Rules for caring for a calathea flower at home, features of transplantation and reproduction
Indoor flowers require care and attention, no matter how unpretentious they are. Some specimens are so sensitive to the nuances of their conditions of detention that they immediately begin to suffer and may die. Calathea is such a delicate plant. At home, caring for a calathea is a challenge for novice growers who meet an inhabitant of the tropics for the first time.
Distinctive features of the calathea flower
The birthplace of Calathea is the rainforest of South America.The decorativeness of the flower lies in its large, patterned, oblong-oval or lanceolate leaves. The root system of plants is superficial. On a shoot of calathea, 1-3 fully formed leaves grow. The height of the stems depends on the variety and varies from 30 to 120 centimeters.
Calathea shoots grow in clusters, in several tiers. The leaves are arranged in a corolla or randomly. Two types of calathea take color in culture, in other plants only the leaves. At sunset, calathea leaves rise vertically, turning their outer faces towards each other and slightly bending the plates.
Because of this characteristic, the plant is known as the "prayer flower".
Calathea leaves are proven to filter the air by absorbing formaldehyde from it. In urban areas, the removal of harmful impurities has a beneficial effect on people's well-being. This characteristic has made the flower an extra in feng shui. Florists believe that an inhabitant of the Amazon can stabilize and harmonize family relations, bring good luck in business.
Description of popular varieties
There are 130 known species of calathea. The plant requires special maintenance conditions, regular transplantation, but, despite all the difficulties, it is loved by amateur flower growers. The special color of the leaves, the energetic effect make the calathea more and more in demand.
Bahema
Compact and low plant. Calathea leaves are elongated, narrowed to the tip. Plate size: up to 25 centimeters in length, up to 9 centimeters in width. The ornament of the outer part: a dark green twig is drawn on a silver background, the edges are covered with a green stripe. The lower part is light green.
Varshevich
A houseplant can grow up to 1 meter.The leaves are large, elongated, with wavy edges. Calathea inflorescences, in the form of spikelets, raise white heads on a dark green velvet background with a light central vein.
Veitch
On tall petioles, glossy oval leaves up to 30 centimeters in length keep. On light green plates with the same midrib, yellow-malachite contours are drawn, reminiscent of autumn oak leaves. The underside of the sheet is ink colored.
Lanceolate
On a green petiole there is a light green leaf with a wavy edge. On the outside of the leaf plate of calathea, oval spots are located symmetrically. The lower part of the calathea is purple.
Striped
Calathea dissolves white or purple inflorescences once a year, hiding among symmetrical oval leaves up to 40 centimeters.
Leopard
The indoor plant grows up to 40 centimeters. Short and narrow petiolate leaves. On the surface of the lettuce from the upper part, dark green elongated spots deviate from the central symmetry.
Lize
Calathea is medium in size. Leaves with wavy edges rise on petioles up to half a meter. The leaf blade is shiny, emerald in color with wide stripes of malachite. The underside is lilac red.
Makoya
The height of the straight petioles of the calathea can reach 40-50 centimeters. The leaf is delicate, oval in shape, 20x12 centimeters. The top of the blade is silvery, with a dark green border, the same spots and veins. The lower part of the leaf is dark red. The petioles are lilac, with down. The socket has one large leaf and several small ones.
Painted
Dark green leaves with a pattern resemble a tray: a dark pink stripe is drawn in the center of an oval surface 20 centimeters long; with a slight deviation from the edge, a blurred outline of the same color is given.
Decorated
Calathea does not rise above the ground above 30 centimeters. On the oblong petioles are light green, 20x8 centimeters, leaves with symmetrically traced silver or pink veins. The lower plate is red-purple.
Saffron
One of the flowering species of Calathea (January/February). Bright orange flowers rise among the dark green leaves. When the air humidity is below 80%, it loses its leaves and stops growing.
Rufibarba
Calathea's name translates to "red beard". The orange down on the lower part of the leaf and the petiole is the origin of this name. The leaf plate is painted in a rich green color without patterns.
Lubricants
The indoor flower is adorned with leaves the color of a young grass with randomly spaced lemon spots. The shape of the leaves is ellipsoidal. The petioles are long.
Mosaic
The name Calathea is explained by the coloring of a translucent sheet in the form of small quadrangles, resembling pieces of glass of different shades, bent in the form of a mosaic panel.
Pink in color
The indoor plant grows up to 40 centimeters in height. Below, the calathea leaf is dark purple in color. The upper part of the leaf plate is dark malachite, with diverging veins from the center: silvery, pink. There is a white border around the edge.
Cracked
Calathea roseo pictus Dotti has dark green oval leaves on short petioles. On the outer part of the leaf plate, the outline of the leaf is "drawn" with pink veins.
Crocata
Outwardly resembles a saffron calathea: orange flowers on a dark green background. Difference: real green flowers are hidden in the bracts. Lighted candles are fake flowers.
flame star
A compact plant with a lush crown. Symmetrical dark green stripes on the midrib are "drawn" on smooth glossy leaves on a light green background. Wavy double piping completes the calathea pattern. The underside and petioles are rich in beet color.
Tasmania
The calathea bush spreads up to 70 centimeters. The leaves are large, dark green, monochrome, with protruding veins. The flowers are small, orange-yellow, on long peduncles.
queen of maui
Calathea has long dark green elongated leaves. A white spikelet is "drawn" in the center of the leaf plate. The lower part of the sheet is ink colored. The height of the bush reaches 60 centimeters.
Triostar
Long, elongated leaves without petioles. Outside, the calathea leaf plates are decorated with green and white stripes, inside - red and black.
Orbifolia
The height of calathea petioles reaches 60 centimeters. The leaves are rounded, the same size, have a symmetrical pattern of alternating dark and light green stripes.
How to properly transplant a plant after purchase
Calathea roots store nutrients and water in the tubers, which depletes the soil. For this reason, the plant needs regular transplanting, especially in the first 3 years, when the flower is in the phase of active growth. After buying calathea in a flower shop, it is planted in a pot with prepared soil. The soil must meet the growth criteria of the tropicana: with neutral or slightly acidic reactions, loose, saturated with humus.Ready-made soil is bought in a store to grow Marantov (the family to which the Calathea belongs) or Azaliev. When preparing the soil yourself, mix 2 parts leaf humus, 1 part peat and 1 part river sand.
A drain is placed at the bottom of the pot, up to ¼ of the height. The remaining volume is half filled with soil. Calathea roots are neatly spread from above. If there are tubercles, they are removed. Sprinkle with the rest of the soil.
Pour lukewarm water without bleach through a colander to compact the soil.
Calathea is covered with a plastic cap with air holes and placed in a warm place for 3 weeks. The fact that the plant has taken root is evidenced by its appearance: the leaves should be elastic, retain their color. The appearance of new leaves means that the flower can be released from the shelter and placed in a permanent place.
Conditions of detention
Calathea is considered a capricious flower, because for each content item its own criteria are set for it. Failure to do so will result in loss of decoration or death of the plant.
Lighting
The inhabitant of the tropical zone, growing in familiar conditions under the closing crowns of the first floor, "transferred" his habits to artificial conditions. Direct sunlight is contraindicated in Kalatee. Burn marks remain on its delicate leaves from ultraviolet rays. At the same time, lighting should be in winter and summer 16-18 hours a day. In summer, the calathea should be protected from the sun after 6 p.m., in winter it should be illuminated with a lamp. It is necessary to place the pot with calathea on the east, west, southeast, southwest sides of the windows.
Temperature regime
Drafts, temperature drops, air cooling below 20 degrees in winter, heating above 27 degrees in summer are deadly for calathea. It turns yellow, loses leaves and dies.
air humidity
The humidity level required for some species of calathea reaches 90% during flowering. The minimum humidity allowed when growing indoor tropical plants is 70%. It is especially difficult to maintain the humidification mode when the heating is on during the cold season.
Humidity is maintained locally or throughout the room.
In the first case, the pot is placed in a container, for example, in an aquarium, at the bottom of which a layer of pebbles and moistened moss is poured. The drainage layer in the pot should not come into contact with water. In hot weather, you can spray water next to the calathea pot. Shiny leaves are wiped with a damp cloth or irrigated. Calatheas with velvety leaves are not sprayed or wiped. To increase humidity in winter and summer, humidifiers are used for these flowers.
watering mode
Calathea loves moisture, but dies when the soil becomes waterlogged. Watering is regulated by the state of the top layer of soil in the pot. It should dry out 2-3 centimeters deep, only then it is allowed to add water. Excessive moisture will lead to root rot and flower death. The quality and temperature of irrigation water negatively affect the plant. It should be stored for 24 hours, heated 2-3 degrees above room temperature.
top dresser
Top dressing is carried out with flower fertilizers at half the specified rate. In spring-summer - 2 times a month.In autumn and winter - once every 45 days.
Features of care during flowering
Calathea blooms for 3 weeks in spring and summer, a separate species in January. At this time, peduncles with small buds of orange, white, bluish color appear. During this period, the plant requires a double rate of feeding, attention to light, soil and air moisture. Flowering ends with the formation of seed balls, which mature for about a month. In some species of calathea, the flowers are barely noticeable, they do not play any decorative role. In this case, the peduncles can be removed to reduce stress on the plant.
Priming
In tropical forests, the soil layer is formed from deciduous humus of evergreen plants. These are neutral or slightly acidic soils. For comfortable growth, kalatea needs land that is similar in characteristics to natural.
You should buy soil for planting a flower from flower shops. It is cleared of weeds, root pests. When self-preparing the land, the following requirements should be taken into account:
- there should be no clay impurities in the sand;
- leafy humus is taken from under old trees;
- peat should be dry, crumbly.
The sand is calcined in an oven at a temperature of 120 degrees for 10 minutes. There should be no roots in a dirt coma. The soil is sifted through a coarse sieve and warmed up to a temperature of 50 degrees for 20 minutes. The ratio of soil components: 1:1:1. A scale is used for accuracy. The comparison by volume will be incorrect, because sand is heavier than peat and humus; humus is heavier than dry peat.Violation of the proportion will affect the survival rate and growth of the calathea.
Solving Common Growing Problems
Calathea is demanding. The slightest deviations are reflected in the decorative condition. Long-term violations in terms of lighting, humidity, temperature and soil quality will lead to disease and the extinction of tropical beauty.
The manifestations of a painful state are of the same type:
- yellowing of the leaf plate;
- drying of tips;
- drying the whole leaf;
- spots are white/brown;
- unnatural leaf curling.
The symptoms are the same, but the causes may be different. You have to be able to analyze the conditions in which a tropical beauty grows. A careful weekly inspection of the leaves and stems from the outside and inside is necessary to identify the pests. Fighting single individuals will give a quick effect. When buying new indoor plants, it is necessary to withstand the quarantine period. A flower infected with eggs or larvae poses a threat to all domestic plants.
cochineal
The pest has a second name: the hairy louse. The insects settle in colonies, which makes them visible on the plant. Visually, they resemble a cotton flower on shoots, leaves and inflorescences. The basis of food is vegetable juice. The waste contains sugar, which attracts soot fungi.Calathea leaves turn yellow and fall off. Soot fungus disrupts the process of photosynthesis, which completes the defeat of the indoor flower and leads to its death.
Cochineal can be eliminated with an alcoholic soap solution, garlic infusion.With a large accumulation of worms, they are treated with insecticides for houseplants. Eggs and adults do not die from chemical exposure, therefore, treatment should be repeated twice after 7-10 days.
Spider
The appearance of a spider mite is determined by several signs:
- leaf plates begin to crack;
- leaves wither;
- new shoots do not appear;
- cobwebs are visible on the shoots and leaves.
The fight against the pest can be carried out using folk methods and with the help of chemicals. The spider mite does not tolerate high humidity and bright lighting. The flower is washed in the shower and left in a humid environment for 30 minutes. Gives the effect of short-term irradiation once every 7 days with an ultraviolet lamp for 2 minutes.
Chemicals to kill mites:
- based on pyrethrum;
- sulfur;
- avermectins.
The nerve agents block the insect's food system by entering the intestines and through the skin. The action occurs immediately or within the day. The decay period is 1-3 days.
Shield
If sticky drops, yellow spots, other than the calathea pattern, are found on the leaves, the plant should be treated for mealybug. The pest of indoor plants does not exceed 5 millimeters. After attaching itself to a leaf or stem, it builds a waxy shell that protects it from being pulled from the plant. An attack by a pest can cause foliage to dry up and sprout.
At the initial stage of the lesion, you can cope with the pest by treating the leaves and petioles with a solution of soap and soda, garlic infusion. With the wide distribution of insects, Fitoverm, Actellik insecticides are used.Both drugs are called contact intestinal. The period of validity is from one week to two.
Whitefly
The whitefly is a small moth-like butterfly. The size of the midge is 1.5-2 millimeters. Favorable breeding environment - air temperature from 25 degrees and high humidity. The insect feeds on plant sap. The most dangerous pest is the larva, which sucks sap from plants and pollutes the calathea with sticky (honey) secretions. It takes 3 weeks for the plant to die from the appearance of the butterfly. During this time, the calathea will have a violation of photosynthesis. The leaves dry up, turn yellow and fall off. A weakened plant will become subject to fungal and viral damage.
Midges can be eliminated by hanging adhesive baits near the calathea. The larvae, visible on the leaf as colorless scales, are resistant to the use of pesticides. At first you should try to wash them with a solution of soap and soda, if this type of calathea can be sprayed.
The butterfly lays its eggs in the topsoil. Sprinkling ash can repel insects and inhibit reproduction. To prevent the spread of the whitefly, a quarantine is established: all plants in a room must be treated equally against the pest. Broad-spectrum chemicals (Fitoverm, Aktellik, Confidor) are used according to the instructions.
yellowed leaves
The reason for the appearance of yellowing on the leaves, if not pests, is dry air, an excess of mineral fertilizers in the soil.
Falling foliage
Drafts, temperature drops below the permissible limit cause calathea to drop leaves.
wilted leaves
Lack of nutrients, dry soil are the reasons for the wilting of the indoor plant.
Light spots on the leaves
Too short daylight hours, lack of nitrogen in the soil lead to discoloration of the leaf plate, the appearance of discolored spots.
The leaves are distorted
Growth at temperatures below 20 degrees and insufficient humidity affect the formation of a leaf plate: its edges begin to curl.
Small white crystals under the leaves
The appearance on the sewn side of the leaf plate of white crystals, if there are no pests, means that the calathea is "weeping". Guttation occurs, the release of vegetable juices. This is how the flower reacts to changes in humidity inside and outside: the higher the humidity, the more crystals will appear.
Diseases
Tropicana diseases are associated with a violation of the conditions of detention. Bright light will cause burns. Waterlogging the soil or its dryness will affect the decorativeness of the plant: the leaves lose their natural color, become deformed. An overabundance or lack of nutrients in the soil will negatively affect the calathea. Watering with hard water, subject to other conditions (chlorine weathering, heating above room temperature), will cause leaf yellowing and slow growth.
Breeding methods
Every 3 years, calathea should be planted in order to avoid thickening of shoots and loss of decorative effect. In this case, reproduction occurs by dividing the roots. In a shorter period, a stem with 1-3 leaves is used as a seedling.
Professionals propagate flowering calatheas by seeds.
Root division
A three-year-old calathea is removed from the pot together with a lump of soil. Spread the plant out on a clean cloth or sheet of paper.You can visually see how you want to divide the rhizomes. Large roots are carefully separated from each other by hand, trying not to damage them. Small tangled roots are cut with a knife disinfected in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Before planting, inspect the ground part of the calathea, remove the leaves that have completed the growing season. Planted in pots with prepared soil, watered. Cover with plastic or place in an aquarium. The grafting procedure is similar to planting an acquired plant.
Cuttings
For seedlings of calathea, a pot with a peat-sand mixture in a 2: 1 ratio is prepared with a leaf with a petiole. There should be growth points on the leaf. The cut stem is buried in the ground, watered, covered with an airy, transparent cap and placed in a warm place. After the appearance of the sprout, the calathea is transplanted into a larger pot with soil of the required composition.
Seeds
In the flowering culture of kalata, testicles are formed, resembling an ear of corn in miniature. Calathea seeds have poor germination, so they should be planted no later than 2 days after removal from the plant. The seeds are dried and placed in a container with a bulk substance: leaf humus and peat. Embedment in the ground - no more than 0.5 centimeters deep. It is best to scatter them on top, lightly pressing them into the ground.
Dampen the soil using a spray bottle. Cover the pallet/pot with polyethylene. They are placed in a warm place. Calathea shoots will appear in 30-45 days. The next step is transplanting into separate pots and a regime of acclimatization and grafting.
Additional tips and tricks
Before buying a calathea, you need to decide on a place where it will be permanently located. To grow tropicana with velvety leaves, you need a humidifier. Otherwise, it will not work to create the required level of humidity, and the plant will die. Do not neglect the transplantation of a flower, as required by agricultural technology. The width of the pot depends on the compactness of the herbaceous bush.
When planting calathea, the distance between the clod of earth and the edges of the container should be at least 2-3 centimeters. When transplanting, calatheas remove rotten roots. The tool (knife or scissors) must be disinfected in a dark red solution of potassium permanganate for 5 minutes.