Why are My Caladium Leaves Curling: It’s always disheartening to see your beautifully colored Caladium leaves curling up on themselves and dying off. Fortunately, the problem could be something easy to fix and prevent from happening, so you can keep enjoying your Caladium plant.
If you notice that your Caladium leaves are curling up, check the temperature and lighting in your home. If the temperature drops below 70 degrees Fahrenheit or rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit at night, or if the plant isn’t getting enough light, curling could be caused by those issues. You may also notice curling leaves if you’re overwatering or underwatering your Caladiums.
For more details (why are my Caladium leaves curling), keep reading to find out what could be causing it.
Why are my Caladium Leaves Curling?
There are several possible reasons why your Caladium leaves are curling. Some of these include the plant not getting the right amount of water, the soil (Soil pH), and the lack of appropriate temperature and light conditions.
Therefore, the first thing you should do is to see that the plant is getting enough water, the soil has enough nutrients, and it’s at the right temperature.
However, if the problem persists, here is a detailed guild to why your Caladium leaves are curling and how to fix it.
Watering Issues
Overwatering
Overwatering is a big problem for Caladium plants, particularly potted ones. Try watering your plant more frequently but less intensely, and ensure plenty of drainage in your potting soil, or the roots will rot!
Ensure that each layer of soil drains properly, so you don’t drown your poor plant. If your plant has been getting too much water, chances are its root system has become waterlogged.
You can solve this by repotting your plant into fresh soil with better drainage. However, if you repot too soon after over-watering, you may kill all of your roots instead—so wait until they have recovered before repotting!
Under-watering
One of the reasons you see Caladium plants curling up is because of drought. When plants get the required water for survival, they curl up to preserve water within their system.
When your Caladiums suffer underwatering for so long, you will see their stem bending, the leaves drooping, or turning pale, then finally curl and die due to drought.
To understand more about the impact of Watering issues on plants. Read the effect of Overwater and Underwater on plants.
Too Much Sun
To grow a successful caladium plant, knowing how much sunlight is ideal for them is essential. Too much sunlight may end up burning and dying; too little light and they won’t grow at all or will only grow very slowly.
In general, they do best in partial shade. This means that if you keep them in a place that gets full sun all day long, your plant could probably do better if you move them indoors and provide additional lighting.
Wrong Temperature
Too cold or too hot temperatures can cause your plant to curl, wilt, or lose its vibrant color and develop brown spots.
Caladium plants generally like warm temperatures between 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit (21-29 Celsius) with plenty of sunlight during daylight hours. However, they will tolerate temperatures up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) provided they have plenty of water and humidity; after all, they’re tropical plants!
If your Caladium is curling or wilting in direct sunlight, consider moving it into a shadier area for better results. If you live in an area where nighttime temperatures dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius), consider investing in a grow light to keep your plant healthy.
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Soil pH
If your potting soil is too acidic or alkaline, that can be a factor that is making your Caladium curling. Most Caladiums prefer a neutral to slightly acidic pH range (around 6).
Make sure you’re using an appropriately pH-balanced fertilizer for your plants, and check your soil’s pH level with a test kit (available at our home improvement stores) before planting.
Light Exposure
Exposing your plants to sunlight can cause leaf curl; to prevent it from occurring, keep them shaded for about one hour after sunrise and about one hour before sunset. In addition, make sure that your plant is getting enough water – but not too much!
Root Disease
Root diseases are another reasons why your Caladium leaves curl up. This only happens sometimes with caladiums, but they can get root rot if they don’t have enough water or stay too wet for long periods.
The symptoms include yellowing of leaves, leaf drop and curling. If you think your plant might have a root disease, you should contact an expert to help diagnose it so you can treat it appropriately.
Other ways How to Fix Caladium Leaf Curl
Now that you know why your Caladium leaves are curling, here is a quick solution to fix it:
- Keep soil moist but not wet and water only when needed.
- Give your plant some shade or rotate the position, so sunlight doesn’t hit one spot daily.
- Maintain temperature between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 26 degrees Celsius).
- Adjust the pH in the soil if too acidic or alkaline with an appropriate amendment like peat moss or ground lime.
- Watch for pests like aphids, mealybugs and spider mites.
- If all else fails, ask your local nursery for advice on taking care of your Caladium plant.
In addition to correcting any problems you discover from our list of symptoms above, there are other general tips we can offer for taking care of these plants that may also help you keep them looking good as new.
Download our free book on plant care.
Frequently Asked Questions on Why Are My Caladium Leaves Curling
Why Is My Plant Leaves Curling in?
The three primary reasons your plant is curling include too much sunlight, insufficient water, and root diseases. By taking away any one of these things, you should see your plant start to recover within days.
Curled leaves tend to grow back out as soon as you solve that problem, and then you’ll have a chance at growing a beautiful plant for yourself or your family!
Your plant may curl up its leaves to help protect itself from direct sunlight. Your plant may only do this if you keep it watered well.
How Do You Fix Curling Leaves?
First, check to see if your plant is getting enough water by pulling a leaf out of the pot and gently bending it back and forth; if there’s no resistance and it feels limp, then you should consider watering more frequently or using less porous soil to help retain moisture.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, try moving your plant to a shadier spot. If you still need improvement after making these changes, consult an expert for advice.
How Often Should You Water Caladiums?
There’s a quick answer to that and a detailed one, depending on how you want to approach your plants’ watering schedule.
If you opt for shallow watering (i.e., only filling your pot halfway or so), they should get watered every 10–14 days in summer. When temperatures and light levels drop in winter, you can increase watering to every 7–10 days.
But if you prefer deep watering (i.e., filling your pot up until water comes out of its drainage holes), you may need to water only once per week during hot months and once every 2 weeks during cold months. Either way, check soil moisture with your finger before each watering—if it feels dry an inch below soil level, give them water.
How Do I Know If I’m Watering Too Much?
Look at your plant. Is it soggy or wilted? If so, you’re likely overwatering—the first thing to do is cut back on watering until things start looking better again. Then continue checking up on your plant regularly (every few days) to make sure that it isn’t getting too dry; adjust as needed.
Check also; Alocasia Zebrina Drooping (6 Causes and How to Fix it)
How Do You Revive Dying Caladiums?
If you’ve got a plant that’s stopped producing flowers and looks dead than alive, chances are that a good watering will revive it.
Just water your plant as usual and wait until new growth appears. If new development doesn’t occur, try waiting a little longer before watering again, or take better care of your plants to prevent another drought! Good luck!
Why is My Caladium Plant Drooping?
A Caladium plant drooping is usually a sign of too much heat or sunlight during its growing stage. Moving your plant away from any direct light and providing more space between other plants and your Caladium should help restore its growth to normal.
Drooping can also occur when you give too much water – so only water your Caladium when it has dried out slightly. If you don’t see signs of life in several days, another issue may require fixing.
We have a detailed guide on Why your Caladium plant is drooping and how to fix it here.
Final Word on Why are My Caladium Leaves Curling
Curling is a natural process when you let your plants stay in an environment they’re not used to.
And because most of these plants are tropical, they’re not accustomed to cold weather and too much sunlight, which can make them curl up under extreme stress conditions such as these.
Even so, there are other factors at play here – temperature, light exposure, and type of soil you have – so don’t hesitate to keep checking on your Caladium for signs!