Okay, so I’ve been messing around with Calatheas for a while now, and let me tell you, figuring out their temperature sweet spot has been a journey! I started noticing some crispy edges and yellowing leaves, and I was like, “What’s going on?!” So, I began the deep dive to ensure my calathea lives a happy long life.
My Calathea Temperature Experiment
First, I grabbed a couple of thermometers. I wanted one right near the plant and another one a bit further away to get a sense of the general room temperature. I wanted to see the bigger picture.
I placed my Calathea in a spot that I thought was pretty good – indirect light, seemed warm enough. I started tracking the temperature daily, making notes in a little notebook. Old school, I know, but it works!
Initially, the temperature was fluctuating quite a bit. During the day, it was hitting around 75°F (24°C), which seemed okay. But at night, it was dipping down to like 60°F (15°C) because, you know, I like to save on heating bills! I thought the plant may survive, but I was very wrong.
- Week 1: Noticed the leaves starting to curl a little. Temperature swings were pretty wild.
- Week 2: More curling, some yellowing at the edges. Uh oh. Started to suspect the temperature drops were the culprit.
- Week 3: Definitely saw a correlation between the cooler nights and the plant looking sad. Time to make some changes!
So, I decided to try and stabilize things. I moved the Calathea to a slightly warmer room, one that I keep a bit more consistently heated. I also started using a small space heater at night, just to keep the temperature from dropping below 65°F (18°C). Nothing fancy, just something to take the chill off.
And guess what? It worked! Slowly but surely, the Calathea started to perk up. The new leaves weren’t curling as much, and the yellowing stopped spreading. It was like the plant was saying, “Thank you, finally!”
Now, I keep a pretty close eye on the thermometer. I aim to keep the temperature between 68°F and 78°F (20-26°C) most of the time. If it gets a little warmer during the day, that seems to be fine, but I make sure it never gets too cold at night. It’s all about that consistency!
So, from my little experiment, I learned that Calatheas really do appreciate a stable, warm environment. Don’t let them get too chilly, especially at night! Keep an eye on those temperature swings, and your Calathea will probably thank you with lush, happy leaves.
