Misting the leaves doesn't help with humidity. I've found that the most reliable way is to get an actual humidifier, they are only about $20-$30 at most pharmacies. Most houseplants like humidity so you'll be benefiting all of them if you put it near them all.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, if the air in your home is too dry for your plants, it most likely is too dry for you as well. I aim to maintain humidity levels between 55-75%. So I find my hygrometer to be very useful in this regard – mine’s an old analog horsehair, but I imagine you’d be able to find a decent electronic one for about $15-20.

$10 in fact. green_vibes, how do you manage to maintain 55-75% humidity? The moment mine reaches 50%, the windows start fogging up and water condensing....

Mine go semi-dormant/ugly in winter so I cut off all the old ugly leaves - sometimes that means ALL the leaves, keep the soil moist (not wet) and in spring/summer, they start putting out new growth.

Jan 29

I think it was early spring when I ended up cutting off all the old leaves.

July 14 (kind of late coming out)

August 19

Typically they do okay indoors but do most of their growing in summer outside.

year of calathea

Thanks for the responses. I did take it to the sink today and watered it well because it was finally dry and cut off all the old leaves. I have had it in a spot that was pretty low light and out of direct sun because of info I read online - even Logee's had growing info that I was trying to follow, so - maybe it was just not accurate. A lot was made out of not allowing it to dry out at all and since it also said keep it out of direct sun, it stayed wet a pretty long time. I usually let all my plants dry out between watering and don't have problems.

So, I'll try moving it into more light.

As for humidity - I do have steam heat, but I'm sure the house is dry thru the heating season. I don't really want to use a humidifier but in the past I've put a few plants that need more humidity on a pebble tray. Guess I'll have to dig that out again. I also put glass loaf pans of water under my radiators to evaporate. Maybe the misting isn't keeping them humid, but, my plants seem to like it. Maybe it just keeps the leaves clean.

Thanks for all the tips. I hope I can keep it alive until spring. [g]

prairie, we should all have an idea what the RH (relative humidity) in our homes are. Luckily, inexpensive and pretty accurate hygrometers are readily available at any hardware store or big box store for less than $20.

I don't mist my plants but I have used pebble trays for years now, especially under my Hoya collection, several thirsty Euphorbias & some of my more tropical houseplants.

Here in NYC, I have steam heat, which is pretty drying so I use & believe in the Pebble Trays big time.

I couldn't grow my Spaths (3 of them) w/out them, that's for sure.

Just a question for HC Doyle

when you cut alllll the leaves off ... exactly where did you cut down to?? I’m worried I havent cut them in the right spots to allow it to grow back

I cut the leaves to the ground. The stems are kind of pointless when I cut the leaf off. I know it sounds drastic but I'd rather see a bare pot than a pot of ugly leaves. Calathea reminds me of Kaempferia which dies back to the ground (in warmer zones than I am in) and bursts forth with new leaves when the ground warms.

Kaempferia at Mercer Arboretum, Houston mid May 2008

@getgoing100_7b_nj, I just now noticed your question to me. I think the reason could be that I live in a more humid and warmer climate than yours.

Thanks, that makes sense.

Update: Nothing I've tried has helped. It's looking pretty miserable now and I've decided I don't have time to care for this fussy of a plant. Even the Boston Fern and Maidenhair Fern I brought home are not as bad as this.

It always comes down to a decision about what you have time and energy for. There are a lot of plants I'd love to grow indoors, gardenias being one of them, and they are really fussy. But, my motivation right now, is more to have enough green plants in as many rooms as possible and even with low care plants, it's a lot to take care of. So, I'm sticking with those that respond to the level of care I can give them.

Thanks for the help though....

Noooo!!! Keep it in a greenhouse! Put a cloche

What? What greenhouse? Not quite sure why you are suggesting this, when I'm growing it as a houseplant and I live in the Northeast where it is winter now and I don't have a greenhouse. Besides, I thought I explained well, what my circumstances are.

Then use an empty bottle of coke or pepsi and use it as a cloche!

Prairiemoon, you could just leave it to its own devices and hope it recovers in the spring. You could always behead or defoliate it when it starts growing in spring. I don't own a calathea but do have a maranta, the humble red prayer plant that does extremely well in winter. Perhaps you could get one of those if you don't already have one to replace the diva.

I was thinking of doing that. I thought of cutting off all the foliage, but I thought I would wait until spring, when I can open the windows and fertilize it a little. No, I haven't tried a maranta, that's a thought. Thanks.

I wonder if it would work in a large terrarium bowl, rather than a coke bottle over it.

I doubt it's the humidity that is causing the problem but by all means give it a terranium bowl if you have one the size of this plant. I can't imagine how it would fit under a coke bottle! If humidity is really the problem, a cheap room humidifier could be good both for you and the calathea. Like this one https://www.target.com/p/vicks-warm-moisture-humidifier-white-blue/-/A-10403765

OK, I see you don't want a humidifier. The lighter leaves are because of low light or perhaps newer leaves are lighter and will get darker with time. Also, have you checked the roots? Get it out of the pot and see if the roots are healthy or not. If the roots are rotting, increasing humidity is of no use.