All Calatheas can be a bit tricky at first. These tropical plants have a preference for some very specific conditions, but if you can give them good care, you will have a stunning tropical plant to liven up your space, office, home or garden.
In this regard, let’s see everything you should take into account for the care of Calatheas in Tenerife:
- Light and temperature
Bright, indirect light is essential to their growth, and lots of it. Calatheas prefer eight hours of this bright indirect lighting per day. With the exception of older Calathea lutea plants, most will wilt if they receive too much direct sunlight.
Temperature is also important for these plants. Most Calatheas will not do well at temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius, and some will even start to fail below 15 degrees. They like it to be around 23 degrees or higher. Calatheas can also be grown in other areas, but only indoors. If you grow indoors, most will be happy at 21-23 degrees, provided they have enough indirect lighting.
Make sure your plants are kept away from drafty places and away from air vents or other air sources. They are extremely sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, and if your plant ends up in the path of the air conditioner, disaster can strike!
Water
The Calathea plant loves moisture! However, it hates wet feet. This makes it a delicate balancing act at times. This plant is especially sensitive to water quality. It likes pure water, but anything that is hard, fluoridated or otherwise altered can cause the leaf tip to darken or curl. As a tropical, it is also sensitive to water temperature.
When watering Calatheas, use room temperature water if possible. Opting for distilled water is safest. If you don’t have distilled on hand, fill a container with water and let it sit open for at least 24 hours before using. Make sure the soil is evenly moist, but not soggy. Too much water can cause discomfort to the plant.
Avoid wetting the leaves directly and only water if the soil feels dry to the touch in the top inch or two. So how do you get high humidity for Calatheas without overwatering? Indoors, it’s simple: place a tray of pebbles under the plant.
Place approximately two centimeters of pebbles in a tray and calculate that the pebbles have water up to half of the sides. Avoid filling the tray completely, as this can make the soil too wet.
It is important to keep your plant out of the direct path of vents, such as air conditioning or heating vents. These can dry out soil conditions and reduce moisture around your plant.
Soil
Two things are essential regarding Calathea soil: it must be kept moist, but not wet, and it must have good drainage. There are a few options regarding what type of soil to use for your plants.
Some prefer a sandier mix such as African violet potting soil, and this tends to work surprisingly well once you have adjusted your watering. Others prefer a mixture of two parts peat, two parts perlite and one part potting soil or fine compost.
But, what is recommended, perhaps, is an African violet mix for Calatheas. A ready-to-use African violet mix has good drainage, and the peat contains enough water to allow the soil to remain moist most of the time.
One thing that is not advisable with these plants is to mulch them. Especially avoid stone chip mulches, as calathea plants don’t seem to like them at all. The idea is for the soil to provide additional moisture through evaporation.
If you are using a mixture that drains especially well or if you have a tendency to forget to water, you may want to add a water wick. To do this, you will need a piece of cotton fabric, such as an old piece of t-shirt material. When planting your Calathea, make sure the material goes into the bottom of the soil and hangs down from the bottom of the pot. Place your pot on a tray of pebbles with the material submerged in water. Moisture will seep through the fabric and into the soil as needed.
Fertilizer
When fertilizing a Calathea, less is more. Calatheas do not require much fertilization. It is advisable to use half a teaspoon of seaweed fertilizer diluted in one liter of distilled water. Once a month, replace their regular watering with a small dose of this very dilute fertilizer solution and spread that liter over a period of time.
This should be sufficient nutrition for your plant. Signs that it might be too much include yellowing leaves or drooping and wilting. However, these can also be signs of other problems, including insufficient fertilization, so be careful. In fact, you can learn how to identify nutrient deficiency in plantsas well as excess nutrients in plants..
Spring, summer and fall fertilization is all that some cultivars require. If your plant regularly turns yellow after monthly fertilization, reduce the frequency to that rate.
We are waiting for you at ROOTSwhere we have your Calathea and the best advice for its care. Our garden center in Tenerife is open from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, and on Sundays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Finally, subscribe to our newsletter specialized on healthy products, plant care, gardening tips, home decorating ideas and much more from ROOTS. In addition, enjoy the rest of videos of our garden center in Tenerife we have prepared for you.