Why Is My Prayer Plant Drooping? [Factors & What to Do]

P rayer plants are one of the most popular houseplants around. They’re easy to care for and add a splash of color to any room. But, sometimes, prayer plants start drooping for no apparent reason, so what’s going on?

Prayer plants can start drooping due to an inadequate watering schedule, too much light intensity, failure to maintain warm temperatures between 65°-85°F (18°C-30°C), poor soil quality, and not feeding the plants with natural fertilizers.

It may seem as though all plants need is water, but prayer plants require special care to keep them alive and healthy. Don’t worry–I’m here to help. Keep reading to know the reasons behind why your prayer plant is drooping and how to get it back to its healthy self!

Table of Contents

Factors Affecting a Prayer Plant To Droop

Prayer plants are named according to the way they fold their leaves at night, like praying and opening up again after sunrise. These are also known as “wish plants” because they were used as a way to make wishes come true.

“Prayer Plant” is a common name for several plants in the genus “Maranta.” The specific species, M. Hispida and M. Hecla are commonly known as “Prayer Plants.” These plants are native to South America and require high humidity to thrive.

These plants usually have one or more leaves that are folded at the top, and they often droop at night. But there are many reasons why prayer plants droop during the day.

The most common causes are excessive water, light, lack of nutrients, temperature, etc. Therefore, it is important to identify the cause and correct it before the plant starts dying.

Let’s look at the factors influencing droopiness in a prayer plant.

The Plant Is Provided With Too Much Water or Light

It is essential to know that prayer plants are not usually capable of standing up to excess water or light. Plants need to be able to stand on their own, and they are also more susceptible to drooping when they are over-hydrated or overexposed to sunlight.

If the plant is watered too often, it may cause the roots to rot and die. Excess water causes the plant to bend excessively, which can be fatal for it because the leaves might turn yellow and start to die from a lack of nutrients.

Excess light causes the plant to droop and turn yellow, which can also be fatal because it may not get enough nutrients and die from malnutrition.

You will need a small bowl or cup with a saucer to water your plant. It would help if you also had a spray bottle or watering can nearby. Fill the cup with enough water for it to overflow slightly from the saucer, and then gently pour it onto the roots of your plant.

If you have a spray bottle, use it to mist your plant’s leaves every two weeks for humidity control and more oxygen in their leaves.

The next step is to make sure that your prayer plant is getting enough light exposure during the daytime and darkness at night time. You should place your prayer plant in an area that receives natural sunlight during the day, but it should also be in a dark area at night time.

Pro Tip: Remember not to let your prayer plant get direct sunlight, as it can burn the leaves.

If you’re in Nevada or Arizona, where the soil is dry, your prayer plants will need less water. While living in a humid state like Florida or Louisiana, you’ll have to keep an eye on your plants more often because they can run into some severe problems, such as insect infestations.

Usually, these types of issues can be fixed by placing the plant in a dark place and stopping over-watering or over-lightening it. It is best to keep the prayer plant in a self-watering pot if you tend to be a traveling kind of person or don’t have the time to water it regularly.

If your plant is droopy and not looking good, it might be overwatered. You can always check the bottom of the pot for moisture using your finger. If you see moisture on the bottom of the pot, like a pool or a puddle, it has probably been overwatered for too long and needs to be re-watered soon.

To protect the plant from direct sunlight, it is best to keep it indoors, preferably behind a curtain away from excessive sunlight.

You Are Using Poor Quality Soil for the Plant

Plants are very sensitive to their environment and the soil they grow in. If the soil is too thin, it can cause the plant to break off at the soil line. If mixed with too much clay, it can cause root problems.

When a plant is planted in poor-quality soil, many problems can arise. The plant might have trouble getting nutrients or water and could even die before it reaches maturity.

The plant is not getting enough nutrients to grow properly. This can be fixed by adding more compost or soil amendments to the pot. The roots of the plant will then have a better chance of absorbing nutrients from the soil.

The other issue that causes this dip in quality is the lack of drainage in the pot. This can be fixed by adding more perlite or vermiculite to improve drainage.

It is best to remove your prayer plant and re-pot it in a high-quality mix of soil with all the proper nutrients. For better results, mix it with natural fertilizers once every two weeks.

Prayer plants need to be watered three times a week. But don’t let the soil dry out completely because this could cause root rot.

The Drooping Is Caused by Altering the pH Level in the soil

Like all plants, prayer plants also react to the pH level of the soil. Soil with a high pH level is alkaline, while soil with a low pH level is acidic. It will not be able to absorb water and nutrients from the ground, leading to dehydration and death.

The most common cause of a drooping prayer plant is too much alkalinity in the soil. This happens when there are too many nutrients from fertilizers or manure in the soil, which change its pH level.

The plant will then start to droop because it needs more oxygen than is available due to an excess of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gas produced by decomposing organic matter in the topsoil.

In order to prevent this, it’s essential to maintain a pH level of around 6.5 and avoid direct sunlight or watering during the day.

The Plant Isn’t Receiving Sufficient Humidity

Prayer plants are meant to absorb negative energy from people and their surroundings, so if you notice that your prayer plant has become droopy, it could be because there’s not enough humidity in your area.

Alternatively, it could be in an area with high humidity but with no ventilation, causing the leaves to rot and fall off.

The best way to maintain proper humidity levels is to keep the temperature between 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit (18-30 degrees Celsius).

The Plant Has Been Affected by Insect Pests

Prayer plants are sensitive to insect pests and can often droop due to the damage caused by insects.

Prayer plants are susceptible to pests like aphids, thrips, whiteflies, mealybugs, and even ants that cause them to droop or even die. These insects damage the plant by sucking the sap or plant’s nutrients from its leaves.

In order to prevent damage from insects, homeowners should inspect and take care of their prayer plants regularly and remove any insects they find. They should also make sure they remove dead leaves from the bottom of the plant so that it has a clean surface to grow from.

Also, if there’s any injured stem or damaged leaf on the plant, you should straighten it out, support the stem, and avoid any further physical damage if it’s done by you or any of your family members.

In order to prevent the future destruction of your prayer plant, it is important to keep it healthy. You can do this by regularly watering the plant and using fertilizer. If you notice that your plant is drooping, you should water and fertilize it more often.

Conclusion

Prayer plants are low-maintenance because they thrive in warm, humid conditions. The only thing they require is sufficient humidity, a predictable watering schedule, and a proper mix of soil, along with adequate natural fertilizer feed once every two weeks.

In order to have a healthy prayer plant, it needs to avoid harsh sunlight, bug infestation, and highly alkaline soil. Prayer plants are easy to care for and require very little maintenance from their owner. They need lots of light but don’t need much water or attention–just be sure not to over-water them!