Calathea Care Guide: How to Keep Your Prayer Plant Thriving

Calathea is the plant people fall for on sight. Someone will walk the length of the shop, stop at a Pinstripe with those fine pink lines running through the leaves, and that's the decision made.

We love them too. But we tend to have the same conversation before one goes out the door, because Calatheas are honest plants. They tell you loudly when something isn't right, almost always by going brown and crispy at the leaf edges, and almost always the cause is the water coming out of your tap or the heater in your lounge room.

Sort those two things and they're a real pleasure. The patterned foliage is unlike anything else we stock, and the nightly folding that earns them the name prayer plant is one of the quiet joys of living with houseplants.

Here's how we look after ours.

Light

Calatheas grow on the rainforest floor, underneath a canopy. They have never had direct sun in their lives and they don't want it now.

• Ideal: Medium to bright indirect light. A metre or two back from an east or north-facing window is close to perfect.
• Tolerates: Lower light better than most patterned plants. The markings go a little quieter, but the plant stays healthy.
• Avoid: Direct sun, full stop. An hour of harsh afternoon light through unshaded glass will scorch the leaves and bleach the pattern out for good.

If the markings are fading, move it brighter — still indirect. If the leaves look pale or washed out, move it further back from the glass.

Melbourne winter light drops off more than most people realise. A Calathea that looked settled in February can start sulking by July in exactly the same spot. Shifting it closer to the window for the cooler months usually sorts it, and we've written more about that in our guide to caring for indoor plants through winter.

If the only spot you have is genuinely dim, a Calathea isn't the plant for it. Have a look at our low light plants guide instead.

Watering

Two things matter here: how often, and what's actually in the water.

Calatheas like their soil lightly moist. Not wet, not bone dry — that steady in-between.

• Slide a finger about 2 cm into the soil and water when the top feels just barely dry. Don't guess from the surface.
• Water thoroughly and let it run right through the drainage holes, then tip out whatever collects in the saucer. Sitting in water is how you get root rot.
• Through a Melbourne summer, every 5–7 days is usually about right. In winter, stretch to every 10–14 days.
• Use room-temperature water. Cold straight from the tap shocks the roots.

Now the part people don't expect. Calatheas are sensitive to what's in tap water — the chlorine, the fluoride, the dissolved minerals. It builds up in the soil and shows as brown, crispy leaf edges months later, long after you've stopped connecting the two.

Filtered water, rainwater or distilled water all solve it. If none of those are practical, fill a jug and leave it uncovered on the bench overnight before you use it. It isn't a complete fix, but it makes a real difference and it costs nothing.

Humidity and temperature

This is the other half of the crispy-edge problem, and it's worse in winter than summer.

Calatheas want humidity somewhere around 60%. Most Melbourne homes sit closer to 30–40% once the heating goes on, which is a long way off.

• A tray of damp pebbles under the pot lifts humidity gently and takes almost no effort.
• Group plants together and they'll create their own pocket of moist air.
• A small room humidifier is the reliable answer if you're building a collection. A bathroom with a window is a naturally good spot too.
• Ideal temperature is 18–27°C. Below about 15°C they start to struggle.
• Keep them away from heaters, air conditioning vents, draughty doorways and cold windowsills. Sudden swings are harder on them than a steady, slightly imperfect spot.

One thing we'd steer you away from: relying on misting. It feels productive, but the effect lasts minutes. You'd need to be misting several times a day for it to change the air around the plant in any meaningful way. A pebble tray or a humidifier will do far more for far less effort.

Soil and potting

A good indoor potting mix with a generous handful of perlite worked through it. Calathea roots want moisture and air at the same time, and the perlite is what gives you both.

Drainage holes are non-negotiable for a plant you're keeping consistently moist. If you've fallen for a pot without them — and plenty of the loveliest ones don't have them — leave the plant in its nursery pot and drop the whole thing inside, then tip out anything that pools in the bottom after watering.

Repot only when it actually needs it: roots coming out the drainage holes, or water running straight through without soaking in. Calatheas are perfectly content a little snug and there's no benefit to moving one on early. When you do, do it in spring while the plant is growing and can recover, and go up one pot size only.

Be gentle with the roots. They're more delicate than most houseplants — loosen them lightly rather than pulling them apart.

Our pots and planters change constantly. If you'd like something with a bit of story behind it, the pieces Tony throws in the TONiC Ceramics studio are made one floor above the shop, and there's usually something the right size in our handcrafted planters.

Fertilising

Light and regular beats heavy and occasional. Over-feeding leaves salts in the soil, and salts in the soil give you — you guessed it — crispy leaf edges.

• Feed every 4–6 weeks through spring and summer, diluted to half strength.
• Stop entirely through autumn and winter. Feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds the problem up.
• If you suspect a build-up, flush the pot through with filtered water a few times and ease off.

We use Grow Concentrate by We The Wild on ours. Munash Indoor Plant Seaweed Tonic is a gentle one to alternate with, and their Indoor Plant Soil Food works into the top of the soil and feeds slowly if you'd rather not think about it every month. Munash are based in Ballarat and their minerals come out of central Victoria, which we like.

If you'd rather buy once and be done with it, the We The Wild Essentials Kit covers feeding, soil health and pest protection together.

Pruning and maintenance

• Cut yellowed or damaged leaves off at the base of the stem with clean, sharp scissors. New growth comes up from the centre, so clearing the tired ones keeps the plant looking fresh.
• If a leaf has crispy edges but is otherwise healthy, trim the brown away following the natural shape of the leaf. Fix the cause as well, or you'll be back with the scissors in a month.
• Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks. Dust dulls the pattern, and the pattern is the whole reason you bought it. Our Leaf Cleaning Kit makes short work of it.
• Turn the pot a quarter-turn every few weeks so it grows evenly instead of leaning toward the light.

Common problems

Brown, crispy leaf edges

The classic Calathea complaint. Almost always tap water, low humidity or fertiliser build-up, and often more than one at once. Switch to filtered or stood water, get a pebble tray going and ease back on feeding. It won't repair the damaged leaves, but the new growth will come through clean.

Yellowing leaves

Usually overwatering. Check the soil before you do anything else — if it's damp, hold off completely until the top couple of centimetres dry out. The occasional old leaf yellowing off while new ones unfurl is normal and nothing to worry about.

Drooping leaves

Thirst, most of the time, and a thorough drink usually perks it up within a day. If the soil is already damp, the roots may be too cold — move it off a tiled floor or away from the window.

Curling leaves

The plant conserving moisture, which points to underwatering or very dry air. Look at both.

The leaves have stopped moving at night

The folding is a good health signal, so a plant that's stopped is telling you something. Run through water, light and humidity in that order.

Faded or washed-out markings

Too much direct light bleaches them out. Too little light dulls them down. Where the plant is sitting usually makes it obvious which one you're dealing with.

Spider mites

Dry indoor air brings them, and Calatheas are a favourite target. Check under the leaves for fine webbing and tiny moving specks, especially over winter. Treat the whole plant as soon as you spot them — we use Protect Spray by We The Wild, which is neem-based and fine to use indoors.

Fungus gnats

The trade-off for consistently moist soil. Harmless to the plant, irritating to live with. Let the very top of the soil dry between waterings and stick pest traps around the inside rim of the pot to break the cycle.

Propagating your Calathea

Calatheas are divided, not taken as cuttings — a leaf in a jar of water will never root. Spring, while you have the plant out of its pot anyway, is the time to do it.

1. Slide the plant out and look at the root ball. You'll see distinct clumps, each with its own roots and stems.
2. Ease them apart by hand where you can, or use a clean knife where the roots have knitted together.
3. Pot each division into fresh, free-draining mix, in a pot that just fits it.
4. Water well, keep it somewhere warm with bright indirect light, and keep the humidity up while it settles.

Expect a few sulky weeks before new growth appears. That's normal — division is a bigger disruption for a Calathea than for most plants.

Is Calathea safe for pets?

Yes. Calatheas are non-toxic to both cats and dogs, which is a large part of why we still recommend them despite the fuss. It's one of the most common questions we're asked in the shop, and plenty of the obvious alternatives don't pass.

If you're building a household collection around one, our guide to the top 5 pet-friendly indoor plants is a good place to start.

Frequently asked questions

Are Calathea and prayer plant the same thing?

More or less. Prayer plant gets used loosely for both Calathea and its close relative Maranta, because both fold their leaves up at night. They want much the same conditions, so the care in this guide works for either.

Why is my plant labelled Goeppertia?

Botanists reclassified most Calatheas into the genus Goeppertia a few years ago. You'll see both names on labels, and nothing about the plant or its care has changed. Our Rattlesnake is Goeppertia insignis, still sold everywhere as Calathea lancifolia.

Which Calathea is easiest for a beginner?

The Rattlesnake is the most forgiving one we stock, with the Makoyana not far behind. The finer-leaved varieties are less tolerant of dry air.

Can I keep one in the bathroom?

If it has a window, it's one of the best spots in the house. The humidity from the shower is exactly what they're after.

Do I have to buy filtered water?

No. Rainwater off the roof works, and so does tap water left standing uncovered overnight. Filtered is simply the most consistent option.

My Calathea looks terrible. Is it worth saving?

Usually, yes. As long as the centre of the plant is still pushing out new leaves, the roots are fine and it will grow out of it. Fix the water and the humidity, then give it a season.

Where to find one

We keep Calatheas in the shop and online, and what's on the bench shifts with what comes through. At the moment that's the Rattlesnake, the Pinstripe, the Makoyana and the Beauty Star.

If you like the look but want a gentler temperament, the Raindrop Peperomia is where we usually point people — pet-safe, compact, and far more relaxed about tap water.

Come and see them in person if you can. We're at 491 Malvern Road, South Yarra, and we're always happy to talk through what will actually work in your space, including talking you out of a Calathea if the spot isn't right for one.