Calathea Care in Winter: 3 Dos and Don'ts

• In the winter, keep Calathea away from direct heat, cold drafts, and dry soil.
• Maintain humidity with a humidifier, mister, or a DIY tray.
• Get more tips on caring for Calathea and other plants at Tula House.

Worried about how to care for your Calathea plant during the winter months? For those of us who love Calathea but live in environments where we close the windows and crank up the heat in winter, our relationships with these plants can quickly stray south.

Calatheas are tropical plants beloved for their delicate, wide leaves and gorgeous patterns. But they’re also known for hating winter. So what’s a Calathea lover to do?

There’s no need to panic if your plant gets a bit stressed. Your Tula House team of house plant experts is here to share tips on caring for Calathea once the weather turns cold.

Watch for Trouble Signs

Plants can’t speak, but they still have ways of showing us when things aren’t going well for them. When caring for Calathea, watch for two main signs that they need help:

1) Curling leaves. A struggling plant will start to have leaves that curl inward, like a rolled tongue.

2) Drying leaf tips and edges. If the outer parts of your plant’s leaves are getting crispy and brown, it’s time to learn more about how to care for a Calathea plant.

Looking for a visual guide? Check out this Plant Sessions video on caring for Calathea from Tula House co-founder Christan Summers.

The Don’ts of Calathea Care in Winter

Let’s start with three things you should NOT do when caring for Calathea.

1. DON’T Give Them Too Much Heat or Sun

In their natural environment, Calathea are understory plants. That means they thrive beneath tropical canopies that shade them and provide lightly dappled sunlight.

Exposure to too much heat or sunlight could cause Calathea to curl or crisp up. Never place them near a heater or heat vent, and keep them away from hot, sunny windows.

2. DON’T Let Them Get Cold

Going in the opposite direction and exposing your Calathea to cold air is also a no-no. Place them far away from cold, drafty, or open windows, as the chilly, dry air from outside is also a big cause of leaf damage.

3. DON’T Allow the Soil to Dry Out

The number one thing to remember about how to care for a Calathea plant is that it is a tropical, moisture-loving plant. Very dry soil will also lead to curly, crispy leaves and impact the overall health of your Calathea.

How often you need to water your Calathea depends on soil dryness. The soil should never dry out completely between waterings. Instead, water thoroughly when the top of the soil is dry but there’s still some moisture an inch or two beneath the top layer.

The Dos of Calathea Care in Winter

Now, here are three things you can do to keep your Calathea happy in the winter months.

1. DO Get a Humidifier

Caring for Calathea in winter means giving them the type of moist environment they crave. For these and other tropical plants, using a humidifier is extremely beneficial.

In the winter, heaters dry out the air in our homes, and tropical plants suffer as a result. When you add a humidifier to boost moisture levels, you decrease the chance of leaf damage.

2. DO Make a Humidity Tray

If you don’t have the option of running a humidifier, improvise. You can make a DIY humidity tray to provide your Calathea with the moisture it needs.

Line a saucer or tray with pebbles or monto clay, and keep it wet. Place your Calathea pot on top of the wet rocks; just on the surface, not nestled in. You don’t want your plant’s roots reaching into the pebbles. As the water evaporates, it creates a nice pocket of humidity around the plant.

3. DO Mist Daily

This really helps when caring for Calathea in winter! Spritz the leaves thoroughly in the morning or midday. Just don’t do it at night, when the combination of cold water, chilly air, and darkness could cause damage and fungus.

Bonus Tips

DO start with a resilient Calathea. Caring for strong plants is always easier! Calathea lincifolia (a.k.a. Rattlesnake Plant) is known as much for its easy care as for its stunning burgundy leaf undersides that rise and close up at night. Visit Tula House for more winter-friendly plant recommendations and care tips.

DON’T stress! Even a perfect environment can lead to leaf damage on a Calathea. Leave minor brown spots or just remove the damaged parts. Come spring, new growth will replace any leaves that were lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Need more guidance? Check our advice below, and head to our Plant Library for additional tips on how to care for Calathea and other tropical plants.

What type of pot does Calathea prefer?

Calathea is tropical, and, like many plants that come from that environment, it prefers living in a pot that retains moisture. For that reason, we recommend glazed pottery over unglazed terra cotta.

In a glazed planter, moisture evaporates less quickly, meaning you’ll water your Calathea less, and it will benefit from the added humidity. Learn more about choosing the best pots for your plants here.

Should I remove all leaves that have any sign of dryness?

Unless you’ve managed to create the perfect conditions in your home for caring for your Calathea, it’s bound to develop some dry spots. Don’t panic and start picking off leaves! 

Although it may show signs of struggle in the winter, Calathea is a pretty resilient plant and can withstand some gentle maintenance. Using a clean, sharp pair of scissors, carefully trim off any brown edges and leave the rest of the damaged leaf intact. This won’t harm your Calathea, and you won’t risk over-pruning at a time when your plant is dormant.

Since it’s so much darker in winter, should I give my Calathea more light?

As the shorter days make your home darker, it’s natural to worry about caring for your Calathea in winter’s low-light conditions. But don’t move your plant into full sun! Remember, in nature, these plants are typically sheltered under taller overhead plants, so even in winter, they only require dappled or filtered light.

What about fertilizing or repotting in the winter?

Like most plants, Calathea are dormant in the winter months. Fertilizer should only be applied in the growing seasons of spring and summer to avoid root damage.

Repot with care. Moving plants into new pots stresses them, and during slow-growth phases they don’t have the strength to recover. So when caring for Calathea in winter, it’s best to just focus on removing leaf damage, avoiding sun and cold air, and maintaining good moisture levels.

Do you have any care tips for how to care for a Calathea plant if I also have arid plants in my home?

At Tula House, we love all types of plants, too. Yet it can be a challenge to balance the needs of humidity-loving tropicals like Calathea with those of cacti and succulents. The naturally dry weather of winter can be ideal for your arid plants, but not so much for tropicals.

One trick is to create microclimates in your home for your Calathea and other tropical plants. Creating ideal light, warmth, and moisture conditions in one room or area of your home and then grouping your tropicals there can help them thrive, without stressing your arid plants.