Hey everyone,

My calathea ornata is pretty healthy for the most part. But I noticed that some of the leaves on the inside have stopped developing and their edges turn crisp and the leaf stays light green or yellow. I water once every two weeks or when the soil feels dry... I have a humidifier going and it's grouped with other plants. It's not in direct sun but gets a fair amount of light. Is this simple a normal thing or does it need any adjustments?

How do you determine when to water and how much do you provide?

WillC said:How do you determine when to water and how much do you provide?

With my calatheas I try not to let them dry out completely so I keep them evenly moist. I touch the soil or stick my finger in it just a bit. But this plant has some Spagnum moss as a top layer and seems to be in very aerated soil... for a plant this size it always feels kind of light even when I've just watered it. My other calatheas are in a denser soil. So even when I touch the plant it always seems to be on the dry side... so you think it's an under watering issue?

Can you remove the sphagnum moss and take a photo that shows the soil?

When you probe the soil with your finger do you probe all the way through the moss?

WillC said:Can you remove the sphagnum moss and take a photo that shows the soil?

When you probe the soil with your finger do you probe all the way through the moss?

Yes I do probe all the way down the soil and it just depends if I feel moisture so it gets watered once every two week sometimes longer? I took a photo of the soil to show you.

It appears to be potted in a porous peat-based potting mix, so you may be letting it get too dry. If it is properly potted, no deeper than the top half-inch of soil should feel dry just before you water it thoroughly. That should happen about once every week or so, never two weeks or longer unless it was recently moved into a larger pot.

WillC said:It appears to be potted in a porous peat-based potting mix, so you may be letting it get too dry. If it is properly potted, no deeper than the top half-inch of soil should feel dry just before you water it thoroughly. That should happen about once every week or so, never two weeks or longer unless it was recently moved into a larger pot.

So do you recommended that I repot it or just increase watering?

No reason to repot. But you may need to water sooner before the soil gets dry more than an inch down from the top.

This is a humidity issue. You need to supply more ambient humidity for your plant

WillC said:It appears to be potted in a porous peat-based potting mix, so you may be letting it get too dry. If it is properly potted, no deeper than the top half-inch of soil should feel dry just before you water it thoroughly. That should happen about once every week or so, never two weeks or longer unless it was recently moved into a larger pot.

So do you recommended that I repot it or just increase watering?

Gina1960 said:This is a humidity issue. You need to supply more ambient humidity for your plant

I use a humidifier and add pebble trays but the humidity is always at 45-50 percent. Do I need to raise it higher?

WillC said:No reason to repot. But you may need to water sooner before the soil gets dry more than an inch down from the top.

Alright thanks! I'll do that! Appreciate your feedback!

Basmah said:

I use a humidifier and add pebble trays but the humidity is always at 45-50 percent. Do I need to raise it higher?

Calathea prefer a humidity more towards 75-80% to look their best