How to plant Calathea and the methods and techniques of Calathea cultivation

How to plant Calathea

This article provides a detailed introduction on how to plant Calathea and the methods and techniques related to Calathea cultivation. Let's share the detailed content below.

Calathea is native to southern Africa and can now be planted in many places. It can not only be used as a potted plant for ornamental purposes, but its flowers can also be used for medicinal purposes. If you want to learn how to cultivate Calathea, fertile soil, adequate sunlight, and proper watering are essential. Let's find out more about the cultivation methods and precautions for Calathea!

1. Provide fertile soil

The soil for cultivating Calathea should mainly consist of sandy loam, then mixed with decomposed leaf soil, garden soil, and fine sand in a ratio of 6:3:1. After mixing, add 1/5 organic fertilizer. Soil disinfection should also be done before planting.

2. Appropriate sunlight

This flower does not need to be placed in direct sunlight all day; about 3-5 hours of sunlight each day is sufficient. The rest of the time, it can be placed in a place with diffused light for cultivation. If it is in summer and the sunlight is too strong, Calathea may easily develop a condition where it only produces buds but no flowers, so we need to prepare for shade in advance.

3. Watering frequency

Although Calathea is not afraid of water and there are no precedents of Calathea being watered to death, you should never water it excessively just because it is resilient. It's recommended to decide based on the moisture level of the soil surface, ensuring that the soil does not dry out. Generally speaking, water every 3-4 days during spring and autumn; every two days in summer; and once a week in winter.

4. Precautions

Although Calathea can be planted anywhere, it is very susceptible to frost damage, or even death, when the temperature is around 0℃ in winter. Therefore, when planting in winter, it is essential to take precautions to keep it warm to avoid frostbite.

The comprehensive knowledge on how to plant Calathea and the methods and techniques of Calathea cultivation introduced above can hopefully help you.