Hi everyone!

I'm fairly new to the plant community & loving it.

I was wondering if anyone can help identify what I'm doing wrong with my prayer plant? It's my first big plant and I would be devastated if I kill it. 😔

The bottom leaves are really droopy and sad looking and some of the leaves are curling up.

I've attached pictures below, but for some context:

- I water it every 3 days or so (I have an extremely dry apartment) once the top of the soil is barely damp. I don't let it sit in any water.

- It's sitting by an east facing window, near lots of indirect sunlight.

- since my apartment is so dry I mist it once In between watering.

- I recently used a TINY bit of fertilizer while watering.

Any and all help would be TREMENDOUSLY appreciated! Smiling #HappyPlanting 🌱

I am not an expert on plants but I don't think that you have a prayer plant. I think that it is some type of Aglaonema. Not sure if I spelled that correctly.
Others will give you details.

BigBill said:I am not an expert on plants but I don't think that you have a prayer plant. I think that it is some type of Aglaonema. Not sure if I spelled that correctly.
Others will give you details.

Hi bill! This plant does fold upwards at nighttime, does a. Aglaonema do this as well? Thanks for your tip!

to the community @Tcast95! And it's great that you love it. But what zone do you live in? Because the recommended zone for Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura) (if that's the right prayer plant) is zone 11. If you don't know your zone and want to see what zone you live in, here is a link: https://garden.org/nga/zipzone...

I googled Aglaonema and there is one that looks exactly like yours. Plus it is a good sized plant like yours is.
I have grown prayer plants before and I thought that their leaves were much shorter in length and the leaves seem broader too. This seemed to be the case when I googled them. Yours would be a prayer plant on triple steroids, which I find unlikely.

I think your plant is a variety of Calathea, which can be known as Prayer Plant because their leaves fold up at night, but is most often attributed to varieties of Maranta. They can be quite difficult to grow well because they need lots of humidity. The light you are providing sounds good. They like to be kept moist and definately need extra humidity. Try placing on a tray with moist pebbles or better yet have a cool air humidifier close by. Most plant care experts suggest misting is not very helpful. Good luck!

DebbieC said:I think your plant is a variety of Calathea, which can be known as Prayer Plant because their leaves fold up at night, but is most often attributed to varieties of Maranta. They can be quite difficult to grow well because they need lots of humidity. The light you are providing sounds good. They like to be kept moist and definately need extra humidity. Try placing on a tray with moist pebbles or better yet have a cool air humidifier close by. Most plant care experts suggest misting is not very helpful. Good luck!

Hi Debbie!

Thanks for your advice. I've been considering a humidifier for a while because my dieffenbachia has started curling up a little as well. Think this is the step I'll take. Thanks!

KFredenburg said: to the community @Tcast95! And it's great that you love it. But what zone do you live in? Because the recommended zone for Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura) (if that's the right prayer plant) is zone 11. If you don't know your zone and want to see what zone you live in, here is a link: https://garden.org/nga/zipzone...

Thanks for the welcome! I'm in zone 7A (NYC) so that could be part of the reason. But I also bought this plant in NYC and she was doing just fine in the plant shop! Lol.

Debbie is right; it is a Calathea, not an Aglaonema.

Yours appears to be doing very well. It is normal for some older leaves to slowly droop and die back as they age. They can be cut off at any time without harm to the plant. It is good that you kept it in its nursery pot.

It might benefit from a bit more light a little closer to the window.

Let the top half-inch of soil get dry to the touch before watering and always water thoroughly enough that some water trickles through the drain holes of the plastic pot. I suspect that when watered that way, about once per week would be about right.

Calatheas will do quite well in low humidity as long as they are watered properly. Getting the water right is difficult and when it is off a bit leaf edges turn brown. Low humidity is commonly blamed but it is usually a watering problem. Your Dieffenbachia is unlikely to benefit from raised humidity but it may have some other problem.

Invest in a humidifier for yourself, but it is not necessary for your plants and will not correct any watering issues.