Calathea is a perennial from the Marantov family. Homeland - America. The name of the plant comes from the Greek "kalatos", which means "basket", because the inhabitants wove baskets from its leaves.
Description
The plant stands out for its large and variegated leaves, the special ability of which is to turn to the light, so in the morning the arrangement of leaves is horizontal, and in the evening it is raised and folded. Therefore, this flower is also called prayer. Rhizome of a plant is a supply of moisture and nutrients.
Mr. Dachnik recommends a detailed description of the species in the table and a photo gallery
More than 120 varieties of this plant are isolated. Their height in natural conditions can reach 70-80 cm. Houses contain only some of them:
| Variety | Description | Leaves | Flowers |
| Rufibarba (red-bearded - on shoots, leaves there is a fluff). | Short, bushy, branched. | Satin, narrow, wavy, emerald green, the back of the leaf and shoots are maroon. | Small unremarkable white-yellow - spike-shaped inflorescence. |
| Dotty | Low stems, large leaves. | Bordeaux-brown green, veins pink, resembling a leaf. | Peduncle - light green, flowers - nondescript blue, weak. |
| Croata (Tasmania, Saffron) | Elegant, blossoms in room conditions. | Oval dark green, resembling malachite, the back side is burgundy-coffee, wavy at the edges. the stalks are purple. | Spectacular orange color. |
| Zebrina (striped) | Height reaches 80 cm. | The velvet is convex-rounded in shape, similar to an egg. On the green front side light green symmetrical, zebra-like veins, below purple. | Inflorescences are lilac or white. House often does not bloom. |
| Flame old | Large leaves. | A pattern resembling tongues of flame is located. | It does not bloom indoors. |
| Majestic White Star (Majestic) | Small, reminiscent of a star. | White with dark olive stripes diverging from the middle. | It does not bloom indoors. |
| Trio Star (Stromancer) | It looks like a prickly star. | Sharp, narrow, white spots are scattered on a dark green background, the reverse side is crimson. | It does not bloom indoors. |
| Louise | Unremarkable. | Light and dark green stripes. the lower part is lilac. | It does not bloom indoors. |
| Bohem | Attractive | Long, sharp, dense, lanceolate, can reach 50 cm. | Inflorescences in the form of a yellow ear. |
| Lansifolia (wonderful, lanceolate) | Reaches large sizes (80 cm.) | Oblong, narrow, with a wavy edge, colored similar to malachite, dark spots are located along the central vein. | Pinkish or snow-white. |
| Queen of maui | Compact. | Dull, in the middle as a light green spike | It does not bloom indoors. |
| Roseopikta (locket) | Small up to 40 cm. | Rounded, inside as on a malachite medallion, an image of a leaf in silver-pink tones is engraved. The flip side is the color of blueberries. | Flowering is rare. |
| Makoya | Famous variety. No more than 50 cm. | A light green oval, framed by a dark stripe, an internal pattern, like a carbon copy from the leaves of mountain ash. | It does not bloom indoors. |
| Mix | High. | It looks like a zebrin, the difference in the figure is the alternation of faded and slightly greener stripes. | It does not bloom indoors. |
| Varshevich | The most beautiful, reaches 120 cm. | It looks like velvet, a light streak in the center, a little wavy, the back is purple. | Cream spike. |
| Sandariana (decorated) | Little, from Colombia. | Rounded, about 20 cm. Light green with pink stripes diverging from the middle. | An ear with white and lilac inflorescences up to 8 cm. |
| Orbifolia | Small. | Fan-shaped wide, with light and dark green stripes. | Flowering is not significant. |
| Lubbers | High. | Reach 40 cm. An oblong dark green oval with lemon-yellow stains scattered in a mess. | Flowering is not significant. |
| Network (mosaic) | Low | Spear-shaped, large, with a pattern consisting of small light rectangles resembling a mosaic. | Flowering is not significant |
| Litz | Fancy leaves. | Wavy, not big. The front side is green with a silver tint, with stripes of dark olive color, the back is burgundy-violet. | Spiky snow-white inflorescence. |
| Pikturata (colorized) | Fancy leaves. | Oblong, bright - central vein and margin. The middle is darker with symmetrical stripes. | Flowering is not significant. |
| Leopard | Fancy leaves. | Lanceolate - length 15 cm, width - 5 cm. Light green with darker stripes. | Spike inflorescences with yellow flowers. |
| Veicha | Height reaches 90 cm. From Peru. | Hard, glossy, large - about 30 cm. Dark and light green stripes diverge from the center. | Inflorescence spike - white flowers. |
| Silver | Compact | Painted in silver color. | Flowering is not significant. |
| Crotalifera | It blooms in room conditions. | Oblong dark green. | An ear of yellow or red. |
| Burle Marx (blue ice) | A gorgeous Brazilian woman named after a landscape architect. | Light green with a bluish tint. | Snow-white. |
A variety of forms of calathea are presented in the photo:
Home care by type
For most varieties of calathea, room care is no different. But there are more demanding varieties.
| Variety | Care Features |
| Rufibarba | Do not spray. |
| Croquet (saffron) | Very demanding: - does not like direct light and shadow; - 90% humidity is necessary - but at the same time, when spraying, moisture should not fall on the leaves; - temperature differences and drafts are not permissible. |
| Zebrina | High humidity is required (90% required), careful spraying with filtered water only. |
| Medallion | Loves shade, humidity 90%. |
| Varshevich | Very demanding, careful spraying. |
| Bohem, Lansifolia, Makoya, Network | Unpretentious. |
Blooming species such as saffron calathea are very demanding in care, and the most unpretentious - makoya calathea.
Pot
Capacity is required low, but wide. The flower does not like stagnation of water, therefore it is better to use unglazed ceramic flower pots, which also will not impede the access of oxygen to the roots.
The soil
Soil is used for growing arrowroot or azaleas and rhododendrons.
You can cook yourself:
- land, humus, peat, river sand large fractions (2: 1: 1: 1);
- land, humus, peat (1: 1: 1).
The main thing is that the soil should be slightly acidic, with a neutral indicator of acid-base balance. It can be deoxidized using wood ash. Before use, the soil mixture must be sterilized (calcined in the oven, spilled with boiling water or held in a container with holes over a steam bath for 15 minutes).
Landing
These procedures will not cause difficulties if you take into account the recommendations:
- Spill the purchased plant well.
- Fill the cooked new pot, about a quarter, with drainage (small gravel, expanded clay, river pebbles and the like). Sprinkle it with activated charcoal to prevent root rot.
- Pour the soil into the pot to a height of not more than 3 cm.
- Carefully remove the flower from the old container with a lump of earth.
- Bring it under running water, wash it. If there is root rot, mold and other damage to the roots, remove them by disinfecting the cut site with a weak potassium permanganate solution and filling it with ash. Clean the plant from dried leaves.
- Place the plant on the ground, spreading the roots. The calathea growth point should be above the soil surface in the center of the tank.
- Carefully, in portions, pour the remaining soil into the pot, leaving about 2 cm to the edge. Do not squeeze too much.
- Water well, clean in a shaded place for three days.
- Water the plant next time no earlier than 10 days.
Location, lighting
For all types of calathe need a sunny, but not burning light. The best places are east, southeast and west windows.
They also develop well under artificial fluorescent lighting, if the light falls on them at least 18 hours a day. In winter, such lamps can extend the daylight hours for a flower.
Temperature
Temperature differences, drafts are excluded. Comfortable conditions for calories: + 20-25 degrees.
Humidity
All varieties require high (about 90%) humidity.
Regardless of the season, you need to spray the flower every day, wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, always with gentle filtered water. The procedure should be carried out carefully so that as little water as possible falls on the leaves.
For species with velvety leaves - exclude spraying. Other methods are used to moisturize them. It’s good to place an aquarium, a glass terrarium, an air humidifier near the flower. You can put a container with the plant in a tray with moistened stones or moss.
Watering
Watering is done with soft settled water (approximately +25 degrees), preventing its stagnation. To soften - dip a canvas bag with peat into a container of water.
- Summer - every other day;
- Winter - once a week.
Water consumption - about half a liter per bush of an adult plant.
Velvety varieties are carefully watered at the edge of the pots.
Top dressing
Spill the plant 10-15 minutes before. For dressing, you can take: fertilizers for arrowroot or ornamental-deciduous plants.
- Spring / summer: the plant grows, so regular feeding is necessary - once every two weeks;
- Winter / fall: dormancy period - once every two months is enough or not to fertilize at all.
Caution with nitrogen and calcium, their excess adversely affects the flower.
Breeding
There are three ways to breed calories:
- root division;
- cuttings;
- seeds.
Root division
The simplest of the three options. For this, two or three years old are suitable. It is necessary:
- Spill the soil in a pot overnight to soften it.
- Extract the plant, carefully free the roots from the ground.
- Divide the bush, in each part there should be at least three shoots.
- Then carry out a landing (see above).
Cuttings
Cuttings are obtained from a healthy adult flower by carefully cutting them at the root. Place the workpiece in a pot with special primer soil. They put it in a container with wet drainage, making a mini-greenhouse on top (from a bag, a plastic bottle, etc.). After the roots appear on the cuttings (2-3 weeks), when the new plant begins to grow, it is released from the shelter.
Seed propagation
This is the most difficult procedure:
- The tank is filled with a mixture of two parts of humus and one part of sand.
- Seeds are distributed over the pot in increments of 2-3 cm, pushing them into the ground.
- Cover with glass.
- They are placed in a room with a high temperature up to +30 degrees.
- After half or a whole month, sprouts should appear.
- Gentle embryos are carefully sprinkled with soil one centimeter.
- Gradually temper them, removing the glass, first for an hour, then longer.
- Upon reaching them, about four centimeters are placed in separate containers.
Bloom
Flowers in various varieties of calathea appear in the spring-summer season. The most beautiful ones are in the form of croquet.
Growing difficulties
It’s not easy to grow a calate at home, errors often occur, but they can be dealt with:
| Problem | Cause | Correction |
| Dry, withered tips at the leaves. | Not enough moisture. | Spray the plant every day. Place the pot in a container with wet filler. Place a humidifier or an aquarium nearby. |
| Leaves brown at the ends. | - Overfeeding the plant. - Drafts. | - Reduce the flow of fertilizers, especially nitrogen. - Move the plant to a place where there are no drafts. |
| Curl of leaves, the appearance of bright spots. | Lack of moisture in the soil. | Increase watering. |
| Rotting petioles and bases at the leaves. | Low temperature and high humidity. | Change the conditions of detention. |
| Deciduous discharge. | - Lack of humidity. - Waterlogging of the soil. - Strongly acidic soil. | - Humidify the air near the flower. - Change the substrate. |
| Drying leaves. | - Perhaps the annual cycle of leaf replacement. - When growth is slowed down - there is not enough fertilizer, watering. | - Follow the plant, feed it if necessary. - Observe the watering regime. |
| The appearance of bright spots. | Burns from sunshine or after drops that work like lenses. | Put the flower in a shaded place. Be careful when spraying, it is better to carry out the procedure in the morning or in the evening. |
| Stretching leaves. | Lack of light. | Light the flower with a fluorescent lamp. |
| On the back there are small increases. | Spider mite or just frozen cell juice. | Inspect the plant. In the absence of a web, you should not worry. |
Diseases, pests
Various kinds of insects and fungal diseases affect the calathea. But you can fight them.
| Problem | Manifestation | Control measures |
| Spider mite | The appearance of a whitish plaque, cobwebs. Yellowing, falling leaves. | Increase humidity. To process Inta-Vir, Karbofos. |
| Shield | The sheet is covered with sticky dark brown spots. | Arrange a shower - +45 degrees, wipe with 70 percent ethyl alcohol. After two hours, treat with soapy water and use only laundry soap. After a day, repeat the procedure, then again after 4 days (at least 7 times). Instead of foam, you can use drugs from pests (Actara, Bazudin, and so on). |
| Whitefly | Small insects appear on the back of the leaves. | Spray the plant with Fufanon, Mospilan or Confidor. |
| Thrips | Colorless dots that grow into large spots. Irrigating insects are visible on the soil. | Arrange a shower. Spray Inta-Vir twice (half a tablet in five liters of water). Pour the same water. |
| Black | Accompanies the appearance of pests. The plant looks like after a fire (covered with soot). | Soap solution will help. |
| Fusarium | Blackening, twisting, spreading rot. The plant dies. | The plant must be destroyed. |
Mr. Summer resident recommends: Calathea - a flower of happiness
Chinese scientists say that kalatea has hot magical energy, thanks to which it can warm a person, protect against colds, interfere with the appearance of blood clots and dissolve them.
This plant cleans the surrounding air of harmful impurities. It is recommended to plant this flower for people suffering from insomnia, it has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, brings peace to the house, helps to find something for the soul.
According to the teachings of Feng Shui - calatea must be located in the southeast or east. In this case, she will guard the health and well-being of the family.
