Reviving a Prayer Plant with Curled, Brittle Leaves

Leaf curling in Maranta (prayer plant) usually signals root dysfunction. If leaves stay curled after watering, roots aren't absorbing moisture—likely due to root rot, severe compaction, or past extreme drying.

Root Inspection and Recovery

1. Gently unpot and remove loose soil.
2. Healthy roots are firm and white/cream; discard any mushy or brittle ones.
3. If healthy roots remain, loosen the rootball, replace some old soil with fresh peat-based mix, and repot in the same size container.
4. Provide bright indirect light, water when the top half-inch is dry, and be patient.

If no healthy roots exist, try stem cuttings in a humid propagation chamber (pot inside a clear plastic bag). Rooting Maranta from cuttings is challenging but possible.