Some indoor plants surprise and delight in their appearance. One of these is the striped calathea, or zebrin. Its cultivation is akin to art, so we suggest that you familiarize yourself with its subtleties and features.
Description of the plant calathea striped
Perennial from the family Moraine. Homeland - tropical forests of South and Central America, where there are about 120 species of calathea.
The height of the home bush is up to 60 cm; leaves are velvety, oval, fleshy, strong, large (30–45 cm). The species was bred for cultivation on the windowsill and is characterized by increased whimsicality to the conditions of detention and care.
Did you know? The name of the flower comes from the Greek word kalathos - «basket». In nature, some varieties reach huge sizes, and local residents use their leaves to equip the roofs of auxiliary buildings, and sometimes even housing.
Growing conditions
Kalatea, being a tropical resident, is demanding on the humidity of the surrounding air and needs high-quality watering. When maintaining such a plant, you need to arrange the right conditions for comfort.
Location
In the wild, calathea grows under the canopy of the rainforest, where it is light enough, but the rays of the sun break through with difficulty. In this regard, at home, the pot with the plant must be placed where it is light, but the lighting is not bright - like many indoor flowers, zebrina does not tolerate direct sunlight. The best place is the eastern or western windowsills, - with sufficient general illumination, the sun will shine either early in the morning or late in the evening.
Temperature and lighting
Lighting must be adjusted according to the season and growth conditions. Sometimes the bush is grown as an outdoor plant in the back of the room. In this case, the natural light is increased with the help of artificial, - fluorescent lamps or LED lamps should work at least 12 hours a day.
Calathea striped loves warmth and comfort, therefore it is necessary to maintain a temperature of +21 ... + 24 ° С in summer and +16 ... + 20 ° С in winter around the clock. At the same time, eliminate drafts.
Air humidity
Humidity is regulated using water tanks located near the pot. The plant is responsive to spraying and rinsing leaves with warm, clean water (boiled water is suitable). Air with a humidity of about 90% is perfect for the aboveground part of the plant, and the underground can be moistened through a stand and expanded clay bedding at the bottom of the pot.
Important! Calathea can be put in the bathroom, where she likes the humidity. However, one must not forget about lighting and not get carried away with household chemicals near the plant.
Calathea Striped Plant Care at Home
The care of zebrina is classic: you need to water it on time, fertilize and loosen the earth in a flowerpot.
Watering rates
Watering the bush must be defended, purified or boiled water slightly above room temperature. A little warm water is supplied through a watering can to the basal area. At the same time, try not to splatter the socket and leaves.
Winter watering is minimized and produced only when the topsoil dries by 2-3 cm. This is usually done once a week. In the summer, watering should be frequent and plentiful, but without excesses, so that the roots are not constantly in the damp ground and rot.
Video: Zebrin Calathea Home Care
Top dressing
During the growing season, calatea must be fed. They do this using complex fertilizers for ornamental deciduous plants. Fertilizer frequency - once every 14 days. During this period, the bush manages to process the previous batch of fertilizers and rest after them.
The dosage for such a tender plant should be halved, and the separate use of nitrogen or calcium fertilizers should be excluded.
Pruning
The plant should not be specially cut. It is necessary to periodically inspect the bush, remove the yellowed leaves and rinse these places with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Sometimes old stems are cut almost off the ground and grow new ones.
Transfer
The transplant is performed as the flower grows, but not during winter dormancy. The bush you just bought needs to be transplanted into its first pot, since the land in which it was sold is not suitable for long-term cultivation. If the purchase is made in the winter, you need to wait with the procedure until the beginning of spring.
Video: Zebrin Calathea Transplant
The substrate for transplantation is purchased at a flower shop or prepared independently.
In the second case, the composition of the soil is as follows:
- peat;
- sheet earth;
- humus.
All ingredients in equal proportions are thoroughly mixed, moistened and laid in a pot. Before planting the bush make complex fertilizers for home flowers. Subsequently, they are transplanted as calathea grows - after 1-2 years with an increase in the volume of the pot.
Important! Half of the sand can be added to the soil, this will help retain moisture in the substrate.
How to propagate a plant?
Kalatea is propagated in different ways, more often:
- cuttings;
- planting seeds;
- dividing the bush.
Cuttings
Cuttings are made with stem sprouts about 15 cm long. The sprout is immediately planted in prepared soft and light soil or pre-germinated in containers with water. In the second case, when several normal roots appear, the stem can be planted in the ground.
Seeds
The seed method is the most time-consuming, but in this case, new plants are bred, and not divided by adults.
Small calatheas are grown from seeds in the following order:Did you know? Some plants of the Moraine family, including calathea, under unfavorable conditions raise the leaf plates vertically and fold them, which is why they got the popular name "prayer herbs".
- Rinse the planting material in a solution of potassium permanganate.
- Put on moist soil, gauze or a napkin.
- Cover with glass or transparent film.
- Hatching seeds are placed in the soil to a depth of 1 cm and again covered with glass or film.
- Every day, remove the shelter and air the seedlings for several minutes.
- When the sprouts reach a length of 3 cm, transplant them into the first pot.
Dividing the bush
The easiest way to propagate a flower is to divide the bush during transplantation. A significant part of the stems and roots is selected, which are separated from the mother bush and planted in a prepared pot.
With this method of propagation, the new plant quickly takes root and begins to grow actively. All manipulations are performed during the activity of the flower, and not during the dormant period.
Possible growing difficulties
When growing calathea, foliage problems can occur that require immediate intervention:
- Drying out - it is necessary to regulate watering and spraying, as well as to eliminate drafts.
- Twisting - you need to take care of the absence of drafts and dim the lighting.
- Yellowing - Perhaps it was irrigated with cold water or there was an excess of fertilizing.
- Brown spots - sunburn or excessive watering.
In addition to improper care, pests can also cause plants to feel unwell. Zebrina is being attacked thrips, scutes and spider mites. The bush must be regularly inspected carefully and, if pests are found, wash the bottom of the leaves with a soapy solution. If there are a lot of pests, and they cause significant damage, the bush is treated with an insecticide.
With quality care, the striped kaleatea is actively growing and pleasing with a healthy appearance. For beginners in indoor plant growing, it will be difficult at first to deal with this capricious resident of the windowsill. But the plant is worth it to develop the skills of caring for it.
