u/goodcomplexion

For a while, I gave up on my calathea ornata, after getting spider mites and dropping a ton of leaves. She was so bald, and stretching because my indoor set up wasn’t good. Now, she’s thriving!!! I pretty much leave it alone, on my balcony, which gets bright shade all day. I live in north tx so it’s always a bit humid here, at least 50% on most days. She’s pushed at least 25 leaves in the last 2 months after not getting SQUAT for the last 8 months! I water using only distilled water and I use the grow queen fertilizer maybe once a month.

I wanted to post in r/houseplants but I’m not allowed since my account is new 😅 here’s a Kimberly queen that was given to me, almost dead. It was insanely root bound and I had to cut back almost all the fronds because they were brown and crispy. I just wanna show off 6 months of progress!

I keep my plants on a north facing balcony, that is partially covered so there’s no direct sunlight on my plants. It’s been raining a lot here and I noticed this on my pink princess yesterday. I haven’t noticed any pests. I keep it in a chunky soil mix, and I use clear pots so I can keep an eye on the moisture and roots. Since it’s been humid, I have cut back on watering. Is this pest damage, water damage or sun damage?? Idk. I live in north Texas.