There is a valid reason why prayer plants remain common indoor plants. A lemon-lime maranta plant has stunning foliage that attracts people with its designs that appear to have been sculpted on them. It’s important to consider the green Marantaceae specie if you are starting as a novice in gardening houseplants. It is considerably less picky than any of its ruby siblings and numerous other types of prayer-plants.
Lemon Lime Maranta: Appearance
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Maranta lemon-lime has a height of approximately 1 foot, and the plant itself expands around a 14 inches diameter.
The lovely, multicolored leaves of the maranta lemon prayer Plant shut and open in a routine. Oval in form, the huge, lovely lime green fronds are quite attractive.
The burgundy and green patterns on the leaves with thick veins on all sides of the leaves create wonderful patterns.
Due to the capacity to both open and close leaves, the lemon-lime maranta plants are called prayer plants. The majority of types have leaves that open in the daytime and retract at nightfall. The term “prayer plant” comes from the lovely fronds’ resemblance to praying hands.
Origin of Lemon lime prayer plant
This Marantaceae botanical family, which also includes Marantas, Calathea, Ctenanthe, and Stromanthe, includes this particular species. These plants are all indigenous throughout Brazil, Asia, and Africa. Other names for the tropical perennial species include:
Red-Veined Prayer Plant
Lemon Lime Maranta
Ten-Commandments
Green Prayer Plant
Cathedral Windows
Rabbit Tracks
Prayer Plant
Herringbone Plant
Lemon lime prayer plant: Plant Care
Simply due to their lovely leaves, maranta lemon lime plants are among the most attractive indoor plants to cultivate. Inside a hanging pot or tabletop planter, Lemon Lime appears absolutely stunning. Even though this plant could be picky regarding where it grows in certain climates, anybody can cultivate it anywhere if one knows what it needs.
Watering
Water a Maranta lemon lime with rainfall if it is outside, or use filtered water that does not contain chlorine. Furthermore, it is important to use water that is not too cold or hot because these are delicate plants. Refrain from using tap water because it has pollutants.
Since Lemon Lime Maranta is really a thirsty plant, one must never allow the soil to become too dry. Whenever the top few centimeters of the topsoil seem dry, properly hydrate the area with excessive watering. However, make sure the water drains out of the few holes completely.
Never let the plant remain in damp or soggy soil because doing so will cause root rot. Use a pot containing a drainage hole, so excess water gets out. It is not recommended to mist frequently since this can result in the growth of fungal or bacterial infections.
Light
In principle, it’s better to keep plants from the Marantaceae genus, often known as the prayer plant species, away from bright areas. Prayer plants can curl their leaves to shield themselves from too much bright light.
If the plant starts to curl up, check for pests immediately, and afterwards, relocate it a little farther away from direct sunlight. The ideal lighting is indirect light or filtered light source.
Humidity
Like some other variants of such a family, this Maranta Lemon Lime prefers high moisture content. Keep in mind that almost all Marantaceae species demand high humidity. By periodically spraying the plant, one may be certain of this.
The easiest method to create high humidity is to mist the maranta lemon-lime or put it in the bathroom because that room is damp.
An excellent option will be to use the pebble tray if the level is below 65%. You might, however, alternatively, buy a humidifier.
Temperature
Prayer plant lemon Lime needs to reside in a place with plenty of indirect light with constant mild temperatures (between 60 and 70 ° F).
Avoid direct sunlight on the Maranta plant as this could promote leaf scorching and sometimes even lead to death.
The Maranta lemon lime can withstand the winter within USDA hardiness regions 11 and beyond. However, the foliage of the maranta lemon plants can become damaged at conditions below 60 ℉.
Soil
One can either make a homemade potting mix of equal portions of perlite, potting soil and peat moss or buy a high-quality ready-made variety.
One can cultivate a Lemon Lime Maranta Plant in the lawn if they reside in some kind of tropical area.
If one chooses this, modify the soil mix by adding organic compost and coarse sand to produce a lightweight, breezy, well-draining mixture with pH levels between 5.5 and 6.
Also, always use fresh soil. There must be soil moisture in the mix so that direct sun does not dry it out completely.
Fertilizer
With soil slightly moist, another important thing is fertilizer. Since this plant doesn’t consume a lot of food, a half-strength organically balanced fertilizer will be sufficient. Maybe once every month, even during Maranta lemon plant’s growing season, feed.
Always exercise extreme caution when fertilizing the plant because it is delicate and could wind up with scorched leaf tips. For delicate plants, using a soil supplement like vermicompost is much better than using a liquid fertilizer.
Pruning
You’ll probably need to prune the maranta lemon lime plant at some time to prevent it from growing too big and to enhance its beauty.
Use a set of tidy, accurate pruning shears and scissors if you need to trim a piece along the stalk.
When the plant is actively growing, the summer or spring seasons are the best times to prune and remove stem cuttings.
Any stem cuttings you get when cutting the shrub can be used to replant it, providing your friends or family with beautiful new baby plants.
Propagation: Maranta lemon lime plant
Using Stem cuttings
Take a strong stem off the plant, ideally one with three sets of leaves. Use a fresh set of pruners or a pair of well-sharpened scissors for everything.
Pull back the bottom green leaves to expose a little bit of a stalk.
Place the Lemon lime maranta’s cut edge in the rooting mixture and submerge.
Make a small aperture by poking the planting material.
Place the lemon-lime maranta snip there and compact the potting soil around it.
Firmly hydrate the planting material.
You shouldn’t anticipate seeing a fully formed plant very soon because they are slow-growing plants.
Using Root Division
The Lemon lime plant should be divided into various parts. To accomplish this, carefully pry its root ball first from the ground.
Examine and remove the injured brown roots with a fresh set of garden shears.
Cut away a part without injuring the roots. There ought to be several roots and, at minimum, one leaf and a stem for each part.
These parts should each be potted in a tiny pot. Select a pot type and quantity based on desired sections.
During the first days, maintain the freshly planted marantas in warm, wet, and humid to encourage new development.
Common Pests Problems With Lemon lime Maranta
Among significant problems brought on due to overwatering, root binding, and overfeeding is tiny pests’ infestation, notably fungal infections. The fungi thrive in the excessively moist soil and eat the decaying roots. Most of these are common occurrences in both indoor and outdoor plants.
You can solve this issue on your own by keeping the soil dry (check if the top layer of the soil is dry using your finger) and spraying the maranta lemon lime with a hydrogen peroxide solution to eliminate the fungi.
Spider mites
A common and extremely tiny pest is a spider mite, which feeds on the cell sap of your lemon lime plant and causes it to dry out.
Take your Maranta outdoors and rinse it to take care of the spider mite problem. You will do this to get rid of the tiny pests that eat the sap’s liquids. Ethanol or Neem oil can be sprayed near the plant to prevent spider mites from coming back.
Both neem oil and alcohol are effective insect repellents. To promote the development of new leaves, trim any broken leaves as well.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs, or little bugs of white color that flourish on indoor houseplants in warm, humid climates, produce a white powdery substance all over the leaves of lemon-lime plants.
Additionally, they lay their eggs near the leaves and wherever the branches join the stem. The insects consume the leaf sap as well.
Some microbes make it much more difficult to identify since they camouflage in the pots’ bases and dirt. Usually, the first evident sign is a single mealybug or perhaps a trail of ants.
Mealybugs get their name from their powdery appearance and oily covering, making them tiny cotton puffs which ensures the soil remains moist.
Mealybugs prefer warm environments, and they are especially dangerous to tropical indoor plants that are hardy in USDA zones greater than 9. These zones typically have shallow roots.
The female adult Mealybugs can reproduce about 500 eggs every time they go into hatching season, so you see them grow rapidly in front of your eyes.
If the invasion is severe, the leaves may exhibit abnormalities and start to deteriorate, wilt, and die. It is usually desirable to have young, fragile leaves, which slows the plant’s growth.
Mealybugs are a particular species of scale bug belonging to the Pseudococcidae genus. Despite having a one-month lifespan, these bugs are notoriously challenging to get rid of.
Mealybugs prefer to hide mostly towards the base of plants and will force themselves and their clutches into any available crevice. Yet they leave a sticky substance called honeydew, like other aphids, attracting other pests and insects.
How Can Mealybugs Be Removed?
Use insecticidal soap and an alcohol and water solution to wash the lemon-lime maranta prayer plants to eliminate the mealybugs properly.
To ensure no eggs are left on the lemon-lime leaves, use the pesticidal soap.
FAQs
How To Prevent Root rot in Maranta lemon lime plant?
Waterlogging can result from overwatering in pots without drainage holes at the bottom because the soil in these containers holds too much water. The root ball will eventually start to be affected by waterlogging.
An excess of oxygen created by too much water in the soil can encourage oxidation. The roots will eventually be impacted by this and begin to rot. Pruning is the sole treatment for root rot.
Is Maranta lemon lime plant toxic?
No, this gorgeous houseplant is non-toxic.
Why Is My Lemon lime prayer plant getting Yellow leaves?
Yellow leaves could be an indication of waterlogging, underwatering, or aged leaves. The plant may need more room to spread out its bases if, for some reason, the oldest foliage is turning yellow even though it hasn’t been moved in quite some time. Repotted plants do not have this problem, therefore.
What Color Are Maranta lemon lime blooms?
If you leave the plant outside in the summertime, it might blossom for you with tiny purple and white flowers along long, slender stalks. Typically, blossoms barely survive a day. Hardly any houseplants blossom.
Why Is My Maranta lemon lime plant getting curly leaf tips?
Curling is another effect of underwatering, which happens when cells are dehydrated. As the plant’s ability to support itself declines, the leaves of the plant begin to sag and bend at sharp angles.
If you bathe the plant in too much water, the leaves will return to normal when the earth has been properly saturated.
Sunlight exposure can also cause the leaf to curl. Since Lemon Lime Maranta cannot take direct sunshine, when exposed for an extended period of time, their leaves will curl inward to protect themselves and conserve water.
To fix the problem of curled leaves, transfer the plant to an area with splendid indirect light and out of direct sunlight. Trim any burnt leaves, if any, to encourage the new, healthy growth of maranta.
How To Repot A Maranta lemon lime?
The steps to repot a maranta are as follows:
Take the plant out of the ground carefully.
Examine its root system, then cut off any squishy or diseased roots.
Make certain that you cut the root with hygienic tools.
The aforementioned planting mix should be used to fill up a portion of the new container.
Put the maranta root ball next and cover the roots with mulch.
Compress the soil lightly to harden it up without tamping it.
The following time, just irrigate the soil whenever absolutely essential.
Conclusion: Maranta lemon lime care
This is how you can care for a Maranta lemon lime plant. Use the above-mentioned tips to grow a maranta lemon lime plant with indirect light, filtered water, well-draining soil with peat moss, high humidity, etc. We hope this information helps you in your house garden when planting and propagating this plant.
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