New prayer plant owner! Questions.

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by Nayetopps, Mar 11, 2010.

  1. Nayetopps

    Nayetopps Member

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    San Diego, Ca
    Hello! I finally FINALLY got my prayer plants! I've been looking for this plant for a while now and finally thought to look on eBay. Success! I received the herringbone variety and the rabbit track variety. I love them. They're beautiful!

    I've done a lot of reading on them and I know that they like a lot of humidity and moist soil. However, I have a cat that enjoys eating my little plants so all my plants are in hanging baskets. It works out well since I have many of my plants under a parially blocked skylight. I'm curious as to how to keep the humidity up for my prayer plants.
    Currently they are resting after their adventure from Ohio, I haven't repotted them yet since I got them yesterday. They're in the basket that they will eventually live in, which is situated very close to my spider plant and pothos that take up residence under the skylight. They're not touching or anything so I can't imagine that this will help with humidity??

    Does anyone have any ideas as to how to keep humidity up for a hanging plant? What about misting? I read that a daily misting would be appreciated but I'm not sure. I just want these beautiful plants to thrive.

    Also, I know it's soon after their shilling, but should I be worried that they didn't really close up last night? I just figured they are a little out of whack since they spent a couple days in a box.

    I know I've asked a lot of questions and written an essay, but I just discovered my live for houseplants last year and I'm still kind of "green". The prayer plant will probably be a lot more involved than my super forgiving pothos and spiderplants!

    Thank you for any help!!
     
  2. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I have had a rabbit track one for many years. I have it near other plants, so it gets some humidity from them, but I don't do anything special for it. I was told not to let it get too dry. Once a year, around January, it sends up some new shoots, just as the old growth is looking ratty. As soon as it does that, I cut all the old growth back to the soil line. By spring, it always looks beautiful.
     
  3. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    Misting will help but if your climate is dry it won't last long. If you have an aquarium or a source of water in the room hang the plants above those sources. If not, you can add plastic trays used to catch excess water or any attractive pot that will hold water beneath the pots to increase the humidity in the vicinity of the plant to a degree. An inexpensive humidity machine also helps.

    By the way, your "Pothos" is probably a species known as Epipremnum aureum. It is a climbing vine and will morph as it grows. The plant will display better if given a tall totem to climb, just make sure the soil is fast draining and remains evenly moist.

    http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Epipremnum aureum pc.html
     

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