Calathea leaves shrivelling

Hello everyone,

I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong with my calathea. The leaves are shrivelling up. I don't know if I'm watering it too much or too little or what I'm doing wrong!

It was fine on a north facing window in my kitchen over summer, which doesn't get direct sunlight. I have got it on a higher up window now, but still north facing.

I can't remember whether I moved it because the leaves were withering but I think it was because winter was here and that window is cold.

Can anyone help?

 

My gut feeling is that it is suffering from a lack of humidity.

 

Thanks for your reply. I've got some gravel in the outer pot under the pot the plant's in. I thought this was meant to help provide humidity.

What else can I do? Do I need to spritz it with a water spray? Could the cold be a problem too?

 

Water provides humidity, the gravel is used to keep the pot above the water line. Personally I would use a largish dish with gravel and water to up the humidity. Also, the bigger the room the more water area is needed.

How cold? A draught would not help matters.

 

Just my personal thoughts but I think its more likely to be cold, combined with wet roots.

I've never found humidity to be a big problem with house plants if you have some ventilation and dont use central heating full blast.
A north window, even double glazed, is not where I would like to spend my winter.

 

Cripes, I'm just about to disagree with you
Based on my experience of almost killing one of these I can confirm that they really do need humidity! I would say put it in the bathroom but mine just got huge in there! Good light but no direct sun as they're from the forest floor in their natural habitat.

 

Well you know better than me, never really grown a calathea, just going on instinct.

 

I've made enough mistakes over the years to write a book

 

Put it in warm & damp. For the roots,please do not expose to much water in case root rotted. Also,avoid too much sunshine exposure.

 

Thanks for all the advice everyone. My quandary now is where to put it! I don't really think I've got anywhere suitable to put it. The bathroom has a small single glazed window and the room is all tiled. I find it quite cold unless the heating's on or I've just had a shower. Everywhere else is quite cold unless the heating's on. The living room is cold without heating but gets really warm when we have the wood burner on in the evenings. I think that's prob too warm. The room it's in now, on the north facing window is ok temperature wise, but not damp.

What if I leave it there and water the gravel, and try to let it take in the humidity from there and water the plant itself not as often?

 

As with many houseplants it is a process of trial and error.

 

Thanks, I'll try it then.