I've been ignoring Houzz'zz (lol) emails about updates to this thread, not expecting that some of your questions / comments would be addressed to me directly. Petrushka just PM'ed me, and that got my attention - thank you, Petrushka! :-) > I see that somewhere between 2013 and 2015 you went from 511 for your calathea to a "more water retentive mix, thinking it would do better". Can I ask why you did this, what you went to and how you got on? I generally know that a plant needs more water-retentive mix if by the time I water again, the soil is too dry for that *particular* plant. This "particular plant" thing is important, because some plants like drying out thoroughly between waterings, some don't, and some are somewhere in-between. Most Calatheas are very thirsty in my experience, meaning the mix dries out way too fast, AND because they grow in wet forests, they do not like the mix drying out. So, this definitely called for a slightly denser mix in my case. I am looking at my notes now - I actually changed the mix in this one at least twice over the years I've grown it, once to "gritty mix", which I found to be too fast-draining, and then after dividing the plant in April 2015, into "2 parts Promix / 1 part gritty mix". Promix is basically a good quality peat-based mix, and gritty mix is equal parts of coarse diatomaceous earth, small granite chips and fine pine bark. This is what the plant still grows in now. It's doing ok, but by far not as good as yours, Petrushka! It's growing on a tray with a bunch of neighbors in pretty tight quarters. This is good for humidity (I did not need to bag it last winter), but it does not have enough space to grow, as you probably can see here.

whikxolf, um, my plant is in a house that's 70 degrees F during the day, and 60 over night. i don't think that you need to heat your house up to the conditions of a steamy greenhouse to grow this plant. here's a suggestion... you need to figure out if the plant is drooping because it is wilting, or if the plant is "drooping" because it has decided to place its leaves in that position. plants in the maranta and calathea families are famous for their ability to move and place their leaves. so, if the plant is wilting, the leaves will be soft, abnormally flexible, and you should be able to easily move a leaf around in most any direction. on the other hand, if a leaf feels sturdy and kind of snaps back in place if you try to move it (ie it is turgid), then this is just how the plant wants its leaves. if that's the case, you are simply going to have to get used to the look, or get a different plant. but, more watering will only risk root rot. now, having said that, the "drooping" may be the plant's way to conserve moisture during periods of low humidity. i got my plant months ago, but the heat was already on. mine is "drooping" even a bit more than yours, but it also has three or four new growths... so i know it is happy. it will be interesting to me to see if the leaves have a more upright look once the humidity rises a bit. portland doesn't tend to have high humidity, even during the summer, but it will be higher than during the winter heating season. good luck ps pebble trays and humidifiers seem like something to try as long as you don't overdo it and start to grow mold.

Hello! I'd love to get some advice on what to do about my Calathea Zebrina! She's very droopy and never puts her leaves up into the prayer position. Tonight, I noticed how some stalks (pictured on the right side of plant) are drooping really badly. I'd like to get her back into tip-top condition but am unsure where to go at this point. A little background: I love Calatheas and have 6 of them now. the Zebrina was the first purchase when I had no idea what I was doing. So at first she got some direct sunlight, unfiltered water, low humidity and no plant friends. This changed and care is as follows (since about 2-3 months ago): - Humidifier on 24/7 set at 60% + - Daily misting - Watered with filtered water - In bright, indirect sunlight (and now an LED grow light for about a fortnight) - Surrounded by plant friends - Planted in well-draining soil and allowed to dry out a little before watering (I have a moisture meter) She has several brown-edged leaves from the bad care days, but has slowly been improving. I removed about 3 especially bad leaves, but left the rest. The only thing I am now worried about is how droopy the leaves are, and now especially the droopy stalks. Can anyone advise what I can do about the drooping? Also might be important to note that I am currently at the beginning of Autumn and heading in to winter (although I have the grow light), so I'm unsure about doing anything too drastic. Very keen to hear any advice!! <3

Happy 2020 everyone! As we all know, 2020 is the year of calatheas. What calathea are you growing this year? Showcase them here!