5 Prayer Plant Watering Tips For Healthy Growth

Prayer plants, Maranta leuconeura, have many accolades as tropical houseplants. They’re among the best hanging or potted specimens because they look good year-round, suit a variety of house styles, and tolerate varying light conditions. Their graphically patterned leaves lift at night like hands in prayer. They open by day to reveal bold stripes and venation in burgundy, pink, and greens. Leaf undersides are a contrasting dark red or purple. 

Thick stems slowly trail, ideal for hanging baskets, low bowls, or cascading over a container. To sustain this healthy, bold, colorful look, consistent moisture and humidity are essential to prayer plant health. They are sensitive to watering imbalances and even tap water.

Their leaves reflect stress by folding more frequently or yellowing, browning, and curling. Knowing what to look for helps determine a regimen for the just right amount of moisture for the tropicals to flourish. With water and humidity balanced, prayer plants are easy-care performers for years of enjoyment.

Maranta leuconeura are also called cathedral windows because of their colorful and illuminated foliage. New leaves emerge in rolled tubes and unfurl to reveal their broad, rounded surfaces. The tropicals are hardy in frost-free climates and native to the rainforests of Brazil. 

Maranta performs best in bright, indirect light. Too much sun can cause the foliage to bleach or fade. It tolerates lower light conditions, though growth may be slower with less pronounced brilliance.

Maranta is similar to and sometimes confused with Calathea, which shares the same common name, dramatic foliage, and some of the same growing requirements. They’re in the same Marantaceae family, with an overlapping native range and leaves that open and close with the sun’s rise and set.

The water-loving prayer plant can even grow in water indefinitely. They also root in water. To propagate the rhizomes, cut the stems just below a leaf node. Place the stem in water and wait for a month or so for roots to grow long enough for transplanting.

In their native rainforest habitat, Maranta experiences regular moisture through drenching rains and high humidity, followed by seasonal dry spells. They grow naturally in humusy soils in the understory that remain moist during the warm growing season.

Aim for evenly moist soils during the warm months, which are the most active for prayer plant growth. To avoid oversaturation, irrigate when the soil surface begins to feel dry. Frequency may be once or twice a week during the summer.

Reduce water frequency in the winter when growth is less active. Moisture uptake and evaporation slow. In cool months, water when the top one inch of soil feels dry to the touch (about one knuckle deep). The need is usually once a week or two, depending on the growing environment. Err on the dry side rather than overwatering, though prayer plants won’t tolerate overly dry soils or prolonged drought.

Lighting, seasonality, and setting play roles in how quickly soils dry. Tropicals in bright light absorb and evaporate more than low-light specimens, whose growth processes are slower. In summer, active growth and warm temperatures draw more water, while winter reduces demand. Also, the specific microclimate creates variables in how quickly the soil dries (dry or low humidity situations, for example).

The type of container is a factor in irrigation frequency. Terra cotta pots are porous and tend to dry out more quickly. The porosity and airflow benefits roots but may need irrigation more often. Plastic retains moisture longer, which can be helpful in reducing sessions, but calls for a watchful eye to prevent oversaturation.

Potting medium is a consideration, and well-draining soils are essential. High-quality mixes formulated for houseplants retain moisture and have good aeration and drainage. While prayer plants need even moisture, it must accompany good drainage. Make sure pots have adequate drainage holes, too.

Of note about watering prayer plants is their sensitivity to tap water. They benefit from filtered or distilled water over treated tap systems. Leaf burns result from high fluorides (and from overfertilizing, too). Dissolved sodium bicarbonate in hard water systems may cause mineral build-up on the leaves. If you have hard water or fluoride-treated tap, rainwater or bottled water is best.

At each session, irrigate thoroughly at the base of the crown until water flows through the pot’s drainage holes. Avoid the leaves when feasible to prevent damp conditions. But, give them a rinse or dusting occasionally to allow the most light absorption and prevent pests.

Remove the catchment tray or saucer after the pot drains (within about 15 minutes). Emptying the dish ensures the container doesn’t sit in water and uptake excess moisture.

Balancing water requirements is the key to success with prayer plants. Too much moisture leads to fungal problems like root rot, while too little shows declining leaves that turn brown and crispy and even drop.

Soggy soils and prolonged saturation lead to decaying roots that can’t uptake water and nutrients to support upper growth. Fungal root rot from overwatering is a primary cause of decline.

Conversely, underwatering is a stressor for prayer plants, forcing them to conserve energy to survive. Plants may stay folded longer or crips at the edges. They may yellow before they brown and drop. Moisture fluctuations, too, lead to weak roots and less robust leafy vigor.

Moisture imbalances sometimes happen when it comes to the finicky tropical, and correcting the course can restore health. With too much irrigation, the potting mix will feel wet, sticky, and spongey for a prolonged period.

Without enough moisture, it becomes dry, crumbly, and dusty. Leaves may turn yellow and brown and drop in both cases. With overwatering, they’ll be yellow, limp, and mushy. Underwatering shows drier, crispier edges or curling foliage.

Overwatering creates saturated conditions that promote the development of the common fungal disease, root rot. Rot causes the roots to turn brown and mushy as they decay, and they can’t function to support growth.

Specimens in overly soggy media with poor airflow may show yellowing and wilting leaves. If you suspect too much moisture is an issue, slide the Maranta out of its pot to inspect the roots. Healthy roots will be white or light tan, while damaged roots will be brown.

To try to correct rot, clip off roots that are brown or damaged. Replant in fresh media and continue with an as-needed irrigation schedule based on soil moisture/dryness.

With underwatering, the best action is to rehydrate roots with a deep watering session. Irrigate from the top of the pot, and let it flow through the bottom. In short order, you’ll know if recovery is successful as leaves bounce back.

Use the soil touch test to get back on a regular schedule. Wait a few days if the soil feels moist.

Ample humidity is another key growing requirement for prayer plants. The tropical specimens don’t tolerate low humidity. Humidity at 60-80% is their optimal comfort zone, and while they generally adapt to normal household conditions, they are more sensitive to humidity levels than some of our easy-going tropical houseplants.

Dry climates, air conditioning, and heating reduce available moisture. Winter, especially, brings these variables as we enjoy fireplaces or rely on central heat or heaters. If you’re noticing leaf edges browning and drying and underwatering isn’t the culprit, low humidity may be the issue. Keep them away from drafts and also low temperatures. Maranta prefers temps above 60°F (16°C).

There are a few methods to increase air moisture. The first is to group houseplants so that evaporation, transpiration, and surrounding soil moisture raise ambient humidity levels.