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Calathea Ornata Leaves Curling Up
Calathea Ornata leaves curling up can be distressing but if caught early enough it’s pretty easy to treat and there are normally only a few possible causes which shouldn’t be too difficult to identify just by looking at your plants environment. The main causes of Calathea Ornata leaves curling up are to do with the plant trying to conserve water or protect itself which means you’re most likely looking at issues with too much sunlight, too little humidity, or underwatering.
Caring for a Calathea Ornata can be difficult as Calathea tend to be fussy plants in general but by learning what they need and acting fast when there’s a problem like leaf curling you should be able to manage these tricky little plants.
Too Much Sunlight
The first cause of Calathea Ornata leaves curling up that we’ll look at is too much sunlight. Calathea Ornata are plants that don’t like to be placed in direct light. If you live in a country that is often overcast then you might get away with putting your plant in the window but otherwise you should probably protect it from the sun’s strong rays. One of the first signs that your plant is getting too much light is the leaves curling in on themselves for protection as they try to conserve as much water as possible. If they continue to be left in sunlight they will start to dry out and you will notice the edges of the leaves crisping and turning brown. If this is still left then your plant may start to die.
Underwatering
You may find Calathea Ornata leaves curling up as a result of underwatering. The plants are trying to conserve water by curling up and it’s not uncommon to see crispy tips at the same time. Be sure to check your soil moisture often and adjust your watering schedule for warmer weather when your plant is likely to dry out more quickly. If this is something you struggle with then try using a moisture stick like this one on Amazon. When you insert the probes into a soil you will be given a reading on the moisture levels. This way you can keep an eye on when your plant needs to be watered or when it can wait a bit longer.
Too Little Humidity
Calathea plants in general like higher levels of humidity and the Calathea Ornata is no exception. If you live in an area that receives low humidity then you should consider buying a humidifier or working on other ways to increase the humidity. Ideally your Calathea Ornata would live in an environment of around 60% humidity or above. Dry air will cause calathea ornata leaves curling up so you want to avoid this. Things like heating systems and radiators can cause air to dry out so try not to place your plant close to any of these.
So there you have the main causes of calathea ornata leaves curling up and they all are to do with the plant trying to conserve its water stores:
- Too much light
- Underwatering
- Too little humidity
If you find the problem still persists even if you increase the humidity, water the plant sufficiently and move it out of direct sunlight then let us know in the comments below. Try to include as much information as you can about the plant’s environment and what its watering schedule looks like. Good luck with your Calathea and remember they’re a fussy little plant that even the most experienced botanist can struggle with from time to time. You just need to learn about their ideal environments, try to accommodate this and to trouble shoot quickly.
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