Kalatea(Calathea) is a potted ornamental plant belonging to the Marantaceae family. It is distinguished by extremely decorative leaves, looking as if they were hand-painted with patterns. Learnsecrets of growing calatheain a pot, checkwhich species of calathea are suitable for growing in the apartmentand which diseases can threaten this plant. Here's what to do to make kalatea decorate your home as long as possible!
Kalatea - Calathea
Kalatea - cultivation
Water and high air humidity play the most important role in the care of calathea. Water calathea only with soft, lukewarm waterThe substrate should be constantly moist. Watering requires a great deal of intuition, which we acquire with the experience of growing calathea. Watering too rarely causes the leaves to wilt and curl. On the other hand,excessive watering and water remaining in the substrate favor the development of kalatei diseases
Veryimportant in the cultivation of calathea is to maintain high air humidityOne of the ways to increase the humidity is sprinkling, which we do daily. Another way is to place the pot on a stand filled with water and pebbles. Too low air humidity causes drying and browning of the tips and edges of the leaves. Dry air also inhibits the growth of young leaves. As a result, the plant quickly stripped and dies.
Temperature is just as important as adequate humidity.Kalatea is a thermophilic plantIn winter the temperature cannot be lower than 16-18 ° C. The optimal temperature is 20-25 ° C.In summer, with high air humidity, calathea can cope well even at a temperature of 27-29 ° C.Kalatea is very sensitive to draftsand fumes from gas stoves and cigarette smoke.
Calatea doesn't need a lot of lightToo much light makes the leaves pale. Intense sunlight, especially in summer in the afternoon hours, may cause burns of the leaves. The pot with calathea is best placed in a semi-shaded place. Only in winter we place the calathea in a more lit place.
Soil for growing kalateishould be well drained and acidic (5-5.5 pH). Peat or compost soil with the addition of coarse sand is best. It is best to replant the purchased calathea to such a substrate.
From March to Septemberfertilize calathea no more than once every two weeks . For feeding, we use half of the fertilizer dose recommended by the manufacturer. It is best to use fertilizers for potted plants with decorative leaves.
Kalatea - potted species
The genus Calathea (Calathea) has nearly 100 species. However, not all of them have been domesticated. There are over a dozen species in pot cultivation. The most noteworthy are:
1.Kalatela Makoya(Calathea makoyana) - This is the most common type of calathea. This species does not like spraying. It copes well with artificial lighting, which makes it suitable for growing indoors. The leaves are oval, pea-colored, with a dark green pattern. The pattern is also clearly visible on the underside of the leaf. The underside of the leaves is colored in shades of purple.
2.Calathea lancetolistna(Calathea lancifolia) - in this species the leaves are oblong, set on short petioles. The leaves are dark green with a darker pattern on the upper side, the underside of the leaf is a dark purple color.
Kalatea - Calathea
3.Edged Calathea(Calathea picturata) - sometimes also referred to as peacock calathea, its leaves are oblong but still retaining an oval shape. The upper side of the leaf blade has a characteristic pattern - the edge of the leaves is surrounded by a distinct border surrounding the transverse light stripes.
4.Brindle Calathea(Calathea zebrina) - Also known as striped calathea, a dark green pattern resembling zebra stripes is visible on the upper side of the leaves. The underside of the leaves is reddish.
5.Calathea rufibarba (Calathea rufibarba) - the leaves are narrow, lanceolate, with wavy edges, set on long petioles (up to 30 cm). They are dark green in color, shiny, devoid of characteristic patterns, but overgrown with stiff hairs. The underside of the leaf is dark red. With a lack of light, the leaves get smaller, which makes the plant lose its attractive appearance.
6.Yellowflower Calathea(Calathea crocata) - leaves are dark green, with no clearly outlined pattern. The underside of the leaf is purple. Well cared for, it blooms with yellow-orange flowers in winter.Sometimes another plant is sold under the name calathea, the correct name of which is stromanthe. Both plants are quite similar and are often confused with each other.
Kalatea - diseases
In pot cultivation, calathea is most often attacked by diseases of potted plants such as: fusarium root and shoot rot, and fusarium leaf blotch.
1.Fusarium root and shoot rot(Fusarium oxysporum)
Thiskalatei disease manifests itself as rotting roots and the base of the petioles . The leaves wilt, turn brown and dry up massively. Diseased plants have slow growth. The development of the disease is favored by an excessively humid substrate and air temperature above 20 ° C.
To stop the disease progression, use Topsin M 500 SC (dilute 1 ml / 1 l of water) in a dose of 50 ml of aqueous solution per 10 cm pot.To prevent the development of the disease, you shouldavoid over-watering the calatheaWhen sprinkling, do not spray the leaves directly, but spray water in the air.
2.Fusarium leaf spot(Fusarium moniliforme)
Brown, round, watery patches appear on both sides of the calathea leavesThey are often located on their edges. When the air humidity drops, the stains dry up. A yellow border is clearly visible around the spots. With a high intensity of symptoms, the entire leaves dry up.
To prevent the onset of the disease,water the calathea directly into the substrate . When the first symptoms appear, remove all the diseased leaves, and then spray the plant with the already mentioned Topsin M 500 SC (1 ml / 1 l of water).
Calathea can also be attacked by the hop spider mite. Spider mites are quite common pests of houseplants. As a result of the attack of the spider mite, the leaves of calathea lose their color, turn gray,dull, often yellow spots appear on them. Leaves can also curl downwards and dry out from the edges. After noticing the spider mite feeding symptoms, spray it with a spider mite preparation for potted plants, e.g. Polysect Hobby.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
