The coquette calathea owes its popularity tounusually beautiful leaves. As a peacock spreads its wonderful tail, so it pleases the eye with its painted patterned leaves. Like all beauties, it is quite capricious and capricious. Therefore, it requires increased attention. And if you decide to have a calathea at home, then be prepared for its whims. Let's find out what kind of care and maintenance does calathea require?
Kalatea. Portrait
You can't call this plant small, it's tallit reaches 80 cm. And most of its species have large oblong leaves, collected in a compact basket. Surprisingly, they are always turned towards the sun, although this plant loves shade. It comes from the tropical forests of the American continent. In indoor floriculture, calathea is represented by several popular species:
- kalatea painted (striped leaf dark green in the middle with a light streak and a light edging along the edge),
- kalatei saffron (sheet dark green on top and dark purple bottom),
- kalatei striped (velvety bright green leaves, with wide dark stripes),
- kalatea is remarkable (leaf wavy along the edge, light green, spotted, from below violet),
- kakateya Makoya (silvery thin leaves with a dark green edge and the same pattern in the form of a feather, dark purple from below),
- Lubbers calataea (green leaves with long yellow spots).
Although all types of calathea are valuablenamely as decorative foliage, there are also flowering specimens among them. Calathea saffron blooms with bright orange-red flowers on high peduncles. Calathea striped in summer knocks out long arrows with small purple flowers. Calathea warszewiczii also blooms. It is not the flowers themselves that are beautiful, but the creamy bracts, similar to oblong roses.
Kalatea. Climate control
Calathea is known to originate from damp areas.tropics (its non-domesticated relatives still grow there). Therefore, these plants require suitable conditions when kept indoors. Calatheas love warmth and partial shade. They do not tolerate drafts, sudden temperature changes, or direct sunlight. They need good lighting to ensure that their leaves remain decorative. Humid air is needed to feel good and grow. Calatheas grow best in rooms with south-eastern and south-western windows. In winter, calathea should be kept in a warm room with a temperature of at least 18 degrees. At this time of year, the plant may suffer not only from low temperatures, but also from lack of light. Therefore, if it is not possible to place it near a window, it is worthwhile to arrange artificial lighting for the calathea. In no case should the flower be placed next to a radiator. In summer, the plant should be constantly sprayed and the leaves should be wiped with a damp sponge. In hot weather, calathea should be watered abundantly, and the pot should be placed in a container filled with wet peat, expanded clay or pebbles. Spring and autumn are the most favorable times for these plants. But even during this period, one should not forget that they are moisture- and light-loving.
Kalatea. Care
All Marantaceae are demanding in terms of maintenanceindoor conditions. Calathea is no exception: the flower requires proper care. How does this manifest itself? Watering. For watering, use only settled soft water at room temperature. The intensity of watering depends on the time of year. In summer, it should be abundant, the rest of the time - moderate, but sufficient. If there is a lack of moisture, the leaves of the calathea begin to curl, and by flooding the plant, you will provoke root rot. Feeding. During the growth period (April-August), calathea should be fed with regular liquid fertilizer for indoor plants. This should be done once every two weeks. And for flowering calatheas, it is also advisable to feed them with a special fertilizer for ornamental flowering plants. Transplantation. It is necessary every spring. Calatheas are transplanted into shallow pots, since their root system is superficial. The soil should be loose and light, intended specifically for marantaceae (or azaleas). Plants older than three years are replanted less often - every two to three years. During the replanting process, you can also divide the bush for propagation. To prevent diseases and control pests, calatheas require, first of all, comfortable conditions: sufficient humidity and proper watering. If pests appear (whiteflies, thrips, spider mites), you need to remove the affected leaves and use special insecticides. These are the requirements for the maintenance of this capricious indoor plant. If you follow them, you will definitely be able to grow a beautiful, healthy calathea. And it will try to become a worthy and rich decoration of your home. We recommend reading:
