Today there is a huge number of indoor flowers that can be grown at home. It is only necessary to ensure proper care for the plants, and then they will give their owners positive emotions every day.
Calathea (photos of some varieties are presented in the article) belong to the family of arrowroot, which includes more than a hundred species. Many of them can be grown at home. The origin of the flower is associated with the American continent. Calathea leaves were used earlier for weaving baskets. Today, the flower is grown mainly for decorative purposes. In this review, we will consider what kind of calathe care is needed, and also dwell on the features of its cultivation.
General information
Many beginner gardeners experience many difficulties when trying to grow a flower such as calathea at home. Caring for it requires considerable effort. The plant has a superficial rhizome, from which rosettes of tall long leaves rise.
As for flowering, it is especially worth highlighting this feature. The leaves of this plant, like all the others from the Moraine family, rise towards each other in the evening, like hands folded in prayer. Because of this feature, calathea got its nickname - prayer.
Varieties
Today, many are interested in such an original flower as calathea. The species of this plant mainly differ in their decorative characteristics.
Consider some of the most common varieties:
- Kalateya Varshevich: has velvety green leaves. The space near the veins is slightly lit. The flower of the plant is pale cream and very beautiful.
- Roseate Calathea: A beautiful flower with striped oval leaves. Coloring varies from dark green to light green.
- Calathea Lansifolia: This species is characterized by the presence of long wavy leaves. Coloring is quite usual for this plant (ornament of alternating green spots).
- Calathea Orbifolia: a distinctive feature of this variety is the presence of huge leaves resembling a weed. They have a dark color and a wavy shape. Light lines cross the leaf.
- Calathea Silvery: This variety has small olive-metal leaves, studded with small white dots.
- Calathea Mix: in appearance resembles striped. The only difference is that this species has light lines against a dark background.
- Calathea Saffron: the main feature of this variety is an incredibly beautiful flower of delicate orange color. However, it is quite difficult to achieve flowering.
- Kalatea Zebra-shaped: a flower with long leaves in the shape of an ellipse. In the upper part there are alternating bright lines. The natural habitat is Brazil. The flowers are collected in dense inflorescences of pale purple and white.
- Calathea Garnished: a small flower that grows only up to 14 cm. Its rounded leaves reach a length of 20 cm. It is found in the natural environment in the tropics of Colombia. On the upper side, the leaf has a yellowish-green color. The underside is painted in purple tones. When flowering, inflorescences are formed in the form of an ear of purple or white.
- Kalatea Makoya: grows up to 45 cm, is unpretentious in leaving, has long oval-shaped leaves. The color combination is quite unusual: green stripes and scarlet spots. In a natural habitat found in the Brazilian tropics.
- Red-bearded calathea: got its name due to the presence of special fluff below the leaves. In this variety, they are slightly wavy, plain. Color can vary from pale green to purple.
- Calathea Leopard: is a stemless flower that grows to a height of 0.5 meters. The leaves are lanceolate. Their upper side is characterized by an interesting light green color with dark oblong spots. When flowering, yellow inflorescences are formed in the form of an ear.
How to care for a flower at home?
Beginning gardeners are worried about a number of issues related to the care of this plant. How to water a calathea? How many times a year does a flower need top dressing? How often does kalate need to be transplanted? Let's try to understand in more detail.
Since calathea belongs to tropical plants, it is photophilous. In the case of excess sunlight, the plant will not die, but the leaves can change their color to a dirty brown color. Therefore, it is better to put the flower pot in partial shade. So he will have enough light, and the leaves will not fade. As for the temperature regime, it should be warm enough - at least 17 degrees. Calathea is a flower to which drafts are completely contraindicated.
It is especially worth paying attention to watering the plant. For this purpose, it is necessary to take water a couple of degrees warmer than room temperature. It is also worth considering the quality of the liquid. Rain is best, but if it is impossible to get it, then plain tap water can be passed through a peat layer wrapped in cloth. In summer and spring, the flower should be watered abundantly, but you should not overdo it. The water in the pan should not stagnate, so it is extremely important to pour it out in a timely manner. Otherwise, you may encounter such an unpleasant problem as root decay. The plant requires a high level of humidity. Since it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve the required 90% at home, you can get by with simple spraying and moisturizing with a sponge. If you grow indoor calathea with velvety leaves, then in no case try to wash it. To provide the flower with the necessary level of humidity, you can put it in the florarium.
Fertilizers for calathea
Specialists recommend extreme caution when feeding calathea. The fact is that excess fertilizer can cause serious damage to the plant. From April to August, you need to feed the flower once every 15 days. A complex designed especially for decorative leafy flowers is best suited for this.
If you have young calathea, a transplant should be done once a year. An adult flower can be transplanted with a frequency of three years. The procedure is best done with the onset of spring.
What land should calathea grow in? The soil for planting should include one part of humus, leaf soil and peat, as well as half the share of fried river sand. You can buy ready-made soil for calatheas in a flower shop. The pot should be small and wide in size. It is necessary to lay out the drainage at the bottom, and cover it with a layer of soil from above. Gently lay the calathea on the substrate. The tank is filled to the top with the resulting soil.
Immediately after planting, you can treat the plant with Zircon fertilizer. To prepare a solution for one liter of water, you need to take four drops of the composition. To guarantee the survival of the plant, you can try to create greenhouse conditions for it. A building material such as polycarbonate is excellent for this purpose. The first time after transplantation, it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture. The flower is watered several days after the topsoil has dried. Experts recommend constantly monitoring the state of the soil. With a lack of moisture, calathea leaves can twist.
Breeding methods
So how is this process going? Calathea, the care of which requires certain knowledge, can multiply by dividing the bush. The best time to carry out this procedure is spring. When transplanting, the root must be divided into several parts. The resulting delenki are planted in special soil for plants of the Moraine family. The capacity should be at least 8 cm in diameter. Seedlings will develop well if put in partial shade while maintaining high temperature and a sufficient level of humidity. With proper care, everything should work out.
There is another way to get a young sprout of a flower like calathea. Propagation by cuttings is a little easier than dividing the bush. It is enough just to cut off the process from the flower and place it in moist soil for subsequent rooting. The container is covered with a transparent film. Such protection must be left until the sprout has strong roots.
Calathea at home can be grown from seeds. For this purpose, they are sown in a substrate consisting of two parts of leaf soil and one portion of sand. The temperature should be at least 22 degrees. When the first leaves appear, the plant can be dived into a container with the same soil. Later it can already be transplanted to a permanent place.
Pests and diseases
What problems do flower growers face today when caring for a plant called calatea? The leaves are dry, dark spots appear, the shape of the leaf changes - these are only the most common phenomena. If you find that your plant has begun to turn yellow, then pay attention to the affected area. The edges of the leaves change color in case of lack of moisture. Dry spots on the sheet itself may appear as a result of direct sunlight. Possible causes include a draft. When dying, the lower leaves of calathea turn yellow first of all. Do not worry about this, soon new ones will appear instead of the dumped ones.
Yellowing of the leaves is also often observed with an excess of fertilizers. Excessive watering will also lead to problems. If the plant stands in the cold for a long time, the leaves may curl. Many beginning flower growers immediately start to panic when they see that the calathea has lowered the leaves. This can be observed during flooding and freezing.
As for pests, calathea is very susceptible to damage by scabies. In this case, sticky spots appear on the leaves. To combat the pest, wash the flower with soap. If this does not help, you will have to use special drugs.
The underside of leaves may be affected by spider mites. The presence of this pest can be guessed by the presence of thin cobwebs. Ticks feed on deciduous juice. A plant affected by this parasite may turn yellow and take off leaves. A spider mite most often appears in the event of a lack of moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to spray the kalatea on both sides as often as possible. Also, once a couple of days the plant needs to arrange a warm shower. In the event that it is severely affected, it must be treated with special preparations like Fitoverm and Actellika.
Bloom
According to experts, this is quite an exciting process. Calathea blooms extremely rare. Due to the special structure, only some species of bees can pollinate. The process itself is very entertaining. A bee sits on a flower and enters its proboscis into it. Access to pollen is blocked by a special hook-like outgrowth. A bee has to push it through. As a result, he abruptly straightens and claps the insect with a stigma. Thus, pollen is transferred to the bee. The insect is frightened, starts and shakes off pollen from another flower.
It is believed that the following varieties are best suited for growing at home: Decorated, Beautiful, Striped, Makoya. All varieties, in addition to unusually beautiful leaves, are characterized by one rather important feature. Every evening, the plants leaves rise and lower in the morning. It may seem that the pet comes to life every day.
How to choose the right variety?
Why sometimes a green pet does not want to delight the eye with a beautiful appearance? The fact is that different types of calathea require different conditions. When choosing a flower, you must first understand if you can create a comfortable environment for it. Each variety of calathea needs special care. Flowering species are considered the most demanding. The most unpretentious is considered to be Makoya’s calathea. It is easier to look after it than other varieties.
Is it possible to grow crops in open ground?
How does calathea grow? In photos in stores and catalogs, you can often see images of magnificent gardens where this plant blooms. But actually planting calathea in the open ground is quite risky. For proper growth, the flower requires high humidity and a complete absence of drafts. If you keep kalatea in unsuitable conditions for her, she may die. In summer, in warm weather, a pot of culture can be taken out onto the terrace. But here it is worth remembering precautions. Sudden changes in temperature can damage the roots. After that, it will be impossible to restore the plant.
Conclusion
Many flower growers dream of having such an outlandish flower as calathea in their home greenhouse. Caring for this plant requires fans of exotic cultures to be fully committed. The problem is that this flower is very moody. At the slightest non-observance of the necessary cultivation conditions, he will immediately react to yellowing and withering of the foliage. The most important criterion is good lighting. But at the same time, under the influence of strong sunlight, the calathea can quickly lose its attractive appearance. Particular attention should be paid to humidity. To maintain it at the right level, the plant must be regularly watered and sprayed. As already mentioned, calathea does not tolerate drafts and temperature extremes. However, subject to all growing conditions, this plant will delight you with its unusual appearance for many years.