Question
Hello
i recently bought one of these and was very pleased with it so took great care to keep it out of direct sunlight, only water it once a week and fed it once so far ( i have had it about 3 - 4 weeks).  I am dismayed to find that now roughly 6 - 7 leaves have curled up and seemingly died! Some leaves remain healthy but they remain dying.  have i watered it too much? not enough?! i am not very good with plants (as you can tell!) but this was my first large plant purchase and really want to rescue it!  anything you can suggest?
many thanks!

Answer
Hi Shelley,
   It is true that Calathea do not like direct sunlight but they do like medium, indirect light. A curtain filtered east facing window is ideal.

You really can not water plants on a time schedule. The general rule for watering plants is to allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry between watering then water the plant just enough for a small amount of water to come out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
A lot of plants are sensitive to the fluoride, chlorine and hard water deposits found in most tap water. I recommend using distilled water. By using distilled water you can avoid the problems that can be caused by water quality.


Calathea (and most members of the Maranta family) are very sensitive to being over fertilized. It sounds like the curled up leaves are likely cause by over fertilizing. Leach the pot by pouring a large amount of distilled water into the soil and allowing it to drain out the bottom of the pot. After most of the water has drained out, refill the pot 3 or 4 more times.

After this very lightly fertilize the plant about every 6 weeks. I recommend using 1/3 of the amount called for in the directions on the package. Liquid fertilizers are best. Dilute 1 part liquid fertilizer to 2 parts distilled water.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions or need additional information please don't hesitate to ask.
     Thanks
       Tracy