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Calathea from seeds. Calathea flower - growing features

They renew their “garden”, preparing it for a time of intense growth and flowering. Some are also thinking about expanding the assortment - purchasing new plants that will decorate their window sills in the future and delight them with unusual colors, shapes and nuances of care (after all, it is so pleasant to take care of green pets). Such enthusiasts should definitely pay attention to the Galatea plant - an unusual, beautiful and attractive flower.

Origin and appearance

The arrowroot family has been pleasing gardeners with its “offsprings” for a long time. Among them are Kerkhoven, Masanja, and the arrowroots themselves, who have become habitual inhabitants of our apartments. Galatea also belongs to the same family - a capricious flower, not too easy to maintain, but clearly worth it to be taken care of.

Like other representatives of the arrowroot family, it comes from the South American tropics. An adult plant grows to a height of 80 cm, and in some cases even a meter. It is especially attractive due to the colors of the leaves. Typically, gardeners choose species with variegated leaves, on which stains, spots and stripes can be yellow, red, or almost brown. But even purely green varieties are by no means monochromatic: the edges and veins of the plate are always different, more light shade than the main background. Thanks to this, Galatea is always an elegant flower. And the large leaves (thirty centimeters in length) also make it very catchy. In addition, they have an interesting feature: in the evening they rise, almost folding together, and in the morning they move apart again.

By the way, the name we are used to is actually not very correct. If you follow the transcription from Latin, the plant should rather be called calathea.

The most popular types

In nature, this plant has more than 130 species, but not all are suitable for indoor use. The most common is the painted galatea, a flower with light veins and an edge stripe against a dark leaf background.

The saffron subspecies is also often bred at home - the only one that blooms at home. This plant has dark green leaves with a slight brown tint and purple undersides. In order for them to appear, in October-December the calathea is placed in a room where artificial light is never turned on.

Correct content

As already mentioned, the plant is quite picky. First of all, it is thermophilic, since it still comes from the tropics. In order for your Galatea flower to survive in winter, care should first of all consist of maintaining a temperature of at least 18 degrees. Even minor drafts and sudden changes in temperature are also contraindicated. At the same time, the plant loves moisture and requires regular spraying. Therefore, experienced gardeners advise placing it, for example, in an aquarium if you do not have a greenhouse. But best recommendation Buying an air humidifier is considered, then the plant will feel great on the windowsill.

Calathea needs moderate lighting. If the place is heavily shaded, the leaves lose their color saturation, the stains merge with the general background. If there is too much sun, they turn brown and get burned.

The flower needs a lot of water in the warm months, and moderately in the winter months. Although it clearly does not have a rest period, watering in cold weather is still reduced.

Spring worries

Every year the calathea needs to be replanted into a slightly larger pot. You can buy ready-made soil for arrowroot, or you can make it yourself. In the latter case, the soil mixture will consist of leaf, peat, humus and coniferous soil in a ratio of 2:1:1:1 plus a little sand. It will be beneficial for the plant to add a little charcoal to the prepared soil.

If you do everything without mistakes, give the plant a little attention and tenderness, your Galatea flowers (the photo clearly demonstrates this) will delight both you and your guests. And for quite a long time!

Calathea - perennial ornamental plant with beautiful variegated foliage. The genus Calathea has 130 species of plants; they belong to the Marantaceae family. IN wildlife thickets of beautiful calathas can be found in tropical forests South America and Mexico.

Flower growers all over the world fell in love with calathea for its large oval leaves covered with various patterns. Among indoor plants with decorative foliage, Calathea is considered a champion in the beauty and richness of its leaf pattern.

Interesting. In the flower's homeland, local residents used aboveground part plants for making baskets. The products turned out strong and beautiful.

Description

The size of the flower allows you to easily place it in the room; the height of the calathea does not exceed 80 cm. The root of the indoor plant is a tuber or fleshy rhizome in which nutrients and moisture are stored.

The variegated large foliage of the plant is located on short internodes, and grows in a lush head, forming a round, elegant bush. The length of the oval or lanceolate leaves reaches 20 cm. Top part the sheet plate is painted in all shades Green colour with light stripes, strokes, dashes and spots. The undersides of the leaves are pinkish or purple.

Every year the plant grows up to 6 young leaves, which is more than older flower, the more magnificently its bush grows. Old lower leaves gradually dry out and fall off.

Interesting. One of the notable features of calathea is the lifting of the leaf blades up into evening time. IN natural conditions the flower, which holds the foliage all day in its usual position, in the evening raises its leaves to the sky, trying to catch the outgoing rays of the sun.

At home, calathea does not change its habit, for which it received a second “folk” name - prayer tree.

Calathea blooms in spring or summer, depending on the plant variety, and lasts for a month. Tiny flowers (white, pinkish, cream, purple) are collected in a dense spike-shaped inflorescence. Most plants can't boast beautiful flowers, except for Kalatei: Makoya, Varshevich and saffron. These flowering varieties are quite attractive. You can enjoy the beauty of calathea in the presented photos of the flower.

The most common varieties of calathea flowers for indoor growing.

flowering variety

Crocata (saffron).
A perennial with wonderful bright orange inflorescences in the form of lush, upright clusters. The plant blooms in winter, which makes the flower especially attractive. Calathea foliage is dark green, without a pronounced pattern. back side leaves brownish-violet.

Sanderiana (decorated).

Calathea, up to 40 cm high, with large oval leaves on long petioles. The surface of the leaves is smooth and shiny, light green in color, with thin, clear strokes and lines across the entire surface of a white or pink shade. The underside of the leaf is brown. The peduncles are long (up to 30 cm), crowned with an inflorescence consisting of lilac flowers.

Location

Indoor calathea flower should be placed on eastern or western windowsills. The plant loves bright colors, but diffuse light. Under direct sun, calathea foliage gets burned and loses its decorative effect. If the room's windows face south, the flower must be shaded from the sun by gluing it to the glass special film. It is allowed to place a pot with calathea in the back of the room, but not in complete shade.

In summer, the plant can be taken out Fresh air for adoption air baths. The main thing is to take care of protecting the foliage from the sun.

Comfortable air temperature for the plant in summer is +23 +27 degrees, in winter it should not be colder than +16. Drafts are contraindicated for the flower.

On a note. It has been proven that calathea can purify indoor air from harmful impurities. The flower is useful to place in bedrooms and kitchens.

The soil

Calathea prefers acidic substrates. For the flower, you can purchase soil for azaleas at a specialized store. You can independently prepare the soil for indoor catale by mixing equal parts of peat, rich humus and forest soil taken from under an oak or linden tree. To the resulting composition add coarse river sand or vermiculite (30% of total mass) for substrate looseness.

Care

The tropical forest dweller is very demanding high humidity air. Some types of calathea require humidity close to 100%. It is possible to ensure this level by placing the flower in an aquarium or florarium.

Unpretentious species are content with 70% humidity, which is maintained by daily spraying or wiping the foliage with a damp sponge (species with velvety leaves cannot be wiped!). A good option is to put flower pot into a deep and wide tray filled with moistened expanded clay. A porous material saturated with moisture evaporates it into the atmosphere and sufficiently humidifies the air.

Watering the kalethea should only be done with soft water. cold water. Melt, rain or filtered water is suitable. The frequency of watering in summer is every other day, in winter it is enough to moisten the soil once a week. Stagnation of moisture in the earthen coma should not be allowed.

Flower fertilizers are applied from March to October, during the period of active growth and flowering. Use complex mineral fertilizer for indoor plants with decorative foliage. It is enough to apply one fertilizing per month.

Transplant mature plant Calatheas need to be grown every two years, changing the soil in the pot to fresh. The flower pot selected is shallow, but wide, with the obligatory presence drainage holes in the bottom.

Pests, diseases

Most often, the gardener is faced with problems with calathea foliage. Leaves may turn yellow, dry out and fall off. The causes of the problem lie in violation of the conditions for caring for the plant:

excessive or insufficient watering;
low air humidity;
sunburn;
flaw nutrients in the soil.

Of the pests, the flower can be attacked by,. You can remove the pest from the plant by wiping the leaves and stem cotton pad, soaked in soapy solution, beer or tincture of tobacco, garlic (5 chopped cloves are infused for 48 hours in a glass of water). In case of severe damage, calathea is sprayed with Actellik (1 ml per liter of liquid).

The flower can be propagated vegetatively, using rosettes or dividing the bush. Seed propagation rarely used by amateur gardeners due to the complexity and length of the process.

An adult calathea plant, during the next spring transplant, can be divided into parts. On each division, a well-developed part of the root and several buds are left, from which new leaves will grow. The cuts on the roots are sprinkled with charcoal powder.

Young calathea divisions are planted in small pots (8–10 cm in diameter), in loose and nutritious soil, with mandatory drainage layer at the bottom of the container. At first, the calathea pots are kept in the shade, maintaining sufficient air and soil humidity, and maintaining a constant temperature of +25 degrees. Fertilizing with mineral compounds is applied monthly.

In some varieties of the plant, small rosettes with leaves are formed on the peduncles. They are carefully cut with a sharp knife and rooted in a loose substrate under a greenhouse made of film or a cut plastic bottle.

Partners

With the help of decorative calathea, you can decorate any room. Looks impressive lush bush With variegated leaves, mounted on a stand or on the floor.

The plant is suitable for creating a relaxation corner in a room with a tropical theme. In the company of ficus, bromeliads, ivy, orchids, calathea feels great and maintains the style of the hot and humid forests of South America.

Watch also the video

Calathea or as the plant is also commonly called - prayer flower. Belongs to representatives of the arrowroot family. In the natural environment, the culture lives in South and Central America near bodies of water. Gardeners grow and propagate this houseplant for its decorative leaves. When you come to a flower shop, you can’t help but turn your attention to this enchanting flower. The leaves of different colors and shapes are fascinating.

Calathea is a fastidious plant to care for, especially decorative varieties bred by breeders. IN indoor floriculture The following species are especially common: Calathea Makoya, Striped, Medallion.

For amateur flower growers or gardening beginners, the plant will be too tough. First you will need to gain experience and certain skills and only then start growing a prayer flower on the windowsill.

Calathea flower: home care

Choose a plant depending on the room content. Each species requires special cultivation and care manipulations that are responsible for the growth of the plant. Flowering varieties are considered the most demanding and capricious.

Lighting and temperature conditions

Calathea tolerates shady conditions. However, send the beauty to dark corner rooms are prohibited. Due to lack of light, the leaves will lose their beauty, become smaller and slow down their growth. Direct rays of the sun burn the leaves. Optimal place placement of the crop - partial shade.

Moderate temperatures for calathea are between 16-19C. It is important not to allow significant temperature changes in the room. Otherwise, the foliage falls off, the stems become soft and rot. Drafts are also contraindicated for the plant.

Watering and spraying

Calathea categorically does not tolerate hard water. Watering should be done with melt or rain water. It should be warm. IN summer time the plant is watered well. With the arrival of winter, watering is reduced. To prevent the roots from rotting, the remaining water is drained from the pan.

Calathea loves high humidity. It is advisable that there is a source of direct moisture not far from the flower. This could be air irrigation equipment or an ordinary container of water.

If automatic humidification cannot be established, you need to regularly spray the calatheas with a spray bottle (up to three times a day). Take a warm shower a couple of times a month, covering the top of the soil with film.

Due to the dry air, the calathea looks sluggish, its leaves lose their elasticity and appear on them. dark spots, perhaps the edges of the leaves will begin to curl. Remember that the culture should not be kept near batteries. It is better to place it in a dark place with high humidity. Lack of light will do less harm than increased dryness air.

Requirements for pot and soil

When caring for calathea at home, you need to take care of the pot and soil. When preparing a mixture for a flower, do not forget that it should consist of: sand, leaf soil, peat, humus. The pH of the soil should be slightly acidic. Drainage is usually placed at the bottom of the flowerpot.

If we talk about a pot, then it is better than a deep one. In such a “house” the calathea will feel comfortable until a future transplant.

Feeding and replanting

The plant is fertilized 2 times a month, starting from April and until the end of August, with liquid preparations specially created by biologists. Flowering species fed with means for blooming crops. Don't forget, calathea is sensitive to nutrients, no need to get carried away here.

Every 2 years the calathea is replanted. Optimal time early spring for manipulations. It is important to take care of drainage when transplanting.

Calathea propagation: methods

In home gardening, calathea propagates in 2 ways: by dividing the bush and cuttings. The seed method of growing crops is not advisable.

Growing from seeds

Propagation by seeds at home is almost never practiced. The seed material of the crop does not germinate well. If the young growth has risen, it will demand special attention, precise compliance with water balance and temperature. Otherwise, the seedlings die. This method calathea propagation is suitable only for professionals.

Leaf and cuttings

The cutting or leaf is separated from the bush. After this, the seedling material is placed in separate container and cover with film to create greenhouse effect. Remove the cellophane when the cut parts have taken root.

Reproduction of calathea by dividing the bush

Most The best way propagation of culture. The plant is divided into several parts. Each of them is strengthened in a separate pot 7-9 cm in diameter. A special substrate is prepared for young animals: sand, peat, and leafy soil are mixed in equal proportions. Flowers with good roots are suitable for dividing into a bush. Divide small plant there is no point - this will lead to the death of both seedlings.

Successful reproduction depends on the following rule: maintaining the temperature between 20-24C.

Calathea: growing difficulties and pests

If calathea care is unfavorable at home, the gardener may encounter the following problems:

The formation of spots on the leaves, dryness and discoloration. If they are yellow, it means the leaves are being burned by the sun. The flower needs to be moved to partial shade. If they are dark, reduce spraying.
The leaves curl and fade. The cause of the disease is insufficient humidity, drafts.
The leaves are thin and elongated. The reason is lack of light. Place the pot in a bright place. In order not to break the calathea, make a support and tie it.
The leaves have turned yellow - the reason is cold, excessively dry air, underwatering or overwatering, overfeeding the flower.

To solve the problem, you need to figure out what you're doing wrong. Once again, study the rules of growing and caring for flowers in indoor floriculture.

Types of calathea with photos and names

Taking into account all the capriciousness and character of the arrowroots, we can recommend a number of representatives of the family with luxurious flowers, decorative leaves for breeding in the house. The most widespread and hardy houseplants see below for this type.

Great culture. Its leaves reach a length of 30 cm to 1 m. The leaf plates are slightly curved, oval-elongated. On top they are soft dark green in color with light Christmas tree patterns. The bottom plates are dark purple in color. The peduncle is presented in the form of spikelets on small burgundy peduncles. The plant blooms in late spring for 3 weeks.

Calathea Crocata (Saffron)

The “goddess” from the banks of the Amazon River is especially attractive with the beauty of “false” flowers. They are collected in short inflorescences on high stalks. The real flowers are unsightly and small, pink or red, hidden in large bracts of saffron and orange tones. They are often mistaken for flowers. On the background velvet leaves 20-30 cm of dark green color, bright orange inflorescences give the culture an unusual charm. Crocata blooms in early spring or from autumn to winter.

Calathea Lansifolia

Another name for the flower is wonderful calathea. It is characterized by narrow leaves with a wavy edge elongated shape. The color of the leaves is light green with small and large spots painted on the plate. WITH bottom side purple leaf.

The natural habitat of this type of flower is the tropics of Brazilian forests. He doesn't like being sprayed. Therefore, it is optimal to grow the crop in greenhouses where air humidity is high. In artificial light, the flower does not lose its variegation.

The type of calathea (photo) is distinguished by large leaves on elongated cuttings up to fourteen centimeters. On the dark green oval-shaped leaves, nature “paints” another leaf of the same shade. On the bottom side of the plate the pattern is repeated, but in burgundy shades. The unusual color of the leaves is especially visible in the evening.

Grows up to 90 cm tall. Oval-shaped leaves up to 30 cm long, 10 cm wide. Powerful, shiny, dark green. The upper side of the leaf has yellow-green stripes, the lower side has yellow stripes on a red background. Flowers are collected in inflorescences in the form of spikelets. As a rule, it blooms whitish.

Grows up to half a meter. The leaves are lanceolate: width 5 cm, length 15 cm. The leaves are light green on top with dark spots. It blooms with spike-shaped stalks of a yellow hue.

The variety is distinguished by its unusual coloring. Usually the pattern on the leaves of the flower is symmetrical, and the leaves of this species are painted on top with yellow and green spots of asymmetrical shape. The leaves are green below, and not purple, like other relatives of the crop.

Calathea Mosaic (Network)

The leaf plate is white, almost transparent, divided into bright green or yellow with green veins into small rectangles. When you see the coloring of the leaves for the first time, you might think that they are truly made of a mosaic.

Of course, growing and caring for calathea at home is quite a difficult task. However, taking care of good lighting and high humidity, the gardener will receive a flower of amazing beauty, capable of decorating any interior 365 days a year.

Calathea is one of those plants that everyone wants to grow at home, but not everyone succeeds. The plant is very beautiful, fits perfectly into any interior, grows to a very respectable size, but is so capricious that growing it requires owners to work hard.

Those who succeed, of course, want to propagate the plant and there are several ways to do this. The least common and almost less reliable method is the method of propagating calathea by leaf. In this case, one large healthy leaf is separated and planted in a special substrate. The leaf is covered with glass on top until it takes root. Let's be honest, the likelihood of the leaf rooting is extremely low, so it is recommended to use other methods of dividing the plant, for example, propagating calathea by cuttings.

Propagation of calathea by cuttings

In this case, the probability of rooting is also not maximum, but still somewhat greater. If growth points remain on the mother plant and the daughter plant, then the cutting is very easily separated and the calathea is not injured. Similar to the previous method, the cuttings are planted in moist soil and covered with glass until rooting. Glass can be replaced with film or transparent plastic bottle, the effect will be identical.

Please note that, although it was noted that this method is somewhat more reliable, not everyone succeeds in propagating calathea by cuttings, so the method of dividing the bush is most often used. It can be done during transplantation. To do this, the rhizome is carefully divided into two or more parts. The result is several mature plants.

Propagation of calathea by seeds

However, we will not discount the most difficult and time-consuming way to grow a beautiful flowerpot - propagating calathea by seeds.

The whole difficulty of this method lies in the fact that even high-quality and suitable seeds Calathea may not germinate. Sow the seeds in containers filled with hardwood soil and sand in a 2:1 ratio. Temperature limits are 21-25 C. After germination, seedlings are packed in boxes with the same mixture, and when the plants grow up, they are planted in individual pots. If you still choose this method, we recommend that you be patient and sow a sufficient number of seeds to increase the chances of getting at least one sprout.

Correctly and timely transplantation is the key to the health of any plant. But first things first.

To carry out the planned transplant, you need to know a few simple rules. The procedure itself will not take much of your time, but the preparation and subsequent care may require some energy and patience from you.

Periodicity

In spring, Calathea needs to be replanted: young plant– every year, and for adults – once every two to three years is enough. An adult flower is usually considered to be a plant that, after being planted, has sprouted for at least one year in a new location and has taken root. You can get rid of replanting if you replant a flower every two years. Otherwise, it is recommended to pick once a year.

Before performing work

Container and soil

For correct transplantation Calatheas choose a small pot with a wide neck (7-9 cm in diameter). As soil, they take special soil for Marantovs or make it themselves in the following proportions: take one part each of leaf soil, peat and humus, as well as half a part of calcined river sand and mix. The soil should be crumbly.

Transplantation

First, soil is poured into the pot: a layer of drainage and part of the soil. Then they transfer the Calathea to a new pot and fill the remaining space around the flower with earth so that it stands vertically. During transplantation, you should be especially careful and careful so as not to damage the Calathea roots.
When transferring, the flower can be replanted: separate the part that has several roots and leaves and plant it in a separate pot.

Adaptation

After transplantation, Calathea must be kept in partial shade, where its maintenance conditions, namely temperature and air humidity, will be observed. Some even recommend covering it plastic bag or place it in an aquarium. It may take her quite a long time to settle down in a new place. When the flower gets used to its new state, you can transplant it into a larger pot (with a diameter larger than the previous one, about 2 cm) and care for it as an adult plant.

Reproduction

There are two most popular methods for obtaining new plants, let’s look at them in more detail:

Cuttings

You can also grow Calathea from a clothespin - to do this, take a leaf or other part of an adult plant and plant it in moist soil. After this, you need to wait until it is accepted - which is only possible if the conditions for the life of Calathea are met. That is, it should be remembered that even in this form, Calathea still loves humidity and warmth and does not like darkness, as well as direct sun rays.

Seeding

The most difficult way to propagate a flower at home is considered to be propagation using seeds. And it’s fair: it can take years for a flower to grow from a small seed. In addition, even the best and highest quality seeds may not germinate. Add to this preliminary preparation seeds - and this method will indeed become the most difficult even for experienced Calathea amateur gardeners.
Seeds are stored in a dry, dark place, slightly cool. Typically, the operations necessary to prepare seeds for planting are described on the packaging with them (for this reason, it is better to buy them in a store). If you did not save the instructions or received the seeds as a gift from someone, you should follow the standard procedure. Usually experienced flower growers It is recommended to first disinfect the seeds. To do this, it is recommended to use a solution of 1% potassium permanganate in the following proportions: take 1 gram of potassium permanganate solution per 100 grams of water.
A mixture of leaf soil (two parts) and sand (one part) is used as soil. Plant the seeds in bowls almost without deepening them. The temperature should be quite high, preferably between 21-25ºC. When the first leaves appear, you can transfer the plants to boxes. Use the same mixture as soil. After this, they wait until the seedlings get stronger, and then they can be planted in their own pots.

Seedling care

Small plants are even more sensitive to temperature changes, lack of humidity and drafts - which can easily destroy Calathea. Therefore, it is worth placing newly planted flowers away from places where drafts are possible and carefully caring for them: maintaining the temperature and humidity in the room and keeping them away from direct sunlight and shade, in partial shade.