Maranta Prayer Plant Care Guide

Medium to bright indirect light. Never direct sunlight.

Use filtered, bottled, or tap water sitting 24 hours to release the chemicals and water enough to discharge out of the drainage holes. Once the water is fully drained, replace them into the cache or decorative pot. Don't let the roots sit in standing water. Keep the soil consistently moist. During winter months, reduce watering while they are in dormancy.

Enjoys medium humidity. Add a pebble tray or humidifier to keep the humidity around them. Spritz a couple times per week.

This plant likes warmer temperatures. Keep out of cold drafts.

Gardeners can grow these Prayer Plants as a ground cover in the outdoors in this plant hardiness zones 11-12.

Fertilize every two weeks during the growing season (spring and summer) by diluting a liquid fertilizer by half strength. Let the plant rest in the fall and winter.

When receiving the plant, do not re-pot immediately but wait at least 6 to 12 months or if the roots are beginning to get crowded and growing through the drainage holes.
Re-pot in the spring, using a 2" wider shallow pot. Use a well-draining, aerated indoor potting soil with perlite.

Water your plant in the old pot before transferring over and let sit an hour. Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to the soil and allow to drain. Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball. Lift the plant and release the roots against the existing planter. Use a clean knife or garden trowel to wedge between the pot and the soil to loosen.

Inspect the root ball. Notice if there are any dead or rotting roots and trim off with sterile pruners. If the plant is rootbound, cut through the roots to alleviate continued encircling.

Ensure the plant is sitting about 1" below the edge of the pot to avoid water spillage. Add more soil and backfill around the sides by tamping down. Fill up to the soil line but not over.

Water thoroughly, leaving the soil damp but not soggy. If settling occurs, add more soil.

Remove any brown edges with a trim and keep the soil free of debris.

Cuttings:

To propagate this plant during the growing season, take a stem cutting in the early spring. Use a knife or sharp pruners, cut below a node closest to the end of the stem. Place the stem in a glass jar and fill them with filtered water and watch the roots grow! Replace and freshen the water each week. After the roots are several months old, add them to moistened potting soil, continue to water, and give them the bright, indirect lighting requirements. Add a clear plastic bag over the pot to retain humidity while the stem roots.

Soil propagation includes dipping the cutting in hormone stimulator and placing in prepared rich, well-draining, moist (but not soggy) soil with plenty of aeration. Keep the soil moist for approximately four weeks until roots begin to grow. You can tug slightly on the stalk to see if roots are grabbing and holding after this time. Provide their bright, indirect light to acquire the photosynthesis for growth to occur.

Division:

Remove the plant from the pot. Hold the base and turn upside down with your palm securely holding the plant. Gingerly pull the pot off the root base. Separate the plant into halves or thirds by pulling apart the roots or using a sterilized knife. Repot each in new well-draining aerated soil. Use a smaller, shallow pot for each portion. Fill each with soil, leaving an inch below the soil edge to eliminate water spillage. Water and let drain well.