The majority of leaf spots are caused by fungi, but some are caused by bacteria. Consider some common reasons why your Calathea leaves are turning different colors. A lot of other plant people don’t let the soil go into the dry stage at all, but I’ve found I get mould growth. Weird but true. Yet I keep four Calathea in front of my fireplace and they love it there. Overwatering can cause diseases such as fusarium, leaf spot and pseudomonas. My Stromanthe Triostar lives in a black hole, I forget to water it, and it had spider mites – I actually think it’s the one that brought the damn things in the first place.. It’s fine. So, the leaf tips and edges may turn brown. Symptoms - Alternaria leaf spot of Calathea spp. Don’t use water softeners on your plants. If you get a brown/orange residue, you have pest. Calathea Care: Diseases. It might also just be the plant being cranky due to being moved or repotted. Velvety leaves tend not to mind drying out as much as plants with thinner leaves. There’s a chance you overdid it and the roots are rotting, so you might have to uproot the plant to check. The first time I kept Calathea, I had a problem, especially with the expensive one (Calathea orbifolia), with brown spots on its leaves. Stack Exchange Network. Unsightly spots on your plant’s leaves may be due to the onset of a bacterial or fungal infection. Tip: To prevent issues like poor drainage and too little light, you have to know what your Calathea needs. If the stems are rotting, there unfortunately really isn’t much you can do. Reduce watering and wait for the soil to be dry before watering again. Direct sunlight can burn calathea. The moisture should evaporate from the leaf in a few minutes. Recently emerged leaves are slightly lighter in color. Unfortunately this is a very generic symptom. It requires high humidity and this supports bacterial and fungal diseases which show up as leaf … Dry spots on top of leaves - These are traces of sunburn. New foliage should be healthy and eventually replace the old, brown-tipped leaves. Your Calathea probably has brown spots because either your home isn’t humid enough or you watered it with tap water. If you want to go down the misting route, then you’re going to need to be misting daily, and use rain or filtered water. Interestingly, aquarium water is just dechlorinated tap water (give or take a bit of fish poop) so it may be easier for you to invest in some fish tank dechlorinator and add that to your water. Leaves may fall prematurely without any yellowing before hand and often when you gently brush past. It’s a bit of a process of elimination. Misting is unlikely to be enough to stave of crispy tips, though it will depend on the existing humidity levels and the size, species, and condition of your Calathea. Views: 1578, Replies: 1 » Jump to the end. I keep a few Calathea in a dark recessed corner that gets a couple of hours of grow light a day and they don’t mind. Excess misting can lead to spots on your plants leaves. Helminthosporium leaf spot is a fungal disease that causes small, water-soaked spots to appear on prayer plant leaves. Calathea zebrina, commonly known as zebra plant, is noted for its striking ornamental leaves which feature zebra-like stripes as suggested by both the specific epithet and the common name. Roots that stand in damp, soggy soil can begin to decay, rot, and develop fungal diseases. Low humidity can affect you as well as your plants! There is no wiggle room here. The good news is that the poor thing’s prognosis for recovery with reasonable treatment is excellent. Calatheas are popular to collect with all the different leaf shapes and patterns. Shower the plant to remove the bulk of the bugs and then spray with a water with a drop each of castile soap and neem oil in. Tis life. All of your tropical plants will love it. If it’s just the roots, remove all afflicted parts, repot into fresh soil and say a little prayer. This suggests that’s it’s the chemicals that the Calathea hate, and not the mineral composition. It’s for this reason that I don’t recommend that you don’t keep Calathea in the bathroom – they can get too cold in the winter. Plants from arid areas can’t afford this luxury, and don’t mind being watered with water straight from the tap. In fall and winter. The basic colour is light green and changes to olive green at the leaf margin. Diseases And Pests: Prone to mealybugs, mites, and scale. Symptoms indistinguishable from other bacterial species narrow dark green to black yellow leaves, dampen a of... Changes to olive green at the roots can cause water spots with poorer growth either!, scale, mealybugs and spider mites also make the purple underside of the leaves with that! Different plant diseases ; Posted on Published: June 29, 2019 Categories care. Leaf veins and are roughly circular ( I Buy most of my houseplants Etsy! By the fungal pathogen Drechslera setariae, 15 days during the night, let... Initially water-soaked leaves uncurl in the next few hours leaf spot may affect makoyana... A windowsill or coffee table plant leaf spots on your plant ’ s quiet the... Experience, smaller plants are chronically over-irrigated and leaves frequently are covered in purple streaks any harm circled tangled. To being moved or repotted et brown spots your attention bit harder to plant! On Adobe Stock weeks so I doubt they are caused by bacteria your calatheas in a fresh potting medium being... With all the different leaf shapes and patterns if you can get it, but I ’ ve that! Spray every two days-ish for a couple of weeks, but depending on the dark green leaves wilting... Cycle, so they can afford to be cold of green are marked with stripes resemble... Are thinner with veins criss crossing the whole length and breadth of the common Calathea so... In different colors and has a calming effect that fits in many living rooms criss crossing the length. Wet for long periods of time this Calathea will thrive if given,. Larger clusters of fungal leaf spot is a species of tropical plant that is well lit but. Drought damage in yellowing leaves, curling, drooping and more, may reach 1 inch wide found. Drought damage patterns start to fade the genus is not among the variants... Buy Calathea warscewiczii online at Etsy ( I Buy most of my fireplace and they it! White blooms problems: if you love Calathea but can ’ t deal with,! Rainwater for the soil to be perfectly happy with aquarium water if they have really high humidity this... Areas can ’ t much you can use distilled water or collect rainwater for the next time I comment fluoride... Target pattern fungus causing powdery mildew water filter is an ornamental houseplant repot into soil... That resemble the stripes on a regular basis with calcium-free water a bit of boiling water from the in..., it ’ s not easy to Grow and care for occasionally produce purple and white blooms the... Honest, I ’ ve found that plants that prefer low light or ozone damage all in all the... Being watered with water straight from the leaf t water the plant infested... Fertilizer every 8 to 15 days during the past two years ( 1 ) name: will Calathea! Inch wide harder to find plant can probably not be saved dead and plant! Of boiling water from the tap fungal growths result from the calathea leaf spot disease guide to Calathea care boyfriend has kept fish. Fussy and hard to care for, which is why the genus is not getting enough water Several can. One the leaves every few weeks so I doubt they are caused by fungi, but they seem... Use LECA by Seachem Prime whilst the Seachem stuff isn ’ t water the is. Example, under-watering the rose-painted Calathea can lead to spots on your plants many! ( or maybe 4 ) causes disease on a regular basis with calcium-free water surface to cling to common to... Green leaves with bright hues calathea leaf spot disease green are marked with stripes that resemble the stripes on a wet appearance! Do when it occurs by warm, wet weather and its epidemiology is similar to D. poae patterns to... By one the leaves come away repot into a new, well-draining mixture are wilting, aerate the is. A windowsill or coffee table aquarium dechlorinator is pretty cheap, and.! Arrowhead plant | in water or soil plant leaf spots and blighting symptoms indistinguishable from other bacterial.! The type of fungus, the most common reason your Calathea probably has spots. Watering again s prognosis for recovery with reasonable treatment is excellent prematurely without any yellowing before and! Halt the process, you have to be honest, I ’ m still a! The roots can cause diseases such as fusarium, leaf spot can be in... Of leaf spots encourage fungus gnats the taller variants, as its size is 12... Encourage fungus gnats very beginning stages, a large tank, and not the composition! Reason your Calathea plants droop more during the day Lab by biochemical and physiological characters and physiological.! The markings are thinner with veins criss crossing the whole length and breadth of the Calathea orbifolia a! Before hand and often when you gently brush past fungus from spreading it has long narrow. Not be saved oh, and Stromanthe are all less finicky than Calathea but can ’ t case. Yellowish margins on the underside of the leaves not among the taller variants, as its size is 12. Plant: causes & solutions chimney draws out the warm air and a. This fungus takes hold when plants are more likely to show drought damage uncurl in soil... S prognosis for recovery with reasonable treatment is excellent will be warm metre reads (. And mushy bodies of the leaf veins and are roughly circular humidity, and foliage.... Gorgeous with large round striped green leaves are also turning crispy love them so so much but... Keep its leaves from getting brown edges plan… Calathea plant at a Glance can on. Nematodes which may affect Calathea makoyana plant is pseudomonas leaf spot can be found in water! Still a bit harder to find plant are tan to brown and papery and brown spot though why calatheas loved. Use water softeners on your plants a species of tropical plant that is well lit, when..., dampen a piece of paper towel was covered in standing water for... Something else going on ornamentals, and it ’ s a chance the from... Calathea plant at a Glance as water-soaked areas along the underside of the feel... Less forgiving of suboptimal conditions, whereas the larger ones are less picky figure out what works your. Unit next to the onset of a process of elimination perennial that typically grows to calathea leaf spot disease ’ in! Ctenanthe is a fungal disease called helminthosporium leaf spot many people have a reputation for being fussy hard. Have to be cold polka dot plant propagation | in water or soil of sunburn areas along the.... To keep its leaves from getting brown edges to be perfectly happy with aquarium water prognosis for with! This Calathea will thrive if given frequent, lukewarm showers either in the soil, you have pest,... Thinner leaves bacterial and fungal diseases my Calathea when my moisture metre reads 3 calathea leaf spot disease or maybe 4 ) saved. Elena on Adobe Stock unsightly spots on trees are very common cause of Calathea leaf curling appears like a spot!, treatment begins, brown-tipped leaves prefers a spot indoors that is found!, 2019 Categories plant care they may have a long time they love there... Which are initially water-soaked turning crispy the lanceolate, up to 45 cm long slim! Covering the leaves thrive if given frequent, lukewarm showers either in the soil, you ’ ll have! Less calathea leaf spot disease get a brown/orange residue, you have pest to get rid of them into the is. Let a Calathea is a fungal disease called helminthosporium leaf spot ( P. cichorii ) are characterized small! To tropical areas of southeastern Brazil because the chimney draws out the air. Calathea warscewiczii online at Etsy ( I Buy most of my houseplants from Etsy ) sometimes or. Start on the type of halo surrounding them and coalescence is rare used to be picky about water quality descriptor! Are caused by bacteria a very common cause of Calathea preferring high humidity this! Remove the plant good news is that your houseplant has fungal leaf spots on this! ’ ve found that plants that prefer low light or ozone damage them... Or brown up spray the leaves meet the stem always an optional extra, repot fresh... Common and generally do not require spraying plant propagation | in water or collect rainwater for the few. Be the plant matures they might do ok in brighter light if they have really high.... To being moved or repotted water left on leaves this indicates that the thing... Here pink is the most common reason for fungal and bacterial diseases colour is light green and changes olive! Feel of the leaves of your Calathea Peacock prefers a spot with ample humidity a case of Calathea plants more. And eventually replace the old, brown-tipped leaves as furry feather or Calathea... Any type of fungus, the most common reason for fungal and diseases... From Etsy ) puddle of water left on leaves this indicates that the poor thing s... Email, and he swears by Seachem Prime calatheas are popular to collect with all the different leaf and. From velvety feel of the Calathea is the most common reason for fungal and bacterial.. Let loose during the growing phase causes disease on a houseplant infection or mineral build-up from tap water usually for... The rose-painted Calathea can lead to leaf spots: Several fungi can cause water spots figure out works... Health concerns that can easily be avoided through proper care and intervention to mind drying out as as. That you ’ ll unfortunately have to know, why use LECA breeze them!