Prayer Plant

Light and exposure

The prayer plant grows in the bright shade of the understory. In your home, give it strong but always filtered light: an east-facing window, a metre back from a south-facing bay, or behind a sheer curtain. Direct sun scorches its foliage within hours and washes out the colours that make it so appealing.

Too much shade, on the other hand, dulls it and spaces out the leaves. Under our grey, short winters, move it gently closer to a window from November to February to make up for the lack of light, without ever pressing it against a cold pane. It will tell you whether it is well placed: leaves that close up neatly at night and open wide in the morning signal a plant that feels at ease.

Watering

This is the sensitive point with the prayer plant, and the water matters as much as the amount. Keep the substrate constantly fresh, moist but never soggy. Water as soon as the top centimetre of the surface starts to dry out, more often in spring and summer, further apart in winter when growth slows.

Above all, avoid tap water, which is hard in almost all of Belgium and especially hard in the Herve area. Limescale turns the leaf edges brown and dry. Collect rainwater, plentiful here, or failing that let tap water stand overnight and serve it at room temperature. Cold water straight from the tap shocks the roots.

Soil and repotting

The prayer plant wants a light, airy substrate that holds moisture without turning into a sponge. A good mix combines houseplant potting soil, a handful of coco fibre or peat for water retention, and a little perlite or fine bark for drainage.

The pot must have drainage holes, this is non-negotiable: the roots rot quickly in standing water. Repot in spring roughly every two years, into a container barely larger. A pot that is too big holds too much water around still-fine roots and encourages rot.

Temperature and humidity

The prayer plant is a chill-sensitive tropical. It is happy between 18 and 24 degrees and hates anything below 15 degrees. A cold draught, a night near a poorly insulated window in the depths of winter, and the foliage takes the hit.

Keep it away from the trouble spots of our Belgian homes: the top of a radiator that dries out the air, cold windowsills in winter, the draughts from a front door. A heated, stable room, a bright bathroom or a kitchen, suits it very well all year round.

Pruning and upkeep

The prayer plant is not really pruned in the strict sense, but regular care keeps it looking good. Cut off yellowed leaves, or those whose edges have browned too much, flush with the base and with clean scissors. This concentrates the energy on new growth and keeps the clump neat.

If the plant stretches out and goes bare in the centre, do not hesitate to cut back a few stems: it starts again from the base and thickens up. The healthy trimmings can be used as cuttings. A gentle dusting of the leaves with a damp sponge, now and then, also helps the plant breathe and catch the scarce light of our winters.

Pests and diseases

The number one enemy in our heated homes is the spider mite. This tiny mite thrives as soon as the air turns dry, typically in the depths of winter when the heating is running. Signs to watch for: fine webs in the leaf axils, foliage that becomes speckled with pale dots and loses its shine. The answer comes down to one word: humidity. Humid air discourages the spider mite on its own.

Brown, dry edges are not a disease but almost always a problem of hard water or air that is too dry. As for the roots, overwatering causes rot: soft, yellowing leaves, a stem that goes mushy at the base. When in doubt, unpot, cut off the black roots and repot in fresh substrate.

Propagation

Division is the simplest and safest method. At the spring repotting, take the plant out and gently separate the root ball into two or three pieces, each with its roots and a few stems. Repot straight away and keep warm and humid while it settles in.

Stem cuttings work too. Take a stem with a node, that small swelling from which roots and leaves emerge, and place it in rainwater or directly in a light substrate kept moist. Enclose the whole thing in a translucent plastic bag to create a moisture-saturated atmosphere, like a mini greenhouse. Roots appear within a few weeks.

Month-by-month care calendar

Green Hub tips

• Always water with rainwater. Tap water, hard around Herve, turns the leaf edges brown for sure.
• Against the dry air of the heating, group your plants together and set the pot on a saucer of damp clay pebbles: it is more effective than a misting that is quickly forgotten.
• Leaves that fold up neatly at night are the sign of a happy plant. If the movement freezes, look to the light or the watering.
• At the first fine web between the leaves in winter, act fast: the spider mite spreads at high speed in dry air.
• A non-toxic plant, safe for cats and dogs that might nibble at it.