This native of the tropics is grown because of the beautiful leaves that can revive any interior. Caring for Calathea at home has its own characteristics, this flower is moody, and some species are real picks.
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Types and varieties of Calathea
This plant is characterized by an amazing color of leaves, which combines all shades of green, white and yellow. There are species with dark leaves with pink streaks. Most often, the following types of Calathea are grown in a room.
Calathea Varshevich.
Refers to flowering species. The peduncle consists of a spirally twisted bract, white or pink, in the sinuses of which there are small flowers. The leaves of this species have a smooth inside of purple-burgundy color and a velvety dark green front side. From the central vein of the leaf, lighter brush strokes diverge towards.
Calathea Lansifolia.
Also blooming look. White flowers appear at the base of the leaf rosette and have short peduncles. The leaves are elongated, red-violet from the inside and light green with a darker geometric pattern on the front side. The plant reaches a height of 80 cm.
Calathea Rufibarba.
It blooms in small yellow flowers located at the base of the leaf outlet. Solid green leaves on long stalks, wavy.
Calathea Medallion.
Very beautiful view, reaching a height of 40 cm.Oval-shaped pointed leaves have light patterns and silver spots. Every evening, the plant prepares for sleep, turning the leaves and showing their purple inside.
Calathea Sanderian.
It does not grow above 50 cm. Large, wide, slightly elongated leaves have a burgundy underside and a dark green front side, decorated with pink and white stripes.
Calathea Crocata.
One of the varieties of Calathea Saffron. It belongs to blooming species, but not small flowers are decorative, but bright, saffron-colored bracts sitting tightly on long brown peduncles and rising above the leaves. Long flowering - lasts up to 4 months and falls on the winter period. The leaves themselves with a wavy edge are solid in color - dark green on the outside and brown on the inside.
Calathea: cultivation features
Calathea crocata (Calathea crocata) - in nature lives in tropical rainforests, where the temperature is constantly high. It grows in the second tier, where there is no direct sunlight. There, plants can reach a height of several meters. In room culture, the size of the plant is much more modest, but conditions similar to natural are required by the plant when grown in a room.
Home Care
It is very important for Calathea to follow all the rules of care. She will not forgive even a small deviation from them: she will start to hurt or die completely.
What soil is suitable for Calathea?
It must meet the following requirements:
- good breathability;
- high nutrient content;
- moisture permeability;
- slightly acid reaction.
In practice, many flower growers use shop soil designed for Marantovyh, to which Kalatea belongs. The soil is suitable for Senpoly or Azaleas, it is only necessary to improve it with the addition of perlite for greater friability and breathability.
You can prepare the soil yourself. Its components:
- 2 parts of peat;
- 2 parts of sheet land;
- 2 parts of humus;
- 1 part coarse sand.
Experienced flower growers advise adding 40 g of crushed charcoal to each kilogram of such a mixture, but it can be replaced with chopped moss sphagnum. There is another option: 2 or 3 parts of leafy land, 1 part coniferous and peat, 1 part humus and the same amount of sand.
Optimal conditions
In tropical forests there is no change of seasons, the temperature fluctuates within small limits, like humidity, and there are no drafts. The task of the grower is to create similar conditions for the plant. Then it will please with bright decorative leaves, and some types and flowers. Under the canopy of trees there is no place for bright sunshine. Therefore, the plant needs diffused sunlight in the room. Calathea grows well in partial shade, tolerates the sun's rays only at sunset or sunrise, so it is often kept on the east or west window. It is impossible to sharply change the illumination of a flower. Daylight hours at Calathea should last 16 hours. If there is not enough natural light, the flower is illuminated with fluorescent lamps.
The temperature for it requires a constant, but different in summer and winter. During the period of active growth during the day it should be about 23-24 degrees and a little colder at night - about 16-18 degrees. During the period of relative rest, the daytime temperature drops slightly - up to 20 degrees, and the night temperature remains at the same level. It is impossible to drastically change the temperature regime of the plant.
Calathea does not tolerate drafts - they are fatal to her.
Watering a flower
Watering should be regular. It is carried out as soon as the topsoil in the pot to a depth of 1.5-3 cm dries a little. In summer, in hot weather, you need 3 waterings; in winter, one is enough. The plant itself will tell you that it lacks moisture: the leaf turgor decreases. It is impossible to bring the earthen coma to dry completely - the plant will recover for a very long time. To preserve moisture, the soil in the pot can be covered with moist moss.
To water Calathea, you need soft water with a temperature of 2 degrees above room temperature.
An important condition for the comfortable existence of the plant is a constant humidity next to the flower. It should be at least 60%, ideally about 90%. If it is not possible to grow Calathea in a glass florarium, where it is easy to maintain optimal humidity, moisturize it in other ways. Instances with velvety leaves cannot be sprayed. The remaining plants respond positively to spraying the air around them, but not the leaves themselves, on which ugly spots remain from the water. The required humidity is achieved by placing the pot on a pallet with wet expanded clay. The water level in the pan should be below the bottom of the pot. You can simply put a vessel with water next to Calathea. From time to time, in species with smooth leaves, they are wiped with a wet cloth.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
This plant does not tolerate calcium, so it should not be in fertilizer mixtures. Calathea is suitable liquid fertilizer for decorative and deciduous crops with a low nitrogen content. For flowering species, the fertilizer should have a high phosphorus content. Frequency of top dressing - once every 2 weeks during active growth. In winter, they are done less often - once every 5-6 weeks, reducing the concentration by 2 times.
Transplant and pruning
In young plants, an annual change of substrate stimulates growth. Adult specimens after the fourth year of life have enough transplants every 2 years.
Transplant Features:
- it is carried out in late spring or early summer;
- after the purchase, the flower is transplanted, partially removing the transportation soil;
- the pot for Calathea should be wide, but not short, since its roots are superficial; the size of the pot should be only slightly larger than the root system of the plant;
- expanded clay drainage is ¼ of the height of the pot;
- between the drainage and the roots there should be a soil layer of 2 cm;
- the soil mixture must be steamed;
- when planting, the earth is not compacted, and the root neck is not buried;
- after planting, the plant is sprayed with "Epin" or "Zircon" according to the instructions.
This flower is never fully trimmed. Usually only yellowed leaves are removed, which it is time to fall and dry tips, leaving a thin strip of dry tissue.
How to care in autumn, winter?
In autumn, the plant gradually changes to a state of relative dormancy. The metabolic processes in the tissues are slowed down, so feeding is less common and less concentrated. The only exception is Kalathea Saffron - at the time of flowering, it should be fed. Watering is also done infrequently. They are carried out when the substrate in the pot dries by a third, and at a low temperature, by half. Do not significantly lower the temperature for wintering - a tropical sissy can just freeze.
Breeding Calathea
Such a beautiful flower will definitely want to propagate. There are 3 ways to do this.
- The easiest way to do this is by dividing the bush during transplantation. Success is assured if each split has a growth point and well-developed roots. Damage must be treated with crushed coal.
- The stalk separated from the mother plant is getting worse. He already has a growth point, and the roots have yet to grow. For this, it is placed in a moist substrate and greenhouse conditions are created by covering it with a jar or cap of film. Shelter sometimes needs to be removed for ventilation. You can try to propagate the plant in one leaf. Do with him the same way as with the cuttings.
- It is very difficult seed propagation of Calathea. Seeds have low germination, and seedlings grow very slowly. The seeds disinfected in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate are sown superficially in a loose substrate, placed in a plastic bag and kept in diffused light until germination occurs, not forgetting to moisten the soil. It is best to put a pot with seedlings in the florarium, where it is easier to maintain optimal conditions for their cultivation.
The main problems when growing a flower
Calathea flower is very demanding and responds poorly to breach of growing conditions, so there are many problems with it. Most often, the grower is faced with the following.
The leaves dry and curl
There can be several reasons for drying and curling leaves:
- dry air
- low temperature in the room;
- constant drafts.
It is enough to eliminate errors in care and the problem will be solved.
Calathea turns yellow
If only the lower leaves turn yellow, there is no cause for concern. This is a natural process for updating a sheet machine. If yellowness has affected the whole plant, the cause must be sought in insufficient watering, too low temperature and excess fertilizer.
Plant pests and diseases
Sometimes a soot fungus settles on the surface of leaves damaged by pests. It has the appearance of a black film. The fungus is not dangerous for Calathea, but interferes with the respiration of leaves. The fight against it is very simple - it is easily washed off with a soapy solution.
Of the pests of Calathea, the spider mite, scale insects and thrips are most annoying. Against the last two apply washing with soapy water. If there is no effect or it is impossible to wet the plants, spray them with insecticides. To combat the spider mite, acaroinsecticides are used.
