We call it a prayer plant because it can close and open its leaves, just like a person praying. Many prayer plants close their leaves at night and open in the morning. What about the lemon lime prayer plant? What should you do to grow this plant and take care of it?
The prayer plant or maranta plant is a gorgeous houseplant you should grow at home because of its gorgeous foliage. Lemon lime has a lovely look when you plant it inside a hanging basket or in a floor planter. If you are interested in growing this beautiful plant, there will be some formulas you must know.
Lemon Lime Prayer Plant Propagation
There are two ways to start propagating a maranta plant. The first one is via stem cuttings and the other way is via root division. This is the best way to propagate lemon lime plants.
You should use a healthy stem from another lemon lime and then locate the point that connects the steam and the leaf, this is known as the node. Cut the healthy stem using sharp and sterilized scissors, right under the leaf node. And then follow some steps below.
- Dip the cutting end in water and the rooting hormone. This is going to help the cutting root faster. But you can always skip the rooting hormone step.
- Get your soil mixture ready and plant the cutting in it. Water the soil mixture well so that the cutting will stay moist at all times.
- Cover the container or pot with plastic and get a mini greenhouse. The greenhouse will make sure that there is high humidity for the cutting.
- Make ventilation by making some holes in the cover. The holes will let the stem cutting soak some sunlight.
- Place it in a sunny location. When the roots reach a more extended size (at least an inch), you can now transplant the cutting to a new container or pot.
How To Care for A Lemon Lime Prayer Plant
Is it easy to grow a lemon lime prayer plant? As long as you know the formula, growing a maranta plant will be super easy. You should provide the right soil mixture, know when to water the plant, what kind of temperature it likes, and so on. Below is everything you should know before planting.
● Soil Mixture
A lemon lime plant can grow in any potting mix for a houseplant. But if this is your first time growing a houseplant, you may want to mix a part of potting soil with a part of perlite and a part of peat moss or coconut coir. Make sure this lemon lime prayer plant soil is well draining.
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● Watering
One thing you should keep in mind is that the maranta plant doesn’t like to dry. Create a watering schedule to keep your lemon lime healthy and happy. Water the plant when you see the leaves of the lemon lime plant start curling towards the plant’s center.
● Light
Before placing your lemon lime prayer plant in a location, make sure you filter the bright sunlight. The maranta plant is not going to tolerate direct sunlight. Direct sunlight is going to scorch the plant’s leaves and kill the beautiful plant. The best location for the plant is close to shaded windows.
● Temperature
Another lemon lime prayer plant care guide is providing the right temperature for the plant. This maranta plant would love to grow in a location where the temperature is between 15.5 and 26.7 degrees Celsius or 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures will damage the plant’s leaves.
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● Humidity
Just like many other maranta plants, lemon lime also loves higher humidity. To make sure the plant gets enough humidity is by mist the lemon lime plant regularly. Or you can set up a tray or container of water. When the water evaporates, it will raise the level of humidity.
● Fertilizer
Fertilizers are going to help your lemon lime prayer plant grow steadily. Feed the plant every two weeks, starting from spring to autumn. Use high-quality fertilizer. Cheap fertilizer is going to damage the plant. Reduce or skip the quantity of fertilizer in winter since your plant won’t grow much.
● Pruning
Trim the diseased or yellowing foliage and you will promote the plant’s new growth. Pruning will improve the plant’s appearance while encouraging new and vigorous growth. There is no schedule to prune your lemon lime. But the most ideal time to prune the plant is in the spring.
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Lemon Lime Plant’s Common Problems
Just like many other plants, your lemon lime may face some problems. There are some common problems faced by the lemon lime maranta plants.
● Spider Mites
Spider mites are hardly visible since they have a super tiny size. But these mites leave webbings on your plant’s leaves and then make the leaves look dusty. Spider mites may have black, brown, or green colors. The enemy of spider mites is the high humidity. Make sure your lemon lime gets proper humidity.
● Mealybugs
You need to eradicate mealybugs as soon as you see them because mealybugs spread easily to surfaces of the same plant or the other plants. You can eradicate the mealybugs by using alcohol and cotton balls. Soak your cotton balls in alcohol and then use them to dab the bugs.
● Brown Leaf Tips
If you see curly or brown leaf tips, the lemon lime prayer plant shows you that it is exposed to too much sunlight. Your plant benefits from filtered water. Stop using tap water since the browning may be the effect of salts like chlorine found in the tap water.
● Leaf Spot
The plant suffers from leaf spot disease if there is a water-soaked spot on the surfaces of the leaves. The condition may damage your plant’s foliage severely and kill the plant if you don’t treat the plant immediately. Avoid overwatering to reduce the disease’s spread.
Also, avoid leaving the leaves wet for a long time. Always clean the plant’s leaves by using neem oil when you have to treat infections.
The Lemon lime prayer plant is gorgeous and is easy to care for. All you need to do is make sure that the plant gets enough water, humidity, and filtered sunlight. Follow the entire tips on this page and you will keep your favorite plant growing beautifully.
