Red Prayer Plant Care & Propagation Guide

Red prayer plant is a kind of foliage plant, which has been growing for many years. It is about 60cm high. Its leaf stems are purplish red, and its leaves are thin and oval. Its leaves have dark green and white or light yellow feather markings, especially like the feather pattern on the peacock. This should be the origin of its name. Red prayer plant can also be called blue banana Five color Ge Yujin. The red prayer plant is actually a leaf ornamental plant. Its leaves also have a special habit, that is, all the leaves stretch out during the day and fold up at night, which has a special charm.

Red Prayer Plant Quick Info

Botanical/Scientific Name	Maranta Leuconeura
Common Name	Prayer plant,
Varieties	Red Prayer Plant,Green Prayer Plant,Pinstripe Calathea
Uses	Clear the air in your home
Origin	Brazil
Light Care	Bright, indirect light
Soil Care	Drier soil
Temperature Care	68-85 degrees during the day
Humidity Care	Lightly mist it every few days
Watering	Keep 25% of the soil is dry
Pruning Care	Clip the stems right above a leaf node
Fertilizer Care	Fertilize every 2 weeks during the growing season
Propagation	Take cuttings just below the nodes closest to the bottom of the stem
Toxic	Non-toxic to cats, dogs, and humans

Red Prayer Plant Care in Detail

Red Prayer Plant Watering

Red prayer plant likes a slightly wet environment. When the plant grows well, it should be given enough water. In spring and autumn, it can be watered every 5 days. We don't want ponding at the root of red prayer plant. When the temperature is low in winter, we will enter the sleeping period. We should control watering. Just look at the basin soil that is not too dry. When spring comes, we can water normally.
During the growth period, the red prayer plant shall ensure sufficient watering. Especially in summer, we should pay attention to maintaining the humidity of the soil. We also need to spray water on the leaves, which can not only maintain the humidity, but also reduce the temperature. The environment shall not be dry, the soil shall not be dry, and there shall be no ponding. The amount of water should be reduced until after autumn, so that the red prayer plant can withstand the cold and winter.

Red Prayer Plant Soil

Acidic soil is more suitable for planting red prayer plant. Of course, it should also have good drainage and loose and fertile humus soil. Sawdust, sand and rotten leaf soil can also be mixed in the ratio of 1:1:3 and mixed with base fertilizer. We should pay attention to placing coarse sand in the flowerpot before putting it on the red prayer plant. It should reach a height of 3cm, which is more conducive to drainage.

Red Prayer Plant Light

August is the growth period of the red prayer plant. We should place the red prayer plant in a cool and ventilated place and avoid direct sunlight. If the sun is too strong or the air is too dry, the leaves will dry up and the stripes of the red prayer plant will become dark. If the sun is not enough, the growth will not be beautiful, and the leaves will lose their brightness, so it is best to put it at the scattering place of the sun. In winter, the sun enters through the glass. In winter, it doesn't matter if the sun shines directly on the red prayer plant.

Red Prayer Plant Temperature

Red prayer plant likes half shade and cannot let direct sunlight. Red prayer plant likes to grow in a soft and slightly wet environment. It should be shaded to a certain extent during planting and keep the temperature between 12 ℃ and 30 ℃. Its temperature in winter is about 15 ℃. Red prayer plant is a vigorous growth season in spring and summer, We should keep a certain humidity in the air around the plants. If the humidity is not high, we can spray fog around the plants. The requirements for the growing soil are not particularly strict. As long as the appropriate humidity is maintained, the fertilizer shall be applied every two weeks when it grows well. In winter, the basin soil shall be slightly dried by the red prayer plant. We are reducing the number of fertilization. Most of the breeding is carried out by dividing roots, and we can also use cuttings.

Red Prayer Plant Humidity

If the red prayer plant is not fertilized enough, the red prayer plant will be small and short, and the leaves have no luster, so it needs to use thin fertilizer during the growth period. Once every half a month, we can mix phosphate fertilizer, nitrogen fertilizer and potassium fertilizer in the ratio of 1:2:2, which will deepen the color of leaves and make the red prayer plant more beautiful. In addition, we can't have too much nitrogen fertilizer. If liquid fertilizer is used, we can spray red prayer plant leaves once every half a month, which will be conducive to its germination and growth. Red prayer plant does not need fertilizer in summer and winter.
The suitable air humidity of red prayer plant is 70% ~ 75%, and the humidity requirement is higher when new leaves are growing. Therefore, we should fully water the red prayer plant in the growing season to keep the soil moist, but no ponding. In summer, we can spray water on the leaf surface 2 ~ 3 times a day, and spray water on the surrounding ground to humidify and cool down, so as to facilitate its growth. Watering should be controlled in winter, and the basin soil can be slightly wet. The indoor air in the north is dry in winter. Except that the leaf surface can be sprayed with water close to the room temperature around noon during the day, we'd better put a plastic film cover on the red prayer plant at night to keep warm and moisturize. In order to keep the leaves of red prayer plant fresh, clean and radiant, we can gently scrub the leaves with clean water every half a month.

Red Prayer Plant Fertilizer

We apply fertilizer to red prayer plant, especially in the season of vigorous growth, apply liquid fertilizer once a month to supplement the nutrients required by the plant, make the leaves of the plant more shiny, and apply potassium fertilizer as much as possible. When the red prayer plant is short of fertilizer, the plants will become short and inactive. Do not apply too much fertilizer to prevent fertilizer damage. After fertilization, you can water a small amount. In winter, we don't need to apply fertilizer to the red prayer plant, because at this time, the red prayer plant enters dormancy.
If the red prayer plant is not fertilized enough, the red prayer plant will be small and short, and the leaves have no luster, so it needs to use thin fertilizer during the growth period. Once every half a month, we can mix phosphate fertilizer, nitrogen fertilizer and potassium fertilizer in the ratio of 1:2:2, which will deepen the color of leaves and make the red prayer plant more beautiful. In addition, we can't have too much nitrogen fertilizer. If liquid fertilizer is used, we can spray red prayer plant leaves once every half a month, which will be conducive to its germination and growth. Red prayer plant does not need fertilizer in summer and winter.

Red Prayer Plant Pruning

We should prune the withered and yellow branches and leaves of red prayer plant in time. During the growth and breeding process of red prayer plant, withered and yellow branches and leaves may appear due to improper maintenance. We should trim the branches and leaves. During daily maintenance, if the red prayer plant is found to have withered and yellow branches and leaves, they can be cut off in time, which can reduce the consumption of nutrients and avoid affecting the beauty. Read More: Prayer Plant Yellow Leaves Causes & Solutions
Red prayer plant grows fast, so its branches and leaves are lush. The branches and leaves with irregular growth shall be cut off in time to avoid the old leaves blocking the deformation of new leaves. After pruning, it can not only make the plant more beautiful, but also enhance the light transmittance and air permeability, reduce the possibility of diseases and pests, and promote the healthy growth of red prayer plant in the later stage.
We're going to cut off too many roots of red prayer plant. After a period of growth, the root system of red prayer plant is relatively developed and can be trimmed. When changing the pot for peacock bamboo taro, you can cut off the dead and rotten roots first, and then properly cut the over dense and excessive root system to retain the healthy root system without affecting the root system's absorption of water and nutrients.
After trimming the red prayer plant, we should pay attention to maintenance. We can move the red prayer plant to a ventilated and cool place for maintenance. Don't water it first. Wait until the wound is healed before watering and replenishing water. Don't spray water mist to prevent the wound from getting wet and rotting. After adaptation, you can gradually increase the sun exposure to avoid sudden exposure of the red prayer plant.

Red Prayer Plant Repotting

When the red prayer plant is planted for 1-2 years, we need to change the pots. Generally, we change the pots when the plants are divided in spring. When the red prayer plant changes the pots, we also need to replace the old soil, add more nutritious new soil, cut off the residual roots and leaves of the red prayer plant, and replant them, which is more conducive to the growth of the red prayer plant.
If we want to change pots and soil for red prayer plant, we should first properly control the water and change the pots when the soil for planting peacock bamboo taro is slightly dry, so as not to damage the root system when the soil is too wet. When changing the pot, turn the pot upside down and take the plant out of the pot with the soil lump.
We can't replace all the soil of the red prayer plant. We should leave some protective soil, that is, we should remove the soil outside the soil lump by hand. If we find that the plants have rotten and shriveled fibrous roots, we should trim them in time and put the plants in a cool and ventilated place to dry.
Then we need to re prepare the pot soil. If the branches and leaves of the peacock plant grow vigorously, we can select a flower pot one circle larger than the original flower pot, pad a layer of ceramsite on the bottom of the pot, and then prepare loose and fertile nutrient soil, which can be mixed with rotten leaf soil and perlite.
We can pour half of the soil into the flowerpot, and sit the red prayer plant in the flowerpot with the core soil. Retaining the core soil is to retain the soil between the plant roots, then continue to fill the flowerpot, gently compact the soil by hand, and water it once.
For the well planted red prayer plant, we should move the potted plants to a cool and ventilated place and pay attention to the maintenance and ventilation of the environment. At ordinary times, we can weigh the weight of the basin soil by hand. When it feels obviously lighter, we can pour water, and gradually increase the light to scattered light after a week to maintain a high humidity maintenance environment.

Red Prayer Plant Pest & Disease Control

There are few diseases and insect pests in red prayer plant, but if the ventilation is poor and the air is dry, scale insects will also occur. We apply 1500 times dimethoate spray to control this disease in red prayer plant.
Red prayer plant may also suffer from leaf spot disease. At the initial stage of onset, yellow small particles are formed near the edge or in the center of the leaf, and gradually expand, deepen in color and turn to yellowish brown. There are obvious halos around the disease spots. With the expansion of the disease spots, the leaves of red prayer plant gradually dry and shrink, resulting in falling off and death. The pathogen is the spore of Deutschland's fungus. The causes of the disease are high temperature and humidity, poor air circulation, too dense placement of plants, many weeds and rotten leaves in the cultivation environment, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer, and plant overgrowth. Young people with red prayer plant tissue are prone to disease.
The prevention and treatment method of this red prayer plant disease is to strengthen fertilizer and water management, appropriately increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer and reduce nitrogen fertilizer, so as to promote plant growth and enrich and enhance its own resistance. We should also remove diseased leaves and weeds in time to reduce the source of infection. The red prayer plant is not easy to be placed too tightly. Proper ventilation and light transmission can reduce the humidity of the environment and reduce the incidence of diseases. When the red prayer plant is sick, we need to spray medicine for protection. The medicaments are: 50% carbendazim 600 times to 800 times; Or 75% chlorothalonil 600 times to 800 times; 50% mancozeb 500 to 600 times solution, every 7 to 10 days. Various drugs should act alternately to prevent drug resistance of red prayer plant bacteria.

Red Prayer Plant Propagation

Red Prayer Plant Cutting Propagation

The most suitable time for red prayer plant cutting propagation is summer. Select young branches with three leaves at the bottom as cuttings. You can mix peat ash and river sand as soil. To maintain soil humidity, roots will grow in half a month, and then you can plant red prayer plant cutting propagation in a pot.

Red Prayer Plant Division Propagation

Most red prayer plants adopt the root splitting method to propagate the next generation, because this method is simple and has high survival rate. The temperature is especially suitable in early summer every year. The temperature can be about 20 ° C in the red prayer plant. The temperature should not be too low, which will affect the survival of plants when dividing roots. Dig out the vigorous old plants, remove the soil and separate them at the place where the roots and stems are separated, so that they can be separated into pots. At this time, you can change the pots of the old plants. Grow in a comfortable climate for a week, and let the red prayer plant gradually move out in the sun for maintenance. We should control the watering when we divide the red prayer plant, and then conduct sufficient watering after it survives and stabilizes.
In early summer, we can cut the good branches of red prayer plant with 6-7 leaves on them, cut each 12cm branch as a spike, insert it into the soft soil and keep it slightly wet. In about a month and a half, red prayer plant can grow roots. At this time, we can plant it directly in pots. This method is also simple, That is, we should pay more attention when waiting for the red prayer plant to take root to prevent the branches from drying. We can put them in a dark place to grow, so as to avoid unnecessary damage.

Red Prayer Plant Varieties

Erythroneura, also called red nerve plant, has greenish black foliage marked with brilliant red midrib and lateral veins and feathered with a light greenish-yellow center. 
Kerochoviana, also referred to as rabbit’s foot, is a sprawling herbaceous plant with a vining habit. The upper surface of the foliage is variegated and velvety, with patchy brown splotches that turn dark green as the leaf matures.
Silver Feather Maranta (Black Leuconeura) has light grayish blue-green radiating lateral veins atop a greenish black background.

Red Prayer Plant Benefits

The efficacy of red prayer plant in removing formaldehyde is half that of Chlorophytum, but it is much higher than ordinary plants. In addition, red prayer plant is also an expert in removing ammonia pollution in the air (it can remove 0.86mg formaldehyde and 2.19mg ammonia within 10 square meters).
Red prayer plant has rich and colorful leaves, strong ornamental, and mostly shade plants, with strong negative tolerance and strong adaptability. It can be planted in the shade or roadside of courtyards and parks. Red prayer plant is applied to landscaping. The planting method of red prayer plant can be slice planting, cluster planting or combined with other plants. In the north, it can be cultivated in the ornamental greenhouse for landscaping and viewing. Due to its strong negative resistance and beautiful leaf color, red prayer plant can be directly planted in the corners of public places such as hotels, shopping malls and large venues for permanent layout. However, in the process of red prayer plant cultivation and management, we should appropriately supplement light and spray water on the leaf surface regularly to improve air humidity. (Find more best indoor hanging plants here.)

Red Prayer Plant Care FAQs

Is Red prayer plant toxic to cats

Red prayer plant is non-toxic. Although the red prayer plant has beautiful patterns and looks gorgeous and toxic, in fact, the red prayer plant is completely non-toxic, so people who want to keep the red prayer plant can safely keep it at home without fear of poisoning.

Red prayer plant leaves curling

Red prayer plant is a shade loving plant with low tolerance to strong light. If red prayer plant is placed in a place with strong light for a long time, its transpiration will be stronger, so a large amount of water will evaporate, and red prayer plant will be prone to curling and drying. Therefore, we should put the red prayer plant in a cool and astigmatic position when the sun is strong. Avoid direct sunlight and maintain it slowly. Soon its green leaves will stretch and be vibrant again.
Then we should maintain a good water supply. Red prayer plant likes a humid growth environment, which grows faster. Conversely, if the ambient air is dry, the growth of red prayer plant will be affected.
Especially during the high temperature and drought period in summer and autumn, red prayer plant is prone to water shortage, which leads to the phenomenon of dead branches and leaves. Therefore, spray can be carried out in summer and autumn to improve the air humidity, so that it can absorb moisture and maintain a strong state. But in the low temperature period in spring and winter, we should water less and keep the basin moist.
We should not over fertilize the red prayer plant. Red prayer plant needs more nutrients in the growing season, so we will fertilize it. However, if we fertilize too much, it is easy to burn roots, which is not conducive to the growth of red prayer plant, and it is easy to curl and dry. Therefore, during the peak growth season of red prayer plant, a small amount of fertilizer can be applied many times, so as to prevent root burning and make it grow vigorously.
However, in case of excessive fertilization, we should suspend fertilization or reduce fertilization, wash away the excessive fertilizer with water, and then place it in a semi cloudy environment. Soon, the red prayer plant will have tall and straight roots, green leaves and full of vitality!

Red prayer plant at night

The leaves of red prayer plant will stand up at night. In fact, this is a normal phenomenon, which means that the plant has sufficient water and grows well. At the place where the petiole of red prayer plant is connected with the blade, there is a structure called leaf pillow, which is mainly used to adjust the blade angle. When the water is sufficient, the red prayer plant leaves will stand up. When the water is insufficient, they will be flat. Generally, they will stand up after the rain and at night.