00:00Prayer plants are great additions to any indoor garden.
00:03They have decorative foliage that looks beautiful trailing out of pots, and once you know what
00:08they need to grow, they're easy to care for.
00:11This is Laura from Gardening Know How, and today I'm going to teach you how to grow
00:15gorgeous prayer plants.
00:19Native to tropical parts of the Americas, the prayer plant grows in the understory of
00:23rainforests and is a member of the family Marentaceae.
00:27There are 40 to 50 known species of Marenta, but only two varieties make up most of the
00:33plants you find in stores, the red-veined prayer plant and the rabbit's foot prayer plant.
00:40A common look-alike is Calathea, which is also sometimes, confusingly, called a prayer plant.
00:47The two species are related, but they're not the same.
00:50While they have similar looking leaves with a painted appearance, Marenta is a vining plant,
00:55and Calathea is shrubbier and grows upright.
00:59Marenta prayer plants do best in bright, indirect sunlight, but they can tolerate low light conditions
01:05as well.
01:06Keep temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and make sure plants have well-drained
01:12soil and high humidity.
01:14You can raise the humidity in an area by grouping plants together, or you can set the pot on
01:19a shallow dish of pebbles and water.
01:22Make sure not to let prayer plants sit directly in the water.
01:26Keep their soil moist, but not soggy, and during winter dormancy, cut back on watering.
01:33Feed prayer plants with an all-purpose fertilizer once every two weeks, from spring through fall.
01:39Repot prayer plants in early spring.
01:41This is also a great time to propagate by cuttings or division.
01:46To repot, you will need a new pot that's an inch or two larger in diameter than the current
01:50one.
01:51A good potting soil mix, or one created specifically for house plants, pruners, and your prayer plant.
01:59Start by cleaning up your plant, cutting off any dead, yellow, or diseased leaves.
02:05This plant has been in this small pot for much too long.
02:08It was sitting inside a larger decorative pot with a bit of soil in the bottom.
02:13So you can see the roots have continued to grow through the holes in the small pot and
02:17into the soil in the decorative outer container, forming a second root ball.
02:22We need to knock off some of this soil and untangle these roots before we can replant.
02:28Loosen and untangle any roots that have been circling the pot.
02:32This prayer plant has become quite root-bound being trapped in this little container.
02:36If you skip this step, the roots will keep circling in this pattern even when it's in a bigger
02:41container.
02:42You need to gently free the roots so they can grow and fill the new larger pot.
02:47This will keep your prayer plant growing bigger and better.
02:54Once you're finished freeing the roots, fill your new pot with potting mix.
02:58Make sure to leave space for all the roots.
03:01Then place your prayer plant into its new home and add more soil, filling up to about one
03:06inch from the rim of the pot.
03:09Gently pat down soil to make sure you fill in all the large air pockets.
03:14The last step is to give your re-homed plant a good drink.
03:19Let's talk about troubleshooting.
03:21Maybe your prayer plant is in its new container, but it's still struggling.
03:25This could be due to a variety of pests or diseases.
03:30Prayer plants are prone to certain pests, including spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids.
03:36Horticultural soaps and neem oil are natural ways to get pests to buzz off, but the best
03:42control method is always prevention.
03:44Inspect new plants or plants that have been outside before adding them back into your indoor
03:49plant collection.
03:50This keeps pests from spreading to other plants.
03:55Watering time is another great opportunity to watch out for problems and diseases.
04:00Look for yellow or brown leaves and trim them off as needed.
04:05Common causes of dying leaves are chlorosis, cucumber mosaic virus, fungal disease, and
04:12environmental stress.
04:13The best way to deal with these diseases is to create an ideal growing environment for
04:18your prayer plant.
04:19That means bright, indirect light and medium to high humidity.
04:24Another good practice for all house plants is to use filtered water or let tap water sit
04:29out for a day before using it to give plants a drink.
04:33This lets some of the salt and minerals evaporate so they don't build up in the soil.
04:38With a little care, prayer plants can thrive in your home, adding a unique display of foliage
04:44to any room.
04:45Thanks for watching and happy gardening!
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