Calathea is indeed one of the most beautiful indoor growing plants and a source of enthusiasm for beginners. These plants are particularly native to Colombia and Venezuela.
These plants are best known for their beauty that’s why mostly seen growing indoors. Calathea plant is known for its beautiful leaves. Its foliage is broad and wast with beautiful color contrast.
Its foliage has a dark green color with a contrast of light green strips. These contrasts create a fantastic look of calathea.
Along with its beauty, this plant is also known for its leaf activity and movement. Calathea leaves usually fold themselves inside showing the inner surface. They bend in such a way as human being folds their hands during prayer. That’s why this plant is also known as a prayer plant.
But all of sudden, you start noticing that your calathea is not closing at night. These leaves when showing this activity, indicate that their health is good. Calathea not closing at night indicates that something is out of order.
In this article, we will describe the possible solution to this problem. But at first, it is important to know the reason why calathea is not closing at night.
Why is my calathea not closing at night?
All types and species of calathea or prayer plants are the same. They all do require the same growing conditions.
The most common reason for calathea not closing at night is too much exposure to light at night. It is the light that makes these leaves open during the day, similarly, it is the darkness that causes to folds of leaves.
These leaves open during the day when they have adequate exposure to indirect sunlight during the daytime.
Excessive sunlight can burn the leaves and also cause them to stop their movement.
Similarly, darkness at night causes these leaves to fold. But when these plants are not getting enough darkness at night they will stop showing their unique feature of closing at night.
Move your plant to a dark place. Try to avoid exposure to artificial lights at night.
If you notice that some of your leaves ate not closing at night especially old ones. Then don’t worry, as the leaves get old the plant cuts them off.
But when you are not exposing your plant to artificial light at night and still they are not closing at night it means that there is something else. In this article, you will also be able to know the other reasons for this problem.
Other reasons for calathea not closing at night
1- Lightening issue
2- Overwatered calathea
3- underwater calathea
4- Temperature and humidity
5- pests infestation
6- Exposure to low temperature
Lightening problem
It is the first problem that can stop the calathea leaves to close at night.
These plants have a diurnal cycle just like human beings. When the sun appears or sunrise the human beings become active and when night appears or the sun sets the human feels sleepy and sleeps at night. In the same way, these plants also have a diurnal cycle.
At day time when there is adequate sunlight and they have enough exposure to this light, they keep showing their activity. Plant leaves keep opening in the daytime. These plants fold their leaves at night. But when there is exposure to light at night they will stop closing at night.
So whenever your calathea is not closing at night the first reason is the lightning issue. Resolve this issue and it might help close the calathea at night.
How to resolve lightening problem
- The daytime sunlight is a good opportunity for plants.
- Make sure that your plants receive an adequate amount of indirect sunlight in the daytime.
- At night, move your plant to a darker place where there is no intact artificial light. Turn off the lights at night where your calathea is placed.
- In the daytime, the east-facing window is ideal for plants.
- Try to avoid direct exposure to sunlight it will burn the leaves.
- Not only calathea leaves are sensitive to direct sunlight but also meant other indoor plants’ leaves get burnt by sunlight. It will be u useful for you to read why pothos get sunburn
Overwatered calathea
After the lightning issue, it is the 2nd important problem that stops the calathea from closing at night.
Overwatering is one of the major issues that can stop the calathea from closing at night and also cause the leaves damage.
Calathea usually loves the cool and moist conditions. They usually love watering conditions but don’t like to sit their roots in water. Supplying too much water can create a waterlogging condition which is harmful to calathea.
Overwatering can stop the supply of oxygen and other essential nutrients to the plant roots. One of the major issues developed after overwatering is the root rot.
Root rot is a condition when the roots are not receiving enough amount of essential nutrients. Moreover, the plant will also appear smelly.
So try to avoid overwatering your calathea as it will stop moving them at night.
How to prevent overwatering in calathea
An overwatered calathea shows yellow, brown, and dark-colored leaves. Moreover, it always remains wet and in severe cases smelly. If any of these symptoms appear, treat your calathea.
- Always check the soil before watering.
- Use hydrated potting mix soil for your plants.
- Insert your bare finger deep down before watering to check the dampness level.
- The water you’re planting only when the top 2 inches of soil is dry.
- It will best to keep your plants in a cool shady place as it will improve their respiration and will prevent overwatering.
Underwatered calathea
Just like overwatering calathea also doesn’t like drought conditions. Calathea can withstand without water for a few days but constantly neglecting can be dangerous.
Underwatered plants suffer from dehydration which is not good for their health. In the case of calathea underwatering can stop their closing at night and movement in the daytime.
In calathea plants underwatering can cause the following problems:
- Yellow leaves.
- Droopy leaves.
- Dehydrated plant.
- wilting of leaves.
- browning of leaves at edges.
How to treat underwatered calathea
Underwatred calathea needs urgent treatment because it can stop its movement of opening and closing day and night.
- Always keep checking the dryness of the soil.
- Water your plant regularly in the daytime.
- In the winter season, you can minimize the watering time.
- In the summer season water your plant once every week.
- If you don’t have time to water your plants, then you can buy automatic house plants watering system.
Temperature and humidity
Calathea plants love to live in a cool and humid environment. They are native to rainforest areas where the humidity level is always high.
Therefore, these plants survive well in humid and cool environments. If your home is low in humidity then you can face the problem of calathea not closing at night.
Low humidity can minimize their performance. Calathea plants suffering from low humidity will show:
- Dry leaves.
- Dehydrated soil.
- Yellowing and browsing of leaves.
Calathea leaves like a humidity level of 50- 6-%. If the humidity level is low at your home you can also buy a humidifier.
How to improve humidity for calathea plants
- If your home is low in humidity then the first thing you can do if you have the budget then buy a humidifier.(check on Amazon)
- Other things can also be applied to improve the humidity.
- Place your all calathea plants including others in one place together to improve the humidity level.
- After taking a shower, keep the washroom doors open as it also enhances humidity.
- Keep a bowl of water boiling in the kitchen and place your calathea plants near the kitchen to increase the humidity.
Low temperature
Calathea plants are native to rainforest areas where they receive a high temperature. These plants survive well in little high temperatures therefore low temperature is not good for their health.
Low temperature can cause various problems. Therefore you cannot provide as much temperature as it is in rainforest areas so try to increase the temperature for calathea plants.
How to increase the temperature for calathea
In order to enjoy good health for your calathea plants protect them from low-temperature conditions.
- Try to keep your calathea plants in hot conditions in winter, protect them from frost in winter
- Don’t keep the plants near the opening places such as door and windows.
- Avoid the exposure to AC
- Don’t keep them too near the radiator of fireplaces.
Pests infestation
Pests infestation is quite a harmful problem not only in calathea but also in many other plants.
Calathea is usually affected by aphids, squash bugs, squash mosaic, and spider mites.
Aphids appear as small invisible insects that can attack the leaves and undersides area of leaves. They will be detected by close observation as difficult to be seen by the naked eye. They will appear as black dots.
How to prevent insects and pests
- Always keep your garden a place where all the plants are kept clear and clean.
- Don’t allow to stand the water in pots.
- You can use neem oil on plants to keep them protected from insects.
- Spray insecticides in case of an infestation.
- Cut the infected leaves with a sterilize sharp scissor.
- Remove the debris of infected leaves from your garden area or near any plants.
One Last Thing!
Here were all the reasons for calathea not closing at night and possible solutions for all the problems. Follow them and keep your plants protected.
Have a Good Day!
