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Why Calatheas Are Drooping: Causes and Solutions

Do you notice any drooping on your Calathea plant? What conceivable flaws could there be? Calathea plants typically droop when they are dry. The flow of water to the cells that produce turgor pressure, which helps the plant maintain its upright position, is disrupted for a number of reasons, including inadequate watering, low humidity, and damage to the roots.

We’ll examine several causes of your Calathea plant’s drooping leaves in this post, along with solutions.

Why Do Caladenia Plants Droop?

For Calathea plants to develop turgor pressure throughout their stem and leaf cells and stand upright, water is necessary.

When the water pressure in a cell is reduced, whether because of excessive moisture loss or because the plant’s roots are unable to absorb water quickly enough, the Prayer plant will droop.

Is Calathea’s Drooping Reversible?

After a deep watering, Calathea plants that droop from underwatering can quickly bounce back. Severe drought, however, may harm plant cells and possibly cause wilting.

On the other hand, a drooping that takes longer to mend may be the consequence of root injury.

The Reasons For a Drooping Calathea

Let’s now take a look at some of the causes of leaf drooping in Calathea plants.

Underwatering

Do you not remember when you last watered your Calathea? If so, there is a good chance that the plant is drooping as a result of underwatering. The plant droops as a result of the dehydrated cells in the leaves, and stems begin to lose their turgor pressure.

It’s interesting to note that the drooping also serves as a survival strategy for the plants, reducing further water loss by reducing the surface area of the leaves.

How to bring a Calathea back to life?

For a few minutes, thoroughly soak the soil with water and then let the water drain away. In a few hours, your Calathea ought to resemble itself once more.
Additionally, remove the crispy, dead leaves so that the plant can focus more of its energy on developing new leaves.
Additionally, plan a regular watering regimen for your Calathea to avoid future underwatering.

Overwatering

Giving calathea too much water may cause it to droop. Overwatering destroys soil air pockets, preventing roots from breathing and taking in enough oxygen.

The plant will eventually stop absorbing water and nutrients as a result of root rot. The cells begin to break down when there is not enough water. The plant eventually droops and loses its turgidity.

How to determine whether Calathea is overwatered

Calathea is typically overwatered when its leaves start to yellow and droop.
After two weeks or more since your last watering, check to see if the soil is still moist. This is frequently a sign that your soil is poorly drained, which causes water to pool.

Check for root rots after removing your Calathea from its pot. The roots of your Calathea have been overwatered if they are soft, mushy, and dark brown or black. Low

Humidity

Do you recall that water goes from an area with higher moisture content to one with lower moisture content? Calathea transpires more water through its leaves when the humidity is low. The leaves will begin to droop because the roots can’t replenish the lost moisture quickly enough.

How to increase the humidity level for Calathea?

Calatheas flourish when kept in a room with a humidity level of at least 60% since they prefer humid settings. Get a humidifier for your plants and run it daily between dawn and noon, or whenever the air feels very dry, for a few hours. To improve the humidity in the area, try to combine your plants together.

Rootbound

Your rootbound Calathea will be compelled to grow in a circle in order to fit the pot. Your Calathea roots will eventually create a compact mass as a result of this, leaving no place for soil. Your Calathea will stop absorbing water and nutrients once the soil in the pot runs out. As a result of dehydration, the leaves will droop instead.

Fixing root-bound Calathea

You can simply use a larger pot when repotting your Calathea. Every time I order a pot, the new pot is 2 inches wider.

Propagating them via the division technique is a further method for treating rootbound Calathea. You might need to use scissors or a sharp, spotless blade to cut the roots apart. Ensure that each cutting is linked to a stem and contains some of the root systems.

Shock after Repotting

You can’t help but hurt the Calathea plant’s delicate roots when repotting it. The rate at which water is absorbed can be slowed down if the damage is severe. The roots will lose their turgidity and begin to droop when they are unable to absorb enough water to make up for the water lost through transpiration.

How to treat Calathea transplant shock

If Calathea is in shock, it needs time to recover and the right care before it can develop once more. Fertilizer should not be given to the plant at this time since it could burn the new root growth. In three or four weeks, your Calathea will recover from transplant shock.

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