Decorative leafy indoor plants are especially popular with flower growers. They allow you to decorate the interior, and also contribute to the improvement of the microclimate of the apartment, moistening and enriching the air with oxygen. It is to this group of plants that Calathea belongs, although flowering varieties are also found among its species. But many flower growers choose it precisely for the beauty of the foliage. Therefore, it is worth figuring out what care is needed at home for the Calathea flower, and what difficulties may lie in wait.
Description of the plant
Calathea is a perennial herbaceous crop belonging to the Maranth family. The height of the plant, under favorable conditions, reaches 70-80 cm. The length of the leaves is about 30 cm, and the width is from 5 to 20 cm, depending on the variety of the flower.
The shape of the leaves can be lanceolate or oval-round. Their color is also very diverse. The edge of the sheet plates can be even andwavy, depending on the type of flower. The main stem of the plant is absent, so the leaves grow directly from the ground on long petioles. The life potential of a leaf is one year. After that, it dies and is replaced by new ones. Every year Calathea produces 5-6 young leaves.
In most cases, the reverse side of the leaf plates has a dark purple saturated hue, and the top is green, with all kinds of decorative stripes, dots, strokes and lines. Such a variety of colors allows you to choose a flower according to your taste and preferences.
The Calathea root is the main storage organ of water and nutrients.
In spring and summer, Calathea has a flowering period. The inflorescences appear between the foliage and have a strong peduncle that rises above the dense cap of leaves. Only in some species the flowers stand out for their brightness, in others they are not particularly decorative. Therefore, many flower growers recommend cutting nondescript flower stalks when they appear, since all the forces of the plant during this period go to the formation of flowers, to the detriment of the development of the bush.
A feature of this ornamental culture is that there is some thickening at the end of the petiole near the base of the leaf. Thanks to him, the plant turns towards the evening sunlight and lifts the leaves up. For this, the people called the flower - "Prayer".
Popular flower types
There are about 280 varieties of Calathea in nature. But at homechoose to grow only some of them.
Saffron or Crocata (Calathea Crocata)
Home care for this species must meet all the requirements of the plant, as it belongs to the flowering varieties. The difference between this Calathea are bright orange flowers that confidently rise above the dark green plain leaves. The flowering period begins at the end of February - in the middle of March and lasts 4 months.
Sheet plates have an elongated oval shape with a waviness along the edge. Ignoring the basic rules of maintenance may cause a lack of flowering.
Calathea crocata, home care for this variety of flower is slightly different from others, so it is worth considering when growing it.
Wonderful or Lancifolia (Lancifolia)
The species is characterized by oblong lanceolate leaves 25-27 cm long and 5 cm wide. The main vein clearly stands out on them. There is waviness along the edge of the leaf plates. On the surface of the leaves there are decorative stripes and spots of dark color.
The leaf petiole has hairiness. Calathea Lancifolia, home care for this species is the same as for other varieties of the flower.
Rufibarba or redbeard
The variety of the plant is characterized by a low spreading bush, the height of which reaches 45-50 cm. The red-bearded Calathea has narrow longmonochromatic green leaves. The reverse side of the leaf plates is distinguished by a lilac-pink tint. The surface of the sheets is slightly hairy.
Calathea Rufibarba, home care for this variety of crop, is slightly different, as it does not tolerate foliar spraying, unlike other species.
Medallion
Medallion is characterized by wide oval leaves with white contrasting stains. This unusual ornament resembles an exquisite decoration, which served as the name of the species. The reverse side of the leaf plate has a rich dark purple hue. Plant height reaches 60-70 cm.
On the photo Calathea Medallion. Home care for this type of plant is not particularly different from other decorative leafy plants.
Decorated (ornata)
In the photo is a Calathea flower, home care for it involves compliance with certain requirements of the plant.
This variety has large oval leaves with white and pink stripes. But when the bush grows up, the pink tint disappears from the foliage. The length of the leaf plate reaches 22-25 cm, and the width is 10-15 cm.
Calathea Decorated, subject to all care recommendations, reaches a height of 60-70 cm.
Makoya
In the photo of Calathea, home care for this type of plant does not differ from other varieties of the flower. UnusualMakoi's color is striking in its sophistication. The main shade of the leaves is emerald. Snow-white wide strokes extend from the central vein to the edge. Above them are dark bright spots.
The height of Calathea Makoya reaches 45-50 cm. The length of the leaves is 18-22 cm, the width is 8-12 cm.
The listed types of Calathea are only a small part of the variety of colors that can be found in flower shops. Therefore, if you wish, you can find exactly the kind of flower that best fits into the interior of the apartment and gives it a feeling of sophistication and comfort.
Calathea home care
Calathea belongs to the group of plants that needs to comply with the basic requirements of culture. Ignoring the basic rules of maintenance leads to a loss of decorativeness of the plant, and sometimes to death.
Therefore, before you buy Calathea, you need to read the recommendations for caring for a flower at home, as not every beginner will be able to cope with this task.
Site selection and lighting
Calathea is a shade-tolerant plant, but when kept in a place with limited access to light for a long time, it loses its decorative effect, the leaves become smaller, the plant slows down development. Therefore, the best solution is to place Kalatem near the window so that there is a slight penumbra.
For home care, Calathea Saffron is somewhat different, since during the formation of peduncles it needs more light than other species. Therefore, for its lush floweringshould be placed in an east or west window with light shade during the midday hours to help prevent leaf scorch.
Water and air humidity
Calathea needs abundant and regular watering. The soil in the pot should always be slightly damp. Interruptions in irrigation lead to the drying of the tips of the leaves. Water for irrigation should be settled and have a temperature of 18-20 degrees. In winter, moisturizing should be carried out 1 time in 5 days, and in summer 1 time in 2-3 days.
When irrigating, it is necessary to allow the root to absorb enough moisture. To do this, make sure that the water in the pan remains at least 1-2 hours after watering. Only after that the remains should be poured. With such irrigation, there will be enough moisture until the next watering, despite its intensive evaporation from the leaves.
In addition to watering, Calathea needs high humidity. To do this, additionally place containers filled with water near the flower. This will increase the evaporation area. Also, to increase the humidity, you should spray the plant, but so that the moisture is dispersed in the form of fog.
Plant species whose leaves have a margin should not be sprayed over the leaf, as this will cause brown spots to appear. To provide them with a sufficient level of humidity, the flower pot should be placed in a wide container. In which it is necessary to pour a layer of expanded clay 2 cm thick and pour water. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the bottom of the pot is on pebbles and does not come into contact with water, as moisture canprovoke the development of root rot.
Containment temperature
Calathea is a thermophilic plant. The optimal temperature regime for it should be in the range of 16-24 degrees. The plant is able to withstand a slight drop in temperature, but its growth and development slows down.
The critical temperature for Calathea is 8-10 degrees. This leads to the development of irreversible processes in the tissues, after which the aerial part of the plant dies. At the same time, it is not worth throwing the plant away, it is necessary to water it periodically, not allowing the earthy coma to dry out, and then new young shoots will appear in the spring.
Feeding
Calathea, home care for a flower involves regular feeding. To do this, you should use fertilizers for decorative foliage plants, which are sold in all flower shops.
Feeding should be carried out from late February to mid-September every 10-14 days.
Calathea Crocat, home care for this species should include fertilization for flowering crops, since with a lack of potassium and phosphorus, the plant may not bloom or flowering will be poor. Apply this type of top dressing should be from the end of January to mid-March every 10 days. In the rest of the period, the same fertilizers are used as for other varieties of the flower.
Transfer
Calathea mix, home care includes transplanting the plant annually in the spring. To do this, choose a wide, but not deep pot. Its diameter shouldbe 3 cm wider than the previous one.
Calathea prefers to grow in a loose nutrient substrate with good breathability. This composition allows the root system to fully develop and provide nutrition to the aerial part. Ready-made transplanting substrate can be purchased at the store, choosing soil with the addition of coconut fiber and river sand.
And you can make your own formula by combining the following ingredients;
- 1 piece of leaf land;
- 1 piece of turf;
- 1 piece of peat;
- 1 part coconut fiber;
- 1 part coir;
- 1 piece of sand.
Young Calathea plants should be transplanted annually in the spring, and older ones once every 2-3 years. Transplantation is recommended to be carried out by transshipment, filling the voids in the pot with a new substrate. At the same time, it is impossible to compact the earth, do not disturb the access of air to the roots
Dividing the bush
Calathea, home care for a plant involves the periodic division of the bush in order to rejuvenate and reproduce.
To do this, you need to get the bush out of the pot and cut it into 2-3 parts with a knife. Division into small processes is not recommended, as this can lead to their death.
Planting delenok is recommended to be carried out in the same nutrient substrate as during transplantation. After separation, the bushes should be watered with Kornevin's solution and placed in a shaded place for adaptation. After the plant recovers and goes into growth, it must be rearranged tofamiliar place.
Possible difficulties
In the photo of Calathea, home care for a plant can be fraught with some difficulties. Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with the main problems when growing this flower in order to know what to do when the first signs appear.
| Warning signs | Reason | Remedy |
| Leaves become lethargic and curl up | Inadequate watering, dry air | Containment procedures need to be adjusted |
| Leaf ends dry, slow growth | Low air humidity | It is necessary to carry out regular spraying near the plant and place additional water containers next to the flower |
| Sharp yellowing of leaves | Irrigation with cold water, cold content | Correct nursing mistakes |
| Leaves lose color, brown spots appear on them | The light is too bright causing burns | The flower should be shaded or moved to another place |
| Pale brittle leaves | Lack of light | You should rearrange the pot closer to the light |
| Rotting of leaf cuttings at the base | Cold watering or maintenance | Adjust containment conditions |
Pest pests
Improper plant care negatively affects itsimmunity. A weakened plant becomes susceptible to pests. Calathea can be affected by spider mites, scale insects and thrips.
The following signs confirm their presence:
- leaves lose their luster;
- plant looks dejected;
- leaves dry up around the edge;
- sticky coating appears on the cuttings;
- small yellow dots appear in the center of leaves;
- Despite sufficient watering, the leaves continue to dry;
- plant stops growing.
Complex processing is necessary for pest control. The ground part should be sprayed, creating fog with "Fitoverm" or "Aktellik", and add "Aktara" (1.4 g per 6 l) to the water for irrigation. This procedure should be repeated after a week.
As soon as the plant begins to grow, it should be fed and the conditions adjusted, as pests most often affect weakened plants.
Calathea, home care for a plant involves compliance with all the requirements of the culture. Therefore, this flower is recommended to be grown by experienced flower growers who can provide it with the necessary conditions.
