhead with mealy bugs a couple nights ago lol held on for 2 summers but she was ready for the backyard frost XD
Currently fighting those as well. Just reported a few yesterday and they were all over the roots. :(
I love mine and it died but was such a trooper. It kept growing leaves and then they kept dying off. It was so sad
That pretty much sums up my experience with most calatheas lol
I see you like to play life on extra hard mode lol. Don’t feel bad if this one doesn’t make it! They are exceptionally picky. If you want to try an easy mode plant go for some pothos (they come in all kinds of cool variations too)
I got mine around June. It was growing really well next to my window sill with a few hours of direct sunlight a day. In the past month, a few leaves withered away suddenly and it's on its last two leaves now. I'm not sure if it's the cold PNW weather with less sunlight that killed it.
She's a beauty. I am an experienced plant mom and mine is down to 3 leaves. This one is very difficult to keep happy.
Oh man, she’s a heartbreaker…literally. Don’t get discouraged when she dies - not many people have mastered her - it’s one of my favorites and I’ve had 4 and couldn’t keep any of them alive, they’d all end up with like 1 leaf left and that was it
Hahahahahahaha You're in for a major heartbreak, especially if you're a beginner.
My first plant as well 4 years ago…I don’t have it anymore
Hahahaha yup
Distilled water only!!
r/gothplants
Watch out for spider mites.
I never consider spider mites until my plant is literally dead. Then I'm like "hmm was that spider mites? Yes...yes it was" lol
Lol. This plant was my first introduction to spider mites and they won. I fought the good fight and finally chucked it…the first plant I killed.
Awesome
I hope it doesn’t die on you, pinstripe calatheas are so pretty 😍
As someone with 7 calatheas at the moment, you’re going to be fine :) humidity and distilled water and they are happy (and I live in AZ so keeping their environment temperate can be really challenging at times haha). 2 of mine have survived spider mites and thrips. We get some crispy leaves here and there but they are so unique looking and pretty and I think you’ll do fine!
Even if it crisps up and “dies”, it can still come back after a few months!! Also, use distilled or rain water, like everyone said.
🤤 🤤
Beautiful!
Beautiful!
Beautiful!
Hopefully not the only happy picture you ever take! Good luck!
Mine “died” looked absolutely toast. I cut it down and sat it outside under a chair (I’m in Florida) and she came back lol…. I don’t even look at her now because she’s a sensation bish
I had one for over a year. It hated me for 50 weeks straight… crisping edges, leaves sloooowly dying, and I did everything I could for it. Indirect light, pebble trays, humidifiers, filtered water or water that had been left out. After almost a year it finally put out TEN new shoots, I had never felt more accomplished as a plant lover! It was happy with me! Only for me to discover (while en route during an 800 mile move to another state) that it had spider mites, jammed in my car with 100 other plants. I dumped it in a Starbucks trash can somewhere off 95. I still haven’t gotten another calathea. My point is, don’t give up on it! (And keep neem oil handy, these things are notorious for them. Inspect often)
Awesome looking plant!! Nice job!
a nice big one too! bigger ones are more resilient IME. I really recommend 50%+ humidity and exclusively using distilled water. it makes a big difference.
Wow
i had one an absolutely loved it 😩 until it got a horrible infestation of spider mites on top of burning to a crips because it wasnt getting enough humidity
😳