• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
keep your plants alive
  • Plant Care 101
    • Printable Plant Care Guides
    • By Plant Type
    • Glossary of Plant Terminology
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Subscribe!
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Plant Care 101
    • Printable Plant Care Guides
    • By Plant Type
    • Glossary of Plant Terminology
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Subscribe!
  • Shop
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Plant Care 101
    • Printable Plant Care Guides
    • By Plant Type
    • Glossary of Plant Terminology
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Subscribe!
  • Shop
×
Home » Latest Blog Posts » Plants by type » Prayer Plant » Calathea

Why your Calathea leaves are curling and how to fix it!

Published: Apr 25, 2023 · Modified: Apr 25, 2023 by Morgan · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Wondering why your calathea leaves are curling? Let's diagnose this common problem and get your plant healthy again!

Calatheas are super popular houseplants. They come in many varieties but most feature big, round leaves with gorgeous, colorful veining.

Theses plants are generally fairly easy to keep happy and a beautiful addition to any houseplant collection.

So, if your calathea plant isn't doing well, you might be a little puzzled.

Even easy plants can have problems and need some troubleshooting.

So, today we are going to chat about curling leaves on a calathea plant and what to do about them!

why are my calathea leaves curling up

More about calathea plants:

  • Peacock calathea care guide
  • Calathea Network care guide
  • Calathea roseopicta plant care guide
  • Why are my calathea leaves sticky?
  • Why are my calathea leaves curling?
  • Why does my calathea plant have brown tips?
  • Why is my calathea drooping?
  • Why are my calathea leaves turning yellow?

Free printable Calathea care guide

Join the (free!) KeepYourPlantsAlive+ community to access this exclusive printable plant care guide! Once you sign up, you can right click & save the JPG care guide. Or keep scrolling for more!

peacock plant plant care guide

Why are my calathea leaves curling?

Curling leaves on your calathea plant usually indicate that the plant is having watering problems.

These plants store water in their thick leaves. When the soil runs out of moisture that they can pull from, they start "drinking" the water reserves in their leaves, and they dry up.

Remember - some calathea leaves open and close every night (like praying hands - hence the name prayer plant). This is not what we are talking about.

Curling leaves will curl in from the edges and stay curled all day long.

Leaves curling inwards - cupping

If your calathea plant leaves are curling upwards and forming little cups, this usually means that the plant is soggy. That could indicate over watering, poor drainage, root rot, or low light.

Check out our guide on how to drill drainage holes in a ceramic pot!

Leaves curling outwards - doming

If your calathea plant leaves are curling downwards and forming domes, that usually indicates dryness. This could be caused by under watering, lack of humidity, too high of temperatures, too much of a draft. It can also be caused by lack of nutrients.

Calathea roseopicta plant in a pot

How to tell what's wrong with your calathea

If you suspect that there is a watering problem with your calathea, it's easy to tell if the plant is over watered or under watered.

Simply feel the soil with your hand. If it feels wet, especially on the surface of the soil and you haven't watered it in a while, it's probably overwatered. If the soil feels very hard, compact and dry, it is probably under watered.

calathea network plant

How to fix curling calathea leaves

Here are a few of the things you can check out to fix your curling calathea.

New leaves

New leaves curling? Don't panic! It's natural for new leaves to take a little while to unfurl. This is 100% normal for calathea plants.

Over watering

Over watering will make your plant sad. Plants absorb water and oxygen through their roots. Too much water in the soil means the roots can't get any oxygen and will suffocate and die.

If your roots start cupping upwards, that could indicated that your plant is over watered. The plant might also get yellow leaves, drop leaves, or get black mushy spots on the leaves.

Check your soil - if it is very wet, the plant is over watered.

You can use one of these methods to dry out the existing soil. But, if the soil is VERY wet and the plant is mad about it, I suggest repotting.

Pull the plant out gently and dump all of the soil. Re-pot (the same pot is fine) with fresh soil.

Be sure to add drainage to the pot and let the plant dry out more between waterings.

potted peacock calathea

Soggy roots (drainage)

This is highly related to overwatering, but if your pot does not have proper drainage, that can cause curling of the leaves.

A plant in a pot needs big drainage holes to avoid pooling water that can rot the roots. Here's our guide on how to drill holes in a ceramic pot!

Too much sun

Too much sun can dry out your plant and make the leaves wilt and look sad. If the leaves start to curl downward, it could indicate it's getting too much sun.

Even if your watering is on a great schedule, plants in full sun will dry out more and quicker than plants in indirect sun or shade.

Check the soil - is it very dry and hard? If so, you will want to break it up a bit or even add fresh potting mix before watering. Or, just re-pot in fresh soil.

Move you plant from south facing windows to west or east facing windows for gentler light!

Humidity

Calathea love humidity! If the air is very dry, you can increase humidity levels. Mist your plant, add a humidifier, or place a tray of water nearby!

Humidity (or lack thereof) is one of the top killers of calathea. It's super important to keep them in a humid environment to keep them happy!

verigation on calathea peacock leaves

Lack of circulation

If your air is very stagnant, that could cause plant leaves to curl. Consider placing a fan nearby to create a bit of a breeze. This can also help if the soil is growing mold or attracting gnats!

Lack of Nutrients

Plants need nutrients as well as water and light. Calathea can sometimes get a nitrogen deficiency, leading to curling leaves.

Give your calathea a houseplant fertilizer once a month during the warm growing season to help with nutrients!

Root problems

The roots are how plants absorb their food. If the plant is root bound, the roots are too crowded in the pot and can't get enough nutrients. Move it to a pot 1-2 inches larger and throw in some fresh potting soil while you are at it!

If the plant has been over watered, it could have root rot. The roots would be black, mushy, and stinky. Remove rotten roots and repot in fresh soil.

Pests

Calathea definitely tend to attract pests, especially spider mites.

Check the underside of the leaves for a sticky white substance. This indicates that the bug has been there sucking the sap out of the plant leaves.

Any more questions about your calathea?

Thanks for reading!

About Me Plant picture
Morgan mcbride headshot
Morgan

Hey there, I'm Morgan, a houseplant enthusiast from sunny Charleston, South Carolina. Growing up surrounded by my mom's lush orchids and African violets, I discovered the magic of bringing nature indoors. Thanks to the pandemic, I delved deeper into houseplants, discovering their power to uplift moods and transform spaces. I'm here to spill all my secrets, helping you pick the perfect houseplant - and make it happy. Let's keep your plants alive, together! 😊

More Calathea

  • Calathea roseopicta plant care guide
    Calathea roseopicta plant care guide
  • why is my calathea drooping
    Why is my calathea drooping & how to fix it!
  • why is my calathea turning yellow
    Why is my calathea turning yellow?
  • Why does my calathea have brown spots
    Why does my calathea have brown spots?

Sharing is caring!

Primary Sidebar

About Me Plant picture

Welcome!

Thank you for joining me on my plant-filled adventure here in Charleston, South Carolina! I'm obsessed with my houseplants and keeping my garden green. I want to teach you my secrets and empower you to keep your plants alive, happy, and healthy.

More about me

Popular

  • how to propagate a ficus altissima
    How to Propagate Ficus Altissima in Water (So Easy, It’s Addictive!)
  • the best plants and gardening shopping deals
    Prime Day Plant & Garden Deals (updated list!)
  • how to revive plants using kitchen staples
    How to Revive a Dying Houseplant Using Only Kitchen Staples
  • the best plants and gardening shopping deals
    Black Friday Plant & Garden Deals (updated list!)

Seasonal

  • Monstera Standleyana Plant Care Guide
    Monstera Standleyana Plant Care Guide
  • purple houseplants
    The Best Purple Houseplants
  • facts about jade plant
    7 Things You Didn't Know About Your Jade Plant
  • 9 things to know about jade plant
    9 Things Every Jade Plant Owner Should Know

Footer

Browse by category

Plant Care
Propagation

Plants by type
Troubleshooting

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 keep your plants alive on the Cravings Pro Theme