Why My Prayer Plants Leaves Turning Brown: Reasons & How to Fix

Nov 17 2022 Written by Ivy

Unresolved brown spots on leaves may be planted as' way of asking for assistance. Your prayer plant's leaves may curl for the following top 7 reasons.

Curling prayer plant leaves and browning of the leaves can be caused by a variety of different factors, and this post contains 7 different causes that can help you pinpoint the issue.

Prayer Plants' Leaves Turning Brown: Causes With Solution

1. Inadequate Watering

Naturally, watering is influenced by a number of other elements, including the environment's temperature, humidity, and light levels.

However, I can guarantee that your Prayer plant is not at all amused by the dry soil. The Prayer plant's leaves may turn brown if they receive less water than necessary.

In spite of the fact that many houseplants do well with a little neglect, it is not a good idea over the long term. Brown spots on the leaf margins and tips are then visible as symptoms.

The soil shouldn't be overly wet or overwatered, though, as this could lead to fungus diseases.

Fixing the Underwatering Issues

When you first notice the symptom, thoroughly water the plant.
The ideal method for watering your Prayer plant is to completely submerge it and then let the extra water drain out.
Larger plants can't be grown in small pots because they can't hold enough water.
To hold more water and keep the soil moist for a longer period of time, add some peat moss or coconut coir.
Invest in a moisture meter for avoiding possible dilemmas in watering your plant
Finally, water your plant twice a week to quench its thirst completely.

2. Poor Water Quality

Although your prayer plant receives enough water, occasionally the tips and edges of its leaves may turn brown.

If you use the same water for your plant and the drinking water, fluoride, chlorine, and other chemicals can turn the leaves brown.

Fixing the Water Quality Issues

Avoid spraying your plant with tap water directly.
To make the tap water safe to use in the prayer plant, you can filter it or distill it.
The best option is to give your Plant fresh rainwater.

3. Improper Lightning

Light intensity has a direct correlation with the color of the Prayer plant's leaves. A Brazilian rainforest plant called a prayer plant enjoys exposure to the sun.

Growers beneath the canopy, known as Maranta, clearly yearn for the direct sunlight that is bright and warm. However, excessive direct light causes the leaves to burn. The result is brown, crisp, dry leaves.

It is harmful to expose plants to more than two to three hours of direct sunlight, as demonstrated by the browning of the Prayer Plant's lovely foliage.

Maintaining a minimum of 100 to 200 foot-candle light intensity is required to keep your plant glowing.

Fixing the Light Burnt Plant

Eliminate the burned leaves.
Because windows that face west or south receive the most direct sunlight, you should position your plant several feet away from those windows.
To give your Prayer plant filtered light, you could also use a light-colored curtain.

4. Temperature Stress

Increased light levels are accompanied by higher temperatures.

Undoubtedly, too much direct sunlight raises the temperature in the area around plants, causing leaves to sag and turn brown. Most often, dehydration is the cause.

Additionally, the Prayer plant is impacted by the cold draft, which results in the leaves turning brown.

Fixing the Temperature Stress Issues

Keep the Prayer plant in a room that is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 25 degrees Celsius).
The plant shouldn't be kept in strong, direct sunlight.
A heater, fireplace, stove, or radiator are examples of hot spots where your plant should not be placed.
Additionally, keep your plant away from drafty windows, single-pane windows, and the outdoors in the winter.

5. Low Humidity

Tropical climates are home to prayer plants. This is why they enjoy and do well in humid environments.

For these plants to produce lush leaves, the relative humidity needs to be close to 60%. Additionally, humidity levels under 40% cause the edges of the leaves to brown.

Fixing the Low Humidity Issues

Using a sprayer, mist the plant frequently. The best time to mist a plant is in the early morning, when the water on the leaves will have had time to dry, avoiding the development of fungus.
You can depend on the humidifier to keep the humidity level constant.
In order to increase humidity, grouping plants together traps the water that is evaporating. However, the potential for pest and disease infestation puts the plant at risk.
Place a few tiny cups filled with water close to the plant. Adding a tray of water below the pot will allow water to evaporate and raise the humidity level around the plant.

6. Fertilizing Problems

Your favorite plant may develop browning leaves due to lack of fertilizer or due to salt build-up in the soil.

Insufficient fertilization causes the foliage to change color, starting with yellow leaves that gradually turn brown and eventually fall off.

In addition, if salt buildup is present, the leaf tips and margins become crisp brown.

Salt buildup can be caused by using concentrated fertilizer or fertilizing too frequently, and it can be seen when a whitish layer forms on top of the soil.

As a result, salt is created that competes with the plant for water, causing the plant to become dehydrated and develop brown leaves.

Fixing the Improper Fertilization Issues

Feed the plant with the required fertilizers to quickly bring it back.
To keep your plant well-fed, apply diluted fertilizer with an N-P-K ratio of 10-10-10 once every two weeks.
To remove the salt buildup on the soil, avoid adding fertilizer and thoroughly wet the area.
Give the plant a thorough five-minute soak while allowing any extra water to drain from the drainage hole.
Before applying fertilizer to the plant, always dilute it by half.
Limit the amount of time your plant is confined. Repot it into a new, bigger container to give the roots room to expand.
To give the plant the nutrients it is missing, you can use an additive made specifically for that nutrient.
To remedy a lack of nitrogen, use fertilizers, either organic or inorganic. The fertilizers that work the quickest are those based on nitrate or ammonium.

7. Pest Infestation

Infestation with insects is another, less frequent cause of brown spots on prayer plant leaves.

Mealybugs, aphids, and scale insects are the pests most frequently found on Prayer plants.

These sap-sucking animals stick into the plant and consume the sap that they produce, leaving behind unsightly brown patches. The more infestation there is, the more of this browning is visible.

Pests	Signs and Symptoms
Aphids	masses of soft, pears-shaped insects in red or green. leaves that are yellow, curled, or dead
Scales	insects that resemble cotton pillows. Leaf drop, blemishes on leaves
Mealy buys	Cottony, white, and fuzzy masses. yellow leaves on a stunted plant.

Pest Infested Plant: What to Do Next?

If the infestation has progressed past a point where it can be controlled, dispose of your Prayer plant.
Give the plant a good rinse. All of the insects living on the plant will be helped to get rid of by this. Don't use a lot of water pressure though.
Employ natural insecticides such as insecticidal soap and neem oil.
70% isopropyl alcohol can work great against scales and mealybugs. Gently rub the leaves with a cotton ball after dipping it in alcohol.
It would be best to consistently concentrate on keeping your leaves organized and dust-free.
Wipe your plant's leaves from time to time with clean, damp cloths.

Should I Remove the Brown Leaves?

Yes, but only if the leaf has turned brown to the extent of more than 50% of the leaf. The dry, brown portion of the leaf won't live again and won't be healthy.

The leaf is still doing its job for the plant by performing photosynthesis even if it is on less than half of the leaf.

In order for healthy leaves to receive more nutrients and look better, the dry leaves must be removed.

Prayer Plant Problems

The prayer plant has a list of issues, and each issue has a solution.

Prayer Plant Fungal Infections

One such leaf spot, caused by fungi, primarily Dreschslera and some others like exserohilum spp., appeared on the prayer plants (Maranta). You might discover pinhead-sized water stains that appear as brown, yellow, or purple dapple patches. This occurs when an area is overirrigated and all the water droplets stay on the leaves for a longer period of time. This intoxicated foliage that has been bathed in alcohol causes problems for the leaves and reduces the amount of leaves. You can fix this by only watering the root portion of the plant, not the leaves.

When using traditional methods, try the fungicide Chlorothalonil, which is frequently used to treat fungal issues. However, you must be cautious when providing it with water and not overdo it.

Chlorosis

It is a prayer plant issue, which means the potting soil is technically low in iron, which causes plant leaves to wilt, low foliage color, poor growth, and many other issues. Fresh leaves also experience a yellowing effect. If this occurs with your plant, it indicates that your soil's pH levels are off. You can fix this by testing your soil's pH levels using a pH testing kit, and if they are higher than 5.9, it indicates that your soil lacks iron.

For assistance, get in touch with a local expert in plant care. If you've packed a quality potting mix, this generally isn't a big deal.

Prayer Plant Low Moistness

Because prayer plants require high to medium levels of moisture to thrive, this occurs when there is low humidity inside the home. If you use a small container, water it, and place it close to the plant, this will create humidity and moisture around the plant, allowing it to withstand the heat indoors. Changing the location of the plant is also a possible solution.

Insane Light Conditions

If you place a prayer plant (maranta), which prefers indirect sunlight, in a spot where the heat or sun is too intense, it may burn or develop yellow tips on its foliage. Overexposure to sunlight can damage leaves and ultimately make it difficult for plants to survive.

Mosaic Viruses

In the modern era, this virus alone affects numerous plants and vegetables, and it can cause your prayer plant's leaves to turn yellow with dark green spots and white traces. It can cause problems with newly emerging foliage as well as mature foliage that has already begun to yellow or develop dark spots. If the virus only affected one stem or leaf, it could be treated; however, if it spread to the entire plant, treatment became impossible, and your only remaining option was to destroy the plant.

Root Rotted

It will ruin the roots of your prayer plant (maranta) if it is consistently in wet, damp soil, which is a very common cause of plant damage and foliage loss. The good news is that you can fix it by decreasing the amount of water you gave this plant and only giving it when its soil is entirely dry or about to dry out soon. If it receives 2-3 inches of water on the top layer of soil, check it again the following day and stop watering.

Conclusion

The browning of prayer plant leaves is typically not a serious issue at first. But if it is not addressed at the outset, it could have an impact on the entire plant.

It dulls the appearance of the plant and could even result in the death of your lovely plant. So, as soon as a problem is noticed, it must be resolved.

FAQs

Prayer Plant Leaves Pointing Down

It's a strange phenomenon that the brown or yellow leaves of the prayer plant point downward during the day, slowly turn upward in the evening, and then slowly close at night. However, this plant also goes through some natural processes depending on whether it will receive more light during the day or at night. The entire procedure that Manranta goes through is thrilling.

Prayer Plant Not Closing

The reason why the prayer plant doesn't close at night is because it receives some kind of light source that keeps supplying it with light; the plant only shuts once it is in a place where it is completely dark. You can find a place that is not lit up at dusk or dawn to solve this by placing it there.

Prayer Plant Won't Pray

This solution is for those who make their plant go to sleep so they can start praying. There are various kinds of prayer plants and some of the prayer plants won't pray if it receives a sufficient amount of 7-8 hours of indirect sunlight every day for several months, so it is getting everything it needs, but it's a good thing that it will grow healthy leaves and even flowers, so you don't need to worry and it's okay.

Some people brought this plant to experience the mysterious transformation of the leaves from flat to upward. It doesn't make sense for your plant to be standing if it isn't. It has everything, so it won't pray. Consider the difference between people who have everything and never pray and people who go without on a daily basis.

It's wholesome, continues to produce flowers, and don't be alarmed; plants have a mind of their own and will offer prayers when necessary.

How to Revive a Prayer Plant

If you let the soil dry out and only provide water when it's needed, prayer plants can be revived. Additionally, some individuals brought humidifiers, which they use to keep the plant moist. It will function and be able to survive with just a small amount of water. Also, if the plant's roots have rotted, replace the soil in the pot and use new soil. A proper watering schedule must be established.

Here are the steps on reviving prayer plant:

Check the soil in the prayer plant pot to make sure it isn't wet or overwatered.
If it is frequently watered and the soil is thoroughly saturated, I advise taking a break and letting it dry naturally.
Pouring some water on the prayer plant will help if it is submerged.
When you don't need to water your plants on a regular basis, you can also use a humidifier.
For their survival, prayer plants can take moisture from the air's humidity.

How to Revive a Rotted Prayer Plant

First, remove the prayer plant from the ground.
The roots of the prayer plant should be completely free of any wet soil.
Look at the roots; if they appear brown or black, root rot may be present.
It depends on the roots; if only a few of them are like this, the plant might still be saved.
Simply place new potting mix that has good drainage in a new pot.
Insert your plant into the pot, then add soil.
Water the plant so that all of the new soil can settle and take root and be able to control itself.
As soon as your plant has been successfully revived, make sure that your watering routine doesn't provide too much water and that you always check the water before pouring.

Why My Prayer Plant Leaves Curling

Prayer plant leaves curling occur when the plant is not getting enough water and to protect itself from loss of moisture it will curl up or bend the leaves. Another possible explanation is that too much sunlight will dry out the plants' water supply and cause them to curl up. Use a humidifier, add more moisture to the space, or simply place the object in a more shaded area to reduce the amount of light in Maranta leuconeura.