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Unhappy calathea

AngrylittlepixieAngrylittlepixie Posts: 6
in Problem solving
My calathea is looking very unhappy. It's no longer opening and closing and the leaves started by being brown on the edges but now the main part is turning brown too. It looks like it's dying and I don't know what to do to save it. It's away from direct light, it's on pebbles with water below (the water is not touching the pot) and I've been consistent with watering. It was fine for a few weeks and now not so much. Can anyone help?

Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Any chance of a photo? There's quite a few different types and they all tend to be Goldilocks plants. Is there any sign of root rot at all? Sometimes they seem a bit loose in the soil which can be a sign of problems. Fungus gnats can also be a problem if the soil stays damp all the time. Have there been any flies around it?
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • AngrylittlepixieAngrylittlepixie Posts: 6

  • AngrylittlepixieAngrylittlepixie Posts: 6
    I haven't seen any flies around it. What am I looking for for root rot? 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Had it been in direct sunlight?  That looks scorched. They’re plants for filtered light or semi shade. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • AngrylittlepixieAngrylittlepixie Posts: 6
    No not really. Our house is north facing so we don't get a lot of direct light. This brown all over the leaves happened more so after I'd totally moved it away from the light.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    They can be fussy little blighters. They hate draughts, dry air, direct sun, too warm, too cold, anything touching or brushing against the leaves. It might throw up a crop of new leaves when those ones have finished dying off. Or it might not.
    When you say "it was fine for a few weeks" do you mean you've only had it a few weeks? If so, it could be the shock of being moved. And if you bought it from a supermarket or similar it probably didn't get good conditions there.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • AngrylittlepixieAngrylittlepixie Posts: 6
    Aah, so should I let the old leaves die off or should I remove them? I bought it from a specialist plant store so I'd hope it was treated well and I've had it for approx 3 months. 
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I've got one and I know just how fussy they are!
    Mine was beautiful and I put in in a north facing, non opening window on the landing, kept it watered, but after a week or two all the leaves were curling and going brown. It clearly felt there was too much air movement in that particular position.
    I cut off the worst ones  and covered the whole plant and pot with a plastic bag, supported by a couple of canes, to give it a damper atmosphere. I misted it inside the bag every few days. After a while in intensive care it gradually began to put out new leaves and they stayed uncurled.
    I moved it to my bedroom windowsill, also north facing but with less traffic, and began removing the bag for short periods, combined with misting. It is now able to survive bag free, but  is misted daily, and has even coped with a few minutes of late afternoon sun that sneaks between the tree branches.
    Don't cut off all the leaves, the less damaged ones will still be able to photosynthesise a bit and provide the plant with  much needed energy to grow more new ones.
    Good luck with your temperamental patient :)

  • AngrylittlepixieAngrylittlepixie Posts: 6
    Thanks so much, that's really helpful!
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