Description of calathea species, tips for home maintenance: watering, soil for transplanting, rules of care and reproduction in different ways, diseases and pests. Calathea (lat. Calathea) belongs to the arrowroot family (lat. Marantaceae). Differs in herbaceous appearance, grows from a root that is pulled from one seed or shoot, can grow for many seasons. Mainly kept at home for the splendor of the patterned leaf plates. The family includes approximately 130 plant species. The native habitat is warm and humid forests of the Central and South American territories. Basically, its favorite place is the banks of waterways or backwaters. It has its name from the literal translation "basket", which comes from the Greek word Kalaythos. The leaves of this plant were used in ancient times as material for weaving baskets. In the countries of its natural growth, calathea leaves are used as packaging material, wrapping products in it.
Special types of calathea are extended with a stem up to 90 cm in height. Calathea is distinguished by a special decorativeness of leaf plates. The root system of this type of flowers is superficial, formed from shoots located under the ground. Rosettes emerge from this rhizome, formed from patterned leaves. The leaf plates are distinguished by their uniqueness: they are quite large, reaching up to 30 cm in height and having a long petiole. The shape resembles an elongated ellipse or a flattened oval.
The peculiarity of calathea is that the leaf plates turn in the wake of the sun. Inflorescences can be in the form of large spikelets or a round shape, in which flowers of the most diverse colors are collected: lilac, whitish, yellowish, orange. In nature, because of their unique and complex structure, calathea flowers are pollinated only by the smallest bees. The flowering process itself does not attract attention at all, it occurs in the spring and summer months. But there are varieties of calathea that stand out from these features - these are Varshavich's calathea and saffron calathea.
Calathea differs in that in the evening, the leaf plates begin to roll up and rise upward in a prayer gesture, and after dawn they begin to lower and unfold. Therefore, the popular name for Calathea, like the arrowroot, is “the flower of prayer”. For apartment or office conditions, the calathea of Bahema, Makoy, Veich, striped, decorated, are perfect. This plant is particularly capricious. Calathea is not intended for breeding by beginner growers.
Types of calathea
- Calathea Bahema (Calathea bachemiana). The habitat is the rainforests of Brazil. It does not have a stem, the shape of the leaf plate resembles elongated knives and reaches 35 cm in length and 7 cm in width. The leaves themselves are wrinkled, very dense, the color is green with silver, with a rich green spot. From the flowers, peduncles are collected in the form of spikelets.
- Calathea Varshavich (Calathea warscewiczii). The appearance of this calathea forms leaves in the form of an oval of a rich green color, with a vein pattern that looks paler, they are velvety to the touch. The sheet plate on the reverse side casts a magenta color. The peduncle grows in the form of spikelets of pastel colors: whitish, cream or pink.
- Calathea Veitch (Calathea veitchiana). Growing places tropical areas of Peru. The stem extends to a height of 90 cm. The leaves are elliptical with a dimension of up to 30 cm in length and 15 cm in width, slightly pointed at the apex, and a slight cordate at the base. The leaf plate is very strong and has a glossy surface, has a rich, green color. At the very top of the sheet, stripes of pale yellow and light green shades appear. On the reverse side, the leaf has a reddish cover with pale yellow stripes. The flowers look quite decorative, as they are collected in a spikelet inflorescence on a very long stem up to 20 cm.
- Calathea Makoya (Calathea makoyana). In nature, it can be found in moist Brazilian forests. With its stems, it creates whole bush thickets, reaching 60 cm in height. The leaves are pronouncedly decorative - the leaf plate is practically translucent, saturated green veins appear on it, there is an elongated green and red striping, which starts from the center.
- Calathea saffron (Calathea crocata). The leaf plate is two-colored: on the upper side it is dark emerald color, on the back side it is dark brown. It differs in the regularity of flowering in the winter months, but for this it is necessary to observe temperature conditions not lower than 18 degrees and sufficiently long illumination, more than 10 hours. Flowers of a beautiful orange hue.
You can also name such popular types as:
- zebra calathea with stripes in the form of feathers on leaf plates;
- leopard calathea with stripes in the form of green spots on the leaves;
- calathea Litze with wavy leaves, bright, grassy color with a shine of metal;
- painted calathea, which is distinguished by the symmetry of yellow stripes on the leaves;
- a wonderful calathea with leaves in the form of elongated knives and a wavy edge, small and large spots of green and light green shades appear on them;
- decorated calathea - a species with great decorativeness, is distinguished by its low growth. Leaf plates with pronounced yellow stripes on a dark green background, pink stripes on the sides of the leaf, the underside is distinguished by shades of rich red rose and dark lilac.
Special rules for growing calathea
Content temperature
Since calathea is a full-fledged inhabitant of the tropics, she likes it when in the room where she lives, the temperature indicators do not jump, but are constant up to 23-24 degrees. If it gets colder than 18 degrees, then it is detrimental to the plant, it begins to be affected by rot. The plant also needs to be protected from drafts. The most interesting thing is that you also need to monitor the temperature of the earthen coma in the pot, that is, in the hot months it should not exceed 22 degrees, and in the winter months it should not fall below 18, since other indicators lead to decay of the root system.
Lighting
Since the calathea in nature is not a very tall plant and is located in the lower tiers of the forest, she also loves the appropriate light: bright diffused or shaded. The best place is the windows of the western or eastern direction, but if you put a flowerpot with a flower on the south window, then it is important to protect the calathea from direct sunlight. If this is not done, then the leaves of the plant will be burnt, turn pale and begin to curl. On the windows of the northern direction, there may be a lack of light, which, accordingly, will entail a slowdown in growth, crushing of the leaves and the loss of their beautiful decorative color. But this problem is solved by supplementary lighting with fluorescent lamps for at least 16 hours a day. Humidity of the environment … Since in tropical leva humidity reaches 90%, a resident of such natural regions will require the creation of the same humidity for her in apartment conditions. This is a very big problem, but you can find a way out in different ways:
- use a special humidifier by placing it next to the flowerpot;
- moisten the leaf plates by wiping (but this method is only suitable for plants with a smooth leaf surface, this is not recommended for a velvety surface);
- put a flowerpot with a plant in a special transparent vessel (like an aquarium);
- to do it yourself by spraying water next to the plant from a spray bottle to raise the humidity of the air;
- the best way is to install the flowerpot in a deep pallet, with expanded clay or small stones poured into it and carefully moistened - the pot will not touch the moisture, and when it evaporates, it will raise the humidity around the calathea.
Spraying calathea is still not worth it, as this can lead to the formation of a non-aesthetic dark spot on the leaves.
Optimal watering
Calathea is very demanding to the water with which it is watered. The plant does not tolerate cold and even slightly cool water causes significant harm - the leaf plates soften, and decay will begin. Watering is carried out with thoroughly settled, at least 2 days, warm water. In this case, the liquid softens, as alkaline compounds and calcium are removed. You can also soften tap water with peat, placing a few handfuls of it in cheesecloth and leaving it in the water overnight. Naturally, it is best to collect water from rain or to heat it from snow. It is necessary to moisturize the earthen lump gradually and carefully so that it is not overdried and waterlogged, since both will lead to the loss of the flower. The leaves will begin to lose shape and a dry brown edge will appear at the edges. Watering in the summer is necessary often, literally in two or three days. In winter, this procedure is only once every 10 days, at least two weeks later. Violation of the regimes during watering leads to the discarding of the leaf mass. The appearance of small midges is also an indicator of improper watering. Under normal watering conditions, calathea leaf plates have good elasticity and should be glossy with a colorful pattern.
Fertilizer calathea
Different types of this plant require different types of feeding. Large amounts of nitrogen and calcium also have a detrimental effect on the flower. It is best to apply top dressing during the period of activation of its growth. Fertilizers are often taken liquid, the rate indicated by the manufacturer is halved. It is better to purchase feeding in specialized stores and choose for deciduous and ornamental types of plants (you can take it with a complex of minerals), and only for the type of saffron calathea, fertilizers for flower plants are chosen. With calathea, when making top dressing, it is important to balance with the norm, since it is very picky. It is better to do top dressing from April days to the end of August, at least once every 14 days, and combine this procedure with watering time. In winter, feeding can be carried out only once a month and a half.
Calathea transplant
Since the root system of calathea is mainly on the surface, air and moisture should flow well into the soil. For ease, sand or agroperlite is added to the composition. You can dilute the mixture with parts of charcoal and humus. Peat is also added, which will retain the necessary moisture and reduce the density of the soil mixture. Usually, a substrate is made of such components in accordance with 2: 1: 1, namely:
- leafy land;
- peat;
- sand.
Calathea mix can also be purchased at the store - specially formulated soil for calathea and arrowroot. You can also use saintpaul soil, you will have to add a little sand to it. If there are no ready-made soil mixtures, then the soil for azaleas is also suitable.
The pot for calathea should be chosen in the same way based on the fact that the roots are not deep in the earthen mixture. Wide, shallow flowerpots are best suited, on the bottom of which a sufficient layer of expanded clay is poured. If you take a pot made of ceramic, it will protect the plant from the cold windowsill during the winter and autumn months. For young plants, the transplantation procedure is recommended annually, for adults every two to three years in May or in the summer months.
Reproduction of calathea
The most proven method of propagation for this plant is by splitting the root of the mother plant into pieces. In adulthood, the maternal root begins to branch strongly and can be neatly divided into several parts, trying not to harm the roots. But it is necessary to divide these parts not too finely, since the pieces of the plant may not have enough strength from the roots left and it will die. The soil for the divided plants is made up on the basis of peat soil and sand, taken in equal parts. Delenki are planted in this mixture, a polyethylene bag is put on a pot with a new plant (thus, a greenhouse effect is arranged) and placed in a warm place until new leaves appear. This whole procedure is recommended to be performed when it comes time to transplant calathea.
The second way is grafting. For this process, it is necessary to cut off the stalk that is above the soil. It is important to remember that kidney points should remain on the cuttings and on the parent plant. After that, the cutting is planted in a substrate, which is the same as when planting the cuttings, covered with a bag and waiting for the beginning of its growth.
Seed propagation in an apartment is extremely rare, since seed germination is minimal. But if shoots do appear, then they must be very carefully cared for: temperature and humidity must be strictly verified.
Calathea pests and diseases
The main indicator that something is wrong with the plant is the appearance of the leaves.
In very dry air, the calathea begins to dry out and curl the leaf plates. The only solution may be to hang humidity next to the flowerpot, for this you need to install a humidifier. Spraying in this case will not help the plant. But sometimes the same symptoms can be caused by cold air and the presence of drafts, perhaps the temperature in the room has become too low for the plant.
If the yellowing of the leaves began in calathea, then this is a sign of excessive fertilization, to the excess of which calathea is very sensitive.
Dry air also attracts various harmful insects that begin to breed on the leaves: thrips, scale insects and spider mites. Here, insecticides are applicable to solve the problem.
You will learn more about the properties and cultivation of calathea from this video:
