Prayer plants (Maranta leuconeura) are popular tropical houseplants that are easy to care for but may have curling leaves. Known for their stunning brightly colored foliage, youll want to resolve this common issue. As long as you catch it early, this problem can be easily fixed. Here are the four most common reasons your prayer plant’s leaves are curling and what to do about each one.
When new leaves emerge on a prayer plant they are curled until they unfurl and mature. Before you panic about curled leaves make sure they arent simply new growth emerging. You should be concerned if mature leaves begin to curl inward from the edges.
The prayer plant also known as Maranta leuconeura, is a popular houseplant known for its beautiful patterned leaves that curl up at night. When happy and healthy, the prayer plant will have flat open leaves during the day that curl into a closed position at night. However, if your prayer plant leaves are curled up even during the day, it’s a sign that something is wrong.
There are a few key reasons why your prayer plant’s leaves may be curled up, ranging from cultural problems like incorrect watering or light conditions to pest infestations. The good news is that with the right troubleshooting and care you can get your prayer plant’s leaves to open up again. Here’s what to do if your prayer plant leaves are curled up.
Why Are My Prayer Plant Leaves Curled Up?
Here are the most common reasons for curled up prayer plant leaves and what you can do to fix them:
Incorrect Watering
Too much or too little water is the most common cause of curled leaves in prayer plants. These plants prefer evenly moist (but not soggy) soil.
Underwatering causes leaves to dry out and curl up. Check the soil moisture before watering and water thoroughly until it drains from the bottom when the top inch of soil is dry.
Overwatering leads to root rot, causing leaves to curl and turn brown or yellow. Allow the soil to partially dry out between waterings and ensure the pot has drainage holes.
Low Humidity
Prayer plants thrive in humidity levels between 40-50%. When the air is too dry, the leaf edges will turn brown and curl up to prevent water loss.
Increase humidity by misting the leaves daily or using a pebble tray. Keep the plant away from heating vents or drafts. A humidifier nearby also helps.
Excessive Light
Too much direct sun scorches the leaves, causing them to curl up, turn brown, and get crispy edges. Prayer plants do best in bright, indirect light.
Filter harsh sunlight with a sheer curtain. Move the plant farther away from south/west facing windows. East or north facing windows are ideal.
Temperature Stress
Temperatures below 60°F (15°C) or rapid temperature shifts cause prayer plant leaves to curl and turn yellow. They thrive in temperatures between 65-80°F (18-27°C).
Keep them away from drafty windows/AC vents. Move to a warmer room in winter if needed. Avoid placing them outside if nights are cool.
Pests
Common houseplant pests like spider mites, mealybugs, and thrips can all cause prayer plant leaves to curl up and develop brown spots or stippling damage.
Inspect undersides of leaves and stems closely for bugs. Wipe leaves with neem oil or insecticidal soap. Isolate affected plants to prevent spreading.
Improper Potting/Repotting
Re-potting into a pot that is too large or soil that doesn’t drain well causes prayer plant leaves to curl from overwatering. Repotting into soil with improper pH also leads to leaf curling.
Repot into a pot one size larger and use loose, peat-based potting mix. Keep soil slightly acidic, between pH 5.5-6.5.
How to Fix Curled Up Prayer Plant Leaves
If your prayer plant has curled leaves, follow these tips to nurse it back to health:
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Adjust watering frequency – Check soil before watering and water thoroughly only when top inch is dry. Water less in winter. Ensure pot drains well.
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Increase humidity – Misting leaves, using a pebble tray, placing near other plants, and using a humidifier can all raise the humidity around your plant.
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Filter light – Add a sheer curtain, move plant back from window, or place it in bright indirect light to prevent leaf scorch.
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Monitor temperature – Keep between 65-80°F and avoid drafts. Move to warmer room in winter if needed.
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Treat pests – Quarantine affected plants. Wipe leaves with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Apply every 5-7 days until pests are gone.
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Repot if needed – Repot in spring into slightly larger pot with drainage holes and well-draining soil, keeping it just slightly acidic.
With some tweaks to its care, your prayer plant’s curled leaves should begin to flatten out and return to their normal open position. Be patient, as it can take a few weeks for existing damaged leaves to recover. But with proper troubleshooting and care, your prayer plant can thrive once again!
Common Questions about Prayer Plant Leaves Curling Up
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about prayer plant leaves that are curled up:
Why are my prayer plant’s leaves curled up during the day?
Leaves that remain curled up even during the day indicate a cultural or pest problem, like improper watering, low humidity, too much light, temperature stress, or pests. Evaluate its care and make adjustments to fix the underlying issue.
Why did my prayer plant’s leaves suddenly curl?
Sudden leaf curling is often due to a change in conditions, like a location change, transition between seasons affecting temperature and humidity, or a soil moisture change from underwatering/overwatering. Acclimate it slowly to any environment changes.
What causes prayer plant leaves to curl down?
Downward curling leaves can be caused by overwatering or high humidity. Allow the soil to partially dry out between waterings and reduce misting or move away from humidifiers if needed. Insufficient light can also cause downward leaf curling.
Why are the edges of my prayer plant’s leaves curling?
Curled leaf edges specifically can be caused by low humidity, inconsistent watering leading to underwatering, or excessive sunlight burning the leaf margins. Increase humidity, adjust watering, and filter harsh light to fix this.
Should I cut off curled prayer plant leaves?
Remove only severely damaged, dried out, or dead leaves. Otherwise, leave curled leaves be and focus on fixing underlying issues. Once its needs are met, existing leaves can uncurl and recover over time. Just remove spent leaves as they naturally yellow.
With the right troubleshooting to identify the underlying issue, prayer plants with curled up leaves can bounce back quickly. Just be sure to give them the proper care they need in terms of light, water, humidity, temperature, and pest prevention to keep those leaves flat and happy!
Lack of Humidity
While prayer plants can grow well in standard household humidity levels they do best in at least 50% humidity (standard household levels can range from 30-50%). If your plant is placed in a particularly dry area of the home, such as next to a heater or drafty vent, the lack of humidity can cause its leaves to curl. If you suspect a lack of humidity is the culprit, there are a few things that you can do.
First, try moving your prayer plant to a new location—ideally a more humid area of your home, such as a bathroom or laundry room. Second, you can get a humidifier and place it nearby. There are plenty of small humidifiers available that are designed specifically for plants so they are discreet, stylish, and small enough to fit pretty much anywhere. You can also try using a pebble tray to increase humidity. Fill a shallow tray with pebbles and some water and place the pot on top of the pebbles. The water will create some extra humidity in the air directly around the plant. Just remember to refill the pebble tray as the water evaporates over time.
Underwatering
Prayer plants prefer soil to stay consistently moist. If the soil dries out too much between waterings the leaves will begin to curl. An underwatered prayer plant also will display drooping leaves that are soft and limp to the touch. Giving your plant a thorough watering should solve this issue as long as you stay on top of watering moving forward. If you water your prayer plant and the leaves do not go back to their normal shape within a day, then the plant may have dried out to the point where the roots have died and can no longer absorb water properly. In this case, the best course of action is to remove your plant from the soil and place it in water to encourage it to regrow roots. Once the new roots are at least an inch long (likely after a few weeks) you can repot the plant in soil.
If you are prone to underwatering your houseplants, you may find a tool like plant watering globes helpful. These small orbs can be filled with water and then inserted into the soil. The plant will draw out the water as it needs it until the globe is empty. Since the globes themselves sit above the surface of the soil it is easy to see when they are empty and need to be refilled.