Maranta(Marantha leuconeura) is a particularly decorative houseplant with picturesquely colored leaves. Although it requires careful care, propercare for the arrowrootwill allow you to enjoy its charm for a long time. Get to know the most commonly grownvarieties of arrowrootwith beautiful patterns on the leaves and find out what it should look likegrowing arrowroot at homeWe also advise how to makepropagation of arrowrootand what diseases can threaten this plant.
Maranta
Fig. pixabay
Maranta - varieties
Among the many varieties of arrowroot, characterized by unique patterns on the leaves, the most common are:
Maranta 'Erythroneura'- another common name of this arrowroot variety is 'Erythrophylla', it has leaves in two shades of green, with red veins, these leaves curl at night
Maranta 'Kerchoveana'- gray-green leaves with brown spots, curl at night
Maranta 'Massangeana'- olive green leaves with a red underside, white and dark brown spots are collected along the main nerve, the veins have a silver herringbone pattern,
Maranta 'Fascinator'- velvety, dark green leaves with red-orange veins,
Maranta 'Marisela'- green leaves with silver veins.
Sometimes another plant is sold under the name arrowroot, the correct name of which is stromanthe. Both plants are quite similar and are often confused with each other.
Maranta - cultivation and care
1. Arrowroot growing position
Maranta requires a lot of diffused light . It feels bad in direct sunlight, where its leaves turn pale and are easily burned. Therefore,avoid growing arrowroot on the sills of the southern and western windows .
Maranta has high temperature requirements.During the growing season (March-August), the optimal temperature for growing arrowroot is 22-26 ° C during the day and around 18 ° C at night. With sufficiently high humidity of the ground and air, it can withstand temperatures of up to 30 ° C. In winter, during the dormant period (September-February), it requires a temperature of 16-18 ° C. The air temperature must not drop below 15 ° C, as this causes serious disturbances in the growth and development of the arrowroot.
2. Watering and air humidity
Proper watering is an important step in the care of arrowroot It should be frequent and regular.Water the marantha 2-3 times a weekwith soft, slightly acidic water. Before watering, we check the soil in the pot with our fingers. If it is dry and loose, the plant should be watered. Although the arrowroot requires frequent watering, the excess moisture in the substrate can cause the plant to rot.Watering arrowroot limited during the dormant period(September-February). During this time, we water the plant once a week.
Maranta
Fig. pixabay
Maranthus must be provided with constant, high air humidityFor this purpose, it is necessary to sprinkle the leaves (twice a week in winter) with water at room temperature. The leaves are best sprayed with soft water so that there are no ugly stone stains on the leaves. You can also place a pot with a marantha on a stand filled with stones and water. Evaporating water from the base will moisturize the air around the plant.Appropriatehumidity conditions for arrowrootcan be created by placing adjacent plants close to it.
3. Substrate and fertilization of arrowroot
To grow arrowroot, you need a light and permeable substrate with an acidic pH (pH 4-6).The best substrate for arrowroot isa mix of rhododendron substrate with leaf soil, sand and peat in equal proportions.
Maranta requires regular fertilization , however, it is very sensitive to excessive salinity of the substrate. During the growth period, it should be fertilized every 14 days with low doses of fertilizer (half of the dose recommended by the manufacturer), diluted in water.
4. Arrowroot care
Maranta is a creeping plantIts shoots are 50 cm long. You can let its shoots hang freely (e.g. from suspended containers) or lead them on various supports. Arrowroot shoots tend to strip their leaves.Therefore,aging shoots and leaves should be removed regularly , regardless of the season. Pruning stimulates the plant to produce new shoots.
Maranta grows strongly, therefore it requires replanting once a year . Older plants, whose growth is slower, can be transplanted every 3-4 years. We replant the maranta in the spring. We can combine this treatment with reproduction.
Maranta - reproduction
Marantha is multiplied by divisionThis procedure is performed in early spring, during transplanting. Take the maranta carefully out of the pot and gently clean its roots from the remnants of the soil. Then we gently tear the root ball into smaller parts. The resulting seedlings are planted in separate pots with a suitable soil mixture and watered abundantly.
Maranta - diseases
Failure to follow the rules of proper care for arrowroot can lead to diseases. The most common problems that arise during the cultivation of arrowroot are:
Drying arrowroot leaves- the tops of the leaves begin to turn yellow and gradually dry up. The disease spreads to the entire leaf blade. The cause of the disease is the cultivation of arrowroot on too intensely lit position in the summer months. Another reason why arrowroot leaves dry out is too low air humidity. To avoid such problems, marantha should be grown in places where it will not be in direct contact with strong sunlight. Additionally, you should constantly maintain a high level of humidity in the immediate vicinity of the plant.
Arrowroot leaves chlorosis- arrowroot leaves lose their natural color and turn yellow. Plant growth is stunted. The cause of arrowroot leaves chlorosis is an excess of nutrients in the substrate. To help the plant, stop fertilizing and pour the soil in the pot twice with clean water. If necessary, replace the soil in the pot with a new one.
Rot rot arrowroot(Pythium spp.) - lower leaves begin to turn yellow and the plant withers. After removing the plant from the pot, you can see a reduction in the root system and root rot. Too low temperature as well as too heavy and moist soil is conducive to the development of the disease. In order to prevent the appearance of the disease, marantha should be grown in a light, properly composed substrate and at high air temperature. Sick plants should be transplanted to a fresh substrate and a clean pot and watered with a fungicide, e.g. Biosept Active.
The edges of arrowroot leaves curl inwardsmay be related to pest feeding. Additionally, silvery white spots (traces of the pest's feeding) with small black lumps (pest droppings) may be visible. Thrips cause such symptoms. In order to get rid of these pests, spray the marantha with the following preparations: Agricolle Spray, Emulpar Spray, Insect Control or Spintor 240 EC.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
