Question
Hello again, I am having a problem with a couple of my Green Prayer Plants.They have been doing very well, lots of new growth, no leaf spots and the leaves and over all appearance have been picture perfect. Lately, the last 2-3 weeks, The leaf tips and some leaf edges have been turning yellow then brown ( brown at the very tip with yellow just above it, yellow moves up leaf from the tip and the brown follows along behind it). Nothing has changed in these plant's environment recently. They get enough light, both have large humidity beds and I'm pretty sure they are getting watered properly. I Miracle Gro potting soil so I have not fertilized them since they were repotted 1 1/2 - 2 months ago. I have had this problem before with other green Prayer Plants. I have heard this could be caused by a calcium deficiency. Could this be the problem? If so, how can I add calcium to the soil without adding a bunch of the other stuff that is in fertilizers that the plants probably don't need and risk fertilizer burn?
Thanks
Melina
P.S The plants had to be repotted because they had outgrown  the small starter pots I got them in.

Answer
Hi Melina,

From the symptoms you described and the timing, I suspect that the problem is related to the repotting.

The new pot may be too large if it is more than an inch or two wider than the original pot.

Did you loosen the roots in the original rootball before you moved it into the larger pot? (This is a common oversight.)

Did you adjust your watering after repotting so that you are watering less frequently? It is very easy (and common) to overwater a recently repotted plant.

If the pot is too large or the roots not loosened properly, then the roots may be staying too wet for too long. You should consider watering less frequently.

Is there perlite in the soil that you added? Perlite is a source of fluoride and can contribute to leaf burn.

If your local tap water is on the hard side, then that could cause the edges to yellow. Switch to filtered, distilled or rainwater instead.

I doubt that calcium deficiency is the problem, but soil pH might be. You could try adding a bit of horticultural lime to the soil. Lime will raise the pH and is also a source of calcium.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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