Light: Prayer Plants do well in medium to high light, but no direct sun. When there is not enough light, the leaves of a Prayer Plant close at night and do not fully open during the day. When a Prayer Plant gets too much light, the color in the leaves starts to fade.

Water: Keep the soil of a Prayer Plant moist but never soggy. Unlike most houseplants, a Prayer Plant does not like to dry out before you water.

fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.  : A Prayer Plant is an acid loving houseplant. Feed a Prayer Plant with a basic houseplant food like Miracid, at ½ the recommended strength, every two weeks in the spring and summer. It’s not necessary to fertilize a Prayer Plant in the winter and fall. A Prayer Plant will love your extra tea.

Temperature: A Prayer Plant prefers normal household temperatures between 60-80 degrees. Lower temperatures can damage the leaves.

Humidity: Since a Prayer Plant likes a very humid environment, the humidity in ours homes is often too low. Increase the humidity around a Prayer Plant by grouping plants together, putting a small humidifier or bowl of water near the plant, or setting a Prayer Plant on a tray filled with water and small stones. Be sure the Prayer Plant is sitting on the pebbles and not in the water.