Calathea is one of the most popular houseplants suitable for any type of interiors - from strict offices to cozy bedrooms. If you want to grow it, then pay attention to the fact that it is very demanding in terms of both care and growing conditions.
Lighting
Shade conditions are the best option for the plant. Professionals recommend providing diffused lighting for it. In winter, the light should also be no less abundant. In spring and summer, Calathea can be severely affected by direct sunlight. The quality of the sun protection directly affects the size and color of the leaves. In very bright light, the leaves begin to fade, and over time, the leaf blade decreases in size.
Temperature
Caring for the Calathea flower in the spring-summer period requires maintaining the temperature within 22-30 degrees Celsius (72-86 F), at night a slight decrease in temperature is allowed. In winter, regardless of the time of day, the temperature should not fall below 18 (64 F) degrees and rise above 25 degrees (64 - 77 F). Temperature fluctuations and drafts are serious stress for calathea. During care, attention should be paid to the temperature of the soil, which should be warmed up to 18-20 degrees (64-68 F) and in the summer - up to 22 degrees (72 F). In case of hypothermia of the roots, the plant begins to grow more slowly.
Watering
It is possible to grow a calathea flower in room conditions only with abundant watering, which is carried out as the upper layer of the substrate dries up. Leaving in the fall and winter requires a reduction in watering. You can only use warm, settled water. When determining the frequency of watering, it is necessary to take into account that the soil should not dry out, become waterlogged, and at the same time, the root system of plants should not be cooled.
Air humidity
Calathea feels most comfortable in the house with the air humidity between the range of 70 to 90%. It is also necessary to regularly spray the plant throughout the season. For this, it is recommended to use well-settled or filtered water. It should be sprayed only in small drops, since large particles of water can lead to dark spots on the leaves.
Calathea will develop normally at home only if the maximum air humidity is maintained in the room. In dry air, care requires spraying the plants at least once, and preferably twice a day; You can maintain optimal humidity if the flower is placed on a pallet filled with moist moss, expanded clay or pebbles. An alternative solution is to install a humidifier. Be sure to take care that the pot does not touch the water.
Insufficient care is the cause of dry spots on calathea leaves. Dry spots on the leaves of calathea can appear with insufficient watering, dry air, direct sunlight, drafts, temperature changes.
Fertilizers
The plant is fed once every 2 weeks in April – August, for this use a complex mineral fertilizer for decorative leafy plants.
Rest period
It usually starts in September and ends in January.
Repotting
Young specimens are subjected to this procedure once a year, and older ones - once every 2 or 3 years.
Harmful insects
Scabbards, thrips and spider mites.
Diseases
Rhizoctonia. If the flower is improperly taken care of, then problems with its foliage may begin.
Possible problems
Improper care and inappropriate growth conditions can cause various flower problems:
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Drying of the tips of the foliage. If only the tips of the leaf dry, then this is due to excessively dry air. In this case, they begin to moisten the bush from the spray bottle more often, while the pot with it is placed on a pallet filled with wet pebbles.
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Dry spots on the leaves. Most often they appear when spraying a bush, when too large drops of water remain on the foliage. When the sun's rays hit these droplets, it causes sunburn.
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Drying foliage. This can happen due to drafts, overly poor watering, or when thrips settle on the flower.
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Yellowing of foliage. If only the lower leaves of the calathea turn yellow, then there is no need to worry, because this is a completely natural process associated with the death of old leaves. If not only the lower leaves turn yellow, then this may be due to the fact that the bush is overfed with fertilizers or it is not watered correctly. Leaves can turn yellow both due to a lack of moisture and due to the fact that liquid stagnates regularly in the root system. It is necessary to moisten the substrate in the pot only when its top layer dries out to a depth of about 20 mm. Otherwise, the roots of the flower will not receive enough oxygen, and rot will appear on them, and the foliage will begin to actively yellow. You should also be careful about feeding calathea. Please note that a nutrient solution prepared from half of the manufacturer's recommended fertilizer dose should be applied to the soil (see instructions on the package). Yellowing of the foliage may also be due to the fact that the room is too cold.
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Curling foliage. Drying and curling of foliage occurs due to excessively low temperature or humidity, and also due to the influence of drafts.
