How to Care for Praying Hands Plants

Hostas, or praying hands plants, are perennials. They can be planted outdoors as fill or inside in a pot. The plant is hardy and requires some special care indoors but will do fine if left to fend for itself in the outdoors. If you have this plant inside or outside, you should know how to care for it so that it can grow to its full size.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fertilizer
• Misting bottle
• Gravel

1. Keep the plant in temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit with moderate humidity. The plant will do very well outside during the spring, summer and early fall, but indoors, the plant will live all year with proper care.

2. Place the plant in a location with indirect sunlight such as on the west, east or north side of the house.

3. Water the plant to keep the soil moist but not overly wet. Set the houseplant on a tray with gravel so that the pot is not sitting in the water. Use warm water for houseplants. Mist the leaves with a mist spray bottle every so often to keep the leaves moist.

4. Begin fertilizing in spring and continue every two weeks until fall. Use a fertilizer that you add water to or a slow time-released granular fertilizer. Repot the plant every spring so that it has new soil.

5. Protect the plant from aphids, mealy bugs and red spider mites. Mealy bugs leave a cotton mass on the leaves. Use a soapy mist to spray the bugs and wipe with a damp rag to remove the cotton masses. Treat red spider mites with a soapy solution to wash the leaves. Pay close attention to the underside of the leaves. Treat aphids with a soapy spray mist.

References

• Prayer Plant
• Hosta