Grow Your Knowledge on the Indoor Plant Calathea

Plants are the token of contentment, and there are various plants used for the adornment of houses. They are also used for interior landscaping for art and architecture lovers. They have an uncanny charm and captivating nature which steals the attention. Calathea is a well-liked house plant used for interior decoration and design. They have the power of fascinating people with their exquisiteness. It belongs to the family of plants known as “Marantaceae”, which is a genus of flowering plants found in equatorial areas. Calathea is also well known as “prayer plants” Calathea plumps for indirect sunlight which makes it more favorable for usage in packed spaces like indoors and official buildings. There are numerous species of calathea plants found and accessible for indoor use. They are as follows:

• Calathea lancifolia
• Calathea ornata
• Calathea roseopicta
• Calathea rufibarba
• Calathea makoyana
• Calathea orbifolia

Calathea plants are also popular by names such as Cathedral plants, zebra plants, peacock plants, and rattlesnake plants. Calathea opens up their leaves throughout the day and closes itself up at night and undeniably it is its most alluring feature.

How do you Care for Calathea

Calathea plants are too simple, they do not require too much care habitually, they are so easy going plants and easy as pie to use. They are admired for interior decoration owing to their availability and easy peasy nature. The key conditions of growing and caring calathea are:

1. Indirect sunlight

Calathea plants demand vivid but not direct sunlight for their embellishment. This is because they are habitual to grow on the surfaces of jungles and forests where they receive a slight amount of sunlight passing through the leaves of the bigger trees. Direct sunlight will harm the plant and will cause a leaf burn which tends to turn the vibrant leaves into dull ones.  

2. Watering

Use cleansed or distilled water for watering the plant. The overabundance of water can drown the plant which will lead the plant to be sedentary in the pot.  Try to make a proper balance between too dry and soggy, because all the plant needs is to be moist throughout their journey of life.  

3. Temperature

Calathea is a tropical plant that grows better in temperature ranging between 60-80 F. They are not very fond of low temperature an incessant fluctuation of temperature can harm the plant and give rise to apparent curling of the leaves.  

4. Humidity

Calathea is a sun-loving plant because of the essence of the nativity in tropical regions.  They are fond of humid weather and soak up the moisture through the air with their big green leaves that are habitual for the plant.  

5. Fertilizer

Calathea does not require a lot of service of fertilizers, all they need is standard houseplant fertilizer for their flourishment. They predominantly need fertilization during their phase of growth. The grown-up calathea needs fertilizers once a month to meet up their requirements.  

6. Pruning

Calathea plants do not need pruning for their new growth and to protect themselves from damage. All they need is the removal of brown or yellow leaves to be as fit as fiddle.  

Can calathea grow in low light?

  The growth of calathea depends on the variety of plants you have in your abode and business. They are fond of sunlight and blossoms extremely well in low light conditions that don’t mean they are tender to darkness. It needs sunlight to survive as every plant needs it for its growth. It grows better under bright and indirect sunlight. When calathea gets either excessive sunlight or inadequacy of sunlight, in both scenarios, the damage will occur to the plant and will make it as pale as a ghost. You have to keep checking the reaction of the plant whether they seem bright or dull and all you need to provide them with the required nourishment.  

Problems with calathea receiving too much light

The abundance of sunlight can create problems for calathea and can make their leaves burn and that tends to fade away the color design and pattern of the plant. If you observe this happening with your plant then it's time to shift your plant under a little bit of sunlight.  The second problem arises when your plants tend to have crunchy, crispy, and brown leaves and it happens because of the inadequacy of humidity level in the ambience where the plant is kept, and if you witness this condition then it’s best to move the plant.  

Problems with calathea receiving too little light

If your calathea receives too little light then it is detrimental for the plant and you will experience sluggish growth or might the plant not grow at all. There is no harm in switching the plant’s location and to make an effort on the brightness level to the plant and to keep the track of its development. To make certain that your plant is blossoming and flourishing and not getting faded or sunburned, you have to make the plant exposed to bright and indirect sunlight and you need to acquire skill in understanding the evident symptoms of the plant.  

How often should you water calathea?

Calatheas are equatorial plants that love to be in warmer climates. If you want to keep your plant happy & alive, then you have to feed it with tons of indirect sunlight and a moist climate. Calatheas are tropical plants. They strive for the moist, keep the plant moist by watering them every one to two weeks and make sure that you are keeping the plant moist by sprinkling a little bit of water on it through the water spray after every two to three days. You need to plant the calathea in soil that retains the water and make sure your calathea is potted in a pot with drainage holes so that the excess water can pass out leaving the moisture behind.  

Potting medium

Calathea loves to be in moist soil and not getting drenched in the water. For placing it try to make a mixture of 50 per cent of potting soil, 20 per cent of charcoal, 20 per cent of orchid bark, and at last add 10 per cent of perlite into it. These four things all together are the perfect ingredients to cheer up the calathea.  

Should I mist my calathea?

Calatheas are the most magnificent low light plants and they enjoy a humid environment and they dislike being dried out. You have to take notes to not mist the calathea directly on the top of the leaves. It will cause them to rot and damage. You can mist your calathea by using a water sprayer by sprinkling water on them from top to bottom, once in two or three days. This method is widely practiced for cleaning up the plant. If you want to raise the humidity of the plant by placing the pot on the tray filled with water and pebbles, the pebbles will resist the pot from being swamped into the water and thereafter the natural evaporation will occur which keeps the plant moist through the air around it. Calathea being a prayer plant, get love warmth, and love when they are grouped together, which also raises the humidity level of the plant.  

Why do calathea leaves move?

Due to the extraordinary ability of this plant to move its leaves, they are also known as living plants. This movement of the leaf is possible as it possesses a small joint between stem and leaf. The movement is ensured by the change in water pressure in their pulvini. Light moves the joint, resulting in the opening and closing of the Calathea's leaves. It basically moves to maximize the sunlight absorption, not just calathea almost every plant moves in order to get as much sunlight as possible. It shouldn’t be confused with the curling of the Calathes’s leaf as it may happen due to incorrect watering. Too little watering causes dryness in the plant resulting in the curling of the leaves. Too much water restricts the airflow to the root, the soil becomes soggy which leads to root rot resulting in curled calathea leaves. Watering is tricky yet straightforward at the same time, have to keep the plant moist evenly, not let the soil dry up as well as not drown it.   

How to revive dying calathea plant

Your dying plant can be spared and revitalized with a little help, you will need a pair of scissors or a sharp object like a blade or knife, plant insecticides, planting pot, potting soil. Now lift the plant from the existing pot and check the root system. They should be light-colored if not that means they are rotting, cut the rotten part from a scissor. Now check for insects or bugs if they are present use the plant insecticide. After that take a new pot to add some potting soil then put the plant into it, put some more soil over it to stabilize the plant then add water. The most crucial thing to not let your plant die is watering it properly, just do not let the soil of the calathea plant dry or drown as simply as that. always keep the soil damp.  

How do I keep calathea happy?

Calathea plants are best known for being finicky and they do show a little bit of drama and you have to make them adapt to their new habitat with sheer patience. To keep calathea happy, healthy, and stunning, you need to take care of their light, moisture & temperature. Calathea performs very poorly under direct sunlight, direct rays of the sun make the skies grey for it. Place your calathea at a spot where it receives indirect and tons of bright light. Calathea reaches on cloud nine when it gets 50 per cent of moisture around it and you have to keep the plant moist from top to bottom, but be watchful that it doesn't become too soggy. Calathea chills out when it gets filtered or dechlorinated water and flourish with all of its heart. Though the plant is a little demanding but incredibly magnanimous, even if you ill-treat them, they will remunerate you with their rapid and healthy growth in suitable conditions.   

Information and root tips of calathea

The key to healthy calathea is proper watering and sunlight. Most of these indoor plants die due to root rot and that can happen because of the excess of watering. When the leaf is a curling or becoming crisp that is a clear sign that the plant is suffering. Keep the plant's soil damp, not soggy nor too dry. If you want to see if there is a root rot pull the plant out of the soil and see if the root color is not light if it's not then it is suffering. Cut the rotten part and repot it in the new pot.  If you are ticking all the boxes right still your plant is not recovering then it is certain that the plant is suffering root rot and it might be due to poor aeration in the soil. To solve it you have to repot the plant and change the type of soil. “Add perlite to the soil and if you can get it, try adding sphagnum moss as it will keep it moist”. And water the plant once the soil is looking dry. Hopefully, the root will flourish after that.  The above points are very simple yet very effective to keep your plant healthy. "Like people, plants respond to extra attention."  If the root is healthy, shooting will be as healthy as it could be.