The gorgeous and highly sought-after lemon lime prayer plant is such a wonderful addition to any home or office space that it can be devastating to watch it fading away to nothingness.
If you are struggling to keep your Maranta leuconeura thriving, there are plenty of tips and tricks to bring it back to life and keep it in great shape.
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A Lemon Lime Prayer Plant Is a Great Choice for Your Home or Office
Native to the forest floor, the lemon lime prayer plant is perfect in a bright corner out of direct sunlight, in a bathroom or kitchen, or pretty much anywhere it won’t get burnt by the sun.
You can decorate by putting it in a neutral-color pot and surrounding it with other, more muted color plants. It is great for purifying the air, and it is an excellent source of positive, gracious feng shui flow.
You can’t go wrong with a Maranta leuconeura plant in your space, which is why it is so important to keep it alive.
Signs of a Dying Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
The lemon lime prayer plant shows the same signs of distress or dying as most plants. Those are:
- Crisping or burning leaves
- Yellowing or wilting leaves
- Soggy soil
- Fungus
- Visible pests
Common Causes of a Dying Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
The lemon lime prayer plant may be dying for a few reasons, including:
- Underwatering
- Overwatering
- Temperature too low
- Too much sun
- Too little humidity
You will rarely have to worry about the lemon lime prayer plant dying due to too little sun or too little water, though it can happen.
Watering Needs of a Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
As long as you keep an eye on your lemon lime prayer plant and don’t neglect it, it is unlikely your plant is underwatered. The biggest issue is ensuring it is not overwatered.
For more on this topic, take a look at this article on watering mistakes that might be killing your plant.
To help you on your watering journey with this and all plants, it is a good idea to learn to test your soil. Simply stick your finger in the soil. If it is fully dry, you know your plant needs to be watered. If it is still moist, the Maranta leuconeura is good to go for a while longer.
Am I Underwatering My Lemon Lime Prayer Plant?
Burning or crisping leaves are the signs of an underwatered lemon lime prayer plant. In addition, the soil may be hard-packed and tight.
Restoring Water to Your Underwatered Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
If you notice your plant is underwatered, simply clip off any burnt or crispy sections and water the soil all the way through until the water drips out of the bottom. Then pay closer attention to the soil going forward.
Am I Overwatering My Lemon Lime Prayer Plant?
Signs of overwatering your lemon lime prayer plant, which is much more likely than underwatering, will show up as mushy stems, wilting leaves, pests, and root rot.
Restoring Balance to Your Overwatered Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
If you have overwatered your lemon lime prayer plant, you can always wait a bit longer before watering it and place it in more direct sunlight until the soil is dry.
If it has been severely overwatered to the point of root rot, you should remove the plant from the pot and cut away any rotting stems and roots.
Lay the root ball out on a screen in the sunlight until it dries up thoroughly then repot the plant in indoor houseplant soil and check the soil for moisture before you water it.
Soil Needs of a Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
This gorgeous, vibrant plant with its rich colors only requires a light, indoor houseplant soil with a bit of perlite so the roots can spread out in their own space. You can place the pot on a plate of pebbles with water but be sure the pot does not sit in standing water.
Soil Drainage Needs for a Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
Lemon lime prayer plants have simple needs when it comes to soil. Provide it with soil that isn’t too heavy and doesn’t have too much peat in it. Check the soil regularly, and your lemon lime prayer plant will be a happy plant.
Resolving Soil Drainage Issues for a Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
If you notice your lemon lime prayer plant’s soil is too heavy and holding too much water, repot the plant in a lighter, perlite indoor houseplant soil.
Lighting Needs of a Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
When it comes to lighting, remember the lemon lime prayer plant is a native forest floor plant, so it requires indirect light, like what it would get through the cover of taller trees.
Resolving Lighting Issues for a Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
To adjust the lighting for your plant, move it away from or closer to a large window. You will know it is getting too much light if the leaves are burning, and you will know it is getting too little light if the colors are starting to fade.
Pests or Diseases that Can Cause Issues with a Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
The Maranta leuconeura is usually only susceptible to pests when it gets overwatered. Look especially for spider mites if the plant gets too dry and fungus gnats if the plant has been overwatered.
The first trick to ridding your plant of pests is to spray the plant liberally with neem oil, which will cause them to slip and slide off your plant. Next, resolve the watering issues to ensure the bugs are not attracted to your plant again.
Fake Lemon Lime Prayer Plants May Be an Additional Consideration
Finally, if you’re struggling to keep your lemon lime prayer plant alive, but you still want to have one around, consider investing in an artificial lemon lime prayer plant.
You can still get many of the benefits of this pretty plant with none of the hassle. And if you’re worried about being on trend, check out my article on whether artificial plants and flowers are tacky.
What do you think? Have you had success with a lemon lime prayer plant? Let me know in the comments.
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