Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
plantnut65

cats love to destroy prayer plants

plantnut65
9 years ago

About a month ago, I bought a small prayer plant from Wal-mart. It was a beautiful plant, and since I was raised with these strange plants in my childhood, I saw no problem in establishing one in my little abode too
The first night one of my cats said you're not welcome here. He (I think I have a couple), didn't eat any of it, he just tore the leaves in shreds, and left three leaves intact. I was going to toss it, but that night the leaves folded like they were supposed to. yesterday I notice one of the old stalks wasn't that at all but new foliage coming out.
My question is what to do with the damaged stalks from the destroyed leaves, should I cut them off at the ground our leave them be?
Also they are in a small plastic pot, and it seems that there are four plants altogether, how, and when should I try and transplant them?
Thanks Robert

Comments (6)

  • summersunlight
    9 years ago

    You can trim anything that is brown and dry off. Anything that is still supple and green is still contributing energy to the plant and I would leave it.
    Since your plant has pushed out new growth, I think it will recover from this without any issue. In the past my cats have mowed down my spider plant and it bounced back from that just fine.

    Do you take the prayer plant out of that white pot when you water it? It looks like it doesnt have drain holes, so I just wanted to check that the plant isn't standing in water.

  • plantomaniac08
    9 years ago

    That's very true, I've read stories of people whose 'Prayer Plants' died back completely and came back "from the dead."

    Planto

  • christine1950
    9 years ago

    Just a comment on your seedlings in the background, they arent getting enough light, thats why they are getting so leggy.

  • plantnut65
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I really do thank you all for your comments.
    Summer sunshine, Since the original post, two other leaf sprouts are starting a sprout, but just under two of the leaves.
    As far as the pot you are right, the white pot has no drainage holes, and when trying to remove the inter pot, the plant came out of the inter pot, it had enough root that it didn't fall apart, that's the reason I was wondering if it should be in a larger pot that drains, right now I'm just damping the soil every few days.
    I keep the plant hanging from the ceiling to keep the cats at bay, so it is getting very indirect light.
    Christine, thanks for noticing the seedlings. I read the directions and even watched Burpee's video, but until this year after the plants were as you saw them that I found a video by the aforementioned company that was well done and I found out why my plants looked the way you saw them. Last year only a handful grew when transplanted, and those didn't make it, still because of where I live seed sown directly to the garden did mature and made up for the seedlings. The directions are saying I need a plant light, and it didn't sound like putting them in the sun was an option, is there a way to do this without buying several plant lamps. It's just strange that the seed sown directly to the garden are coming up now and doing fine in direct sunlight, but still I would be cutting out about two weeks if i could make the seedlings work. Thanks again, I appreciate any help!

  • pelargonium_gw
    9 years ago

    Hi! The seedlings sown directly to the garden are getting accustomed to the sunlight from day 1, that's why they are doing fine. The ones that are sown indoors, however, will have to be trained gradually to the much stronger light outside. When you start putting them outside, you should at first place them in the shadow, then give them a little more sunshine each day.

  • plantnut65
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Pelargonium:

    Then its fine to set them outside as long as they start out in the shade more than direct sun?
    Do I need to bring them back in at night, the lows here have been in a range of low 60's and low 50's, but they are not expecting it to drop back below freezing?

    thanks, Robert