How often should I water a Calathea?

Calatheas want soil that never fully dries and never sits wet, and their leaves curl and crisp quickly when that balance slips.

Every 5–7 days
A starting point, not a rule — check the soil before each watering and let the top few centimetres dry out first.

Always confirm with the soil: water when the top 2–5 cm is dry, whatever the calendar says.

Light

Calatheas, most now reclassified as Goeppertia, grow on rainforest floors and need medium, indirect light. Direct sun bleaches the patterned leaves and burns their edges, while deep shade dulls the markings. The leaves lift and fold each evening and lower again in the morning, the movement behind the name prayer plant.

Pot and water

Use a moisture-retentive but open mix, such as houseplant compost with some bark and perlite, in a plastic or glazed pot that holds water longer than terracotta. Water when the top 2–3 cm feels dry. Calatheas are sensitive to the minerals and fluoride in hard tap water; rainwater or filtered water gives cleaner leaf edges, while leaving tap water to stand removes chlorine but not the dissolved minerals.

Through the year

In medium light the calculator starts at every 5–7 days in spring and summer, 7–9 in autumn and 8–11 in winter, or 10–15 days in low light in winter. Calatheas have no true dormancy, so they want the soil kept moist all year. Central heating dries both the air and the pot, so a plant near a radiator may need water sooner.

Too much or too little

Leaves that roll inward lengthways are the clearest sign of thirst or very dry air, and crispy brown edges follow if it continues. Overwatering shows differently: yellowing lower leaves, stems that go limp or soft at the base, and a pot that stays dark and wet for days. Calatheas are non-toxic to cats and dogs.

The plant watering calculator explains how the intervals are worked out for every plant on the list.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my Calathea leaves curling?

Leaves rolling inward along their length are the plant conserving water. The usual causes are soil that has dried out, air that is too dry, often from central heating, or a spot in direct sun. Water if the top 2–3 cm is dry, move it out of the sun and away from radiators, and stand it on a tray of damp pebbles or group it with other plants.

Why does my Calathea have crispy brown edges?

Brown, crisp edges usually come from low humidity, irregular watering or minerals in hard tap water building up in the leaves. Keep the soil evenly moist rather than letting it swing between dry and wet, switch to rainwater or filtered water, and raise the humidity around the plant. Damaged edges will not turn green again, but new leaves should come through clean.

Leaflet works out this schedule for every plant you own and reminds you.

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