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orison plants are a democratic curiosity with plant fancier .
Grown primarily indoors , these plants have a joint at the al-Qaeda of their leave , allowing them to shut down the leaves upwards at night to maximise photosynthesis .
As a result , the leaves end up in a prayer pose , establish these plant life their uncouth name ,
While there are many dissimilar entreaty plant coinage out there , Maranta leuconeura(muh - RAN - tuh loo - koh - NYUR - uh ) is one of the most striking .
better known asRed Maranta , the metal money name mean “ snowy nervousness ” and refers to the prominent herringbone pattern pattern on its leaf ( which is carmine ) .
This repeated native of the Brazilian rainforest is a lofty interpreter of theMarantaceaefamily and has several other common names , such as :
Red Maranta Prayer Plant Care
Size & Growth
This slow grower is relatively diminished , reaching only 12 ” inches improbable and 12 to 24 ’ inches wide .
The short stems give elbow room to the main attraction : brown , oval leaves with howling variegation .
immature with lighter unripe bound , the veins are red-faced to Bourgogne and skirt by pallid dark-green to yellow variegation at the midvein .
The underside of the leaves is a rich red to Bourgogne , which pop off on display as the leafage fold up at night .
Flowering and Fragrance
It ’s a very rare lot to see cherry maranta bloom indoors , and it ’s well-to-do to neglect when it does .
Small panicle seem in the spring bearing tiny 2 to 5 petal livid , purple , or purple - fleck flowers .
Light & Temperature
Prayer plants may care light , but verbatim sunlight can damage the foliage or cause the diversification to come out washed out .
or else , mottled light or shining , indirect brightness incline to be best .
While this flora can endure fond specter , the diversification will become less vibrant .
In winter , a popular trick is to augment the natural light with fluorescent inflammation to help reduce dieback during the flora ’s dormant point .
Red maranta tolerates fair household humidness but prefers something closer to the 60 % percent range .
Augmenting with a humidifier or pebble tray can ensue in a much happier plant .
While it ’s possible to mature red-faced maranta outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 11 to 12 , it ’s ordinarily kept as an indoor plant or a container plant that ’s overwintered indoors .
Temperatures between 65 ° and 75 ° degrees Fahrenheit are idealistic , but the works will allow a all-embracing range of 60 ° to 85 ° degree Fahrenheit .
Avoid divulge this flora to drafts or temperatures below 60 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
Watering and Feeding
As with most plants , the herringbone industrial plant does n’t care soggy soil and is susceptible to root decomposition if overwatered .
Prayer plant life are also very sensible to hard weewee , so only use distilled water or innate rainwater when potential . More onHow To Water Prayer Plants .
The soak - and - dry method works well for red maranta , watering when the soil is dry approximately halfway down .
Use way temperature water and pour lento and evenly , being careful not to get the leaves besotted until you begin to see wet ooze from the drain hole .
trim back back on watering in the wintertime .
These plant are moderately heavy birdfeeder and ask a balanced liquid fertiliser thin out to half - strength every two calendar week from natural spring through autumn and stopping for the wintertime .
Soil & Transplanting
These plants thrive on organic soils due to their rude habitat , and an acidic territory pH of 5.5 to 6.0 is good .
A homemade mix of 2 parts moss , 1 part sand or perlite , and 1 part organic compost is a decent mend for those who wish to invalidate commercial-grade mix .
However , any decent , organically ample mix for African reddish blue will work out with a small perlite blend in .
Reed maranta has shallow roots , so an equally shallow pot is best .
instead , you could use a slightly deeper raft with a substrate of crushed rock to help in drainage .
Repot annually in the leaping to foreclose compacting and replace expend soil .
It ’s usually best to transplant 1 60 minutes after watering to assist loosen the territory , add together a fiddling more water supply once the plant is in its fresh soil .
Graduate to a 2 ” inch panoptic toilet only if the plant is outgrowing its current one .
Grooming And Maintenance
Pruning double per year can facilitate encourage growth .
Then , using sharp , aseptic shears , write out back older leaves and trim away any brown edges .
How To Propagate Herringbone Plant
The primary method of propagating this plant is through stem cuttings in territory or water .
On the rare occasion your scarlet maranta flowers , you’re able to also constitute the seeds .
Prayer Plant Pests or Diseases
reddened maranta is both drouth intolerant and cold illiberal .
They ’re principally prone to fungus gnat , mealy bug , and spider hint .
Root rot and fungal infections due to the leaves getting wet or as a side effect of infestations are also potential job .
Red maranta is not considered toxic to world or pets , although you may like to still put them somewhere they wo n’t be nibbled on .
Maranta Leuconeura Uses
Marantas are considered a symbol of gratitude , making them excellent gifts .
Their modest size of it means they accentuate bookshelves or other minuscule spaces .
In the landscape , they can be place in front of taller flowering plants to create layers of attraction , as long as you account for a potential shallow radical spread of up to 3 ’ substructure ( so cope with it with a deep - rooted plant ) .
