new to you but i really appreciate this post, as i am now a calathea fan. thank you. i once had a calathea freddie completely die on me. as i was about to toss it- i noticed its roots appeared white, fleshy, and well, alive. i plunked fred back in his pot. happy to say in six-eight weeks, he sprouted anew. going strong now. sometimes the hardest plant to grow is patience.
I'm so glad I found your channel. I have learned so much about my Calathea Rosepicta, in fact I didn't even know its name. I bought it at a Home Depot in the USA. I live in zove 5. Since I changed the origial soil to a more airy soil (my secret) it has grown a total of thirteen new leaves. Thanks for the information.✌️😎🪴
So interesting about the tap water. When purchased my first Calathea, I didn’t know to only use distilled water so i was using tap water BUT I have a water softener so lots of salt in the water .. and my Calathea Dottie is THRIVING. Flash forward, I have moved and no longer have a softener. I purchased a Stella to go with Dottie and read she’s picky so I started using distilled. She has crispy tips!
Hello, I use tap water always. I pour the tap water into my watering jug (sometimes with fertiliser, but not always) and I leave it on 🔝 of my Rayburn to get warm in the winter, for about 24 hours (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I never have problems with chlorine etc. You don’t need a Rayburn for this, just setting it aside will do the same. 😉
True and same here. Also make sure to leave some space, about 20%, of the jug empty to allow the chemicals to gas off. I always get a big ol' whiff when opening if they've sat for a week lol
Thank you for this information. I’m a new plant mama to Calathea and my latest 3 purchased at an indoor plant grower all came in an aroid mix and I was kinda scratching my head about that. Now I’m going to leave them as they are. Also your giggle is totally cute!
Thank you for that. Presently my red-veined maranta is struggling. The ends were yellowing. I changed the soil to an aroid "Mollie" non-soil and removed them from their clay pot into a plastic nursery pot. Crossing my fingers and toes that I caught this in time and that what I'm doing is right.
Your laugh or giggle is absolutely fabulous! It brought a huge crayon to my face and I had to watch it three times. You’re amazing in your knowledge and I appreciate you sharing thank you.
This is the absolute best video on calathea care out there. I had completely given up on calatheas, as many other people, but I have fallen in love with the warscewiczii, and I am compelled to try again. I’ll probably follow your advice and start with a smaller plant. Thank you kindly for such an informative video! 🪴
I really believe your theory about the baby plants! My triostar stromanthe was a baby when I bought it and got so crispy. Now all new growth is much bigger and barely any - to no crispy edges!!!
G'day from Down Under 🦘and many thanks for the great tips Memo! I'm looking forward to watching my juvenile Orbifolia acclimatise to my conditions and hopefully grow to be as gorgeous as yours. Since switching to worm castings as a fertiliser she's already given me new growth. It's spring now here so REALLY excited about the potential growth for all my houseplants but in particular my Orbifolia and my Makoyana (Peacock) which although have some crisping, haven't died on me yet🙏 🐨
Great video. I bought all mine as babies...no crispy leaves..I treat mine like other common house plants. I use tap water, no humidifier. They don't like to dryout was the main thing I picked up on, and I also use an aroid mix that includes a handful of premium potting soil to hold onto more moisture. Such gorgeous plants.
Liquid gold is the slightly nicer name for diluted urine. It's is also called pee water. Urine is rich in nitrogen, fast-acting, nutritious and a good and free alternative to other liquid plant nutrients for your garden.
The exact reason why i never buy adult plants anymore.. had to learn it the hard way over several years already way before the plant craze took off (being into plants since 2010-2011).. nowadays all my baby plants from back then are such amazingly big and robust adult plants, especially the calatheae and aroids..
Memo, you can also add aquarium water conditioner to tap water before watering plants. The stuff that dechlorinates tap water. It works for fish, but it also works for plants!!
So you're saying that if I'm not able to find the Liquid Gold Leaf, that aquarium water conditioner can be substituted. Great to know! Thanks for sharing that very valuable information! Happy Planting to all. ❤ 😊
I thought I had to let my calathea dreams die, but I think I'll give them another try! I LOVE the tip on starting with them young. I want to try the liquid gold leaf, but it doesn't ship to the US. Do you have any recommendations on US available products?
Your information is so detailed and motivates me to buy calathea, even as a starter. When calathea is droopy with yellow and brown edge, what does that mean? Thank you!
Love the video!! I definitely try the recommended soil mix. I've got a question; I have two calathea ornata that I bought in two different places. They have been "living" together since August/September last year and everything is fine, apart from the occasional little leaf that turns brown at the tips (they came out this year in February) I would like to replant them and put them together, is this advisable?
I have many calethias but I am the most frustrated with my rattlesnake. I have had the plant for three years now and have only ever seen one new leaf grow. I understand these grow by rizomes such as ferns do but I really need some advice here. It came in a 3 inch pot and it is still no bigger
This is great. I made the mistake getting a Ornata as one of my first plants - together with a pretty big Stromanthe Triostar. The Ornata hasn't done very well and it has alot of crispy edges, the triostar has been doing better, still some brown tips, but not too bad. Will defo get some babys tho!
I have not figured out my orbifolia. My rattlesnake right next to it is perfect, zero issues and just got 3 new leaves at the same time. I also just got 3 new leaves on my orbifolia but all the other leaves are awful. I cut all but 2 old leaves off, now one of my brand new leaves has a black spot. I’ve been blaming myself this whole time, BUT Im thinking the issue may have been where I bought it from putting it in way too big of a pot. It takes FOREVER to dry out at all. I’ve just moved it down a size and into a terracotta (not sure if that was smart) but I’m so over this plant lol. I want one that doesn’t look like it’s dying all the time. In a little ikea greenhouse, getting good light and humidity that averages 70% and doesn’t go below 50% and only gets distilled water. I just Can’t figure out how it can look so bad l, but put out 3 leaves at once.
Oh no I am sorry you are going through all that, but I know a lot of us have been there too. I had similar experiences, the only way I have got mine happy is starting them off young and then they can be less fussy. Terracotta should be fine, just watch that it doesn't get to too dry
I agree with every thing you mentioned. I used to struggle with calatheas but that ended after changing four things. first thing was buying younger plants as you said(I think that's true with almost all plants.they get along with my conditions better if I buy them in small size). second I started to use an airy mix but not as chuncky as my aroid mix(for calatheas I mix equal amounts of peat moss, cocopeat, coco chips,orchid bark and perlite. I also add a little vermiculite and activated charcoal). third thing: we bought a reverse osmosis filter for our house so I use that water for all of my plants.four: I put them in bright, indirect light
What brand of water conditioner did you use? I've tried to water my calathea with aquarium water, but I got a bit of the crisping. At the time I thought it might have been from floride. However, this might have also been due to a recent reporting as well. Not entirely sure either way
I love your theory on adaptation of smaller plants to their environment. I have noticed this as well. You are spot on. Thank you for all of the wonderful input.
Very interesting point about the Liquid Gold Leaf. Perhaps, it is worth noting that aquarium supply shops sell tap water conditioners that remove chloramine, it may be worth trying these with plants. Try Aqua Safe by Tetra - it is not expensive and a little goes a long way! Hope this suggestion helps some one. :o)
I bought my first Calathea Orbifolia over the summer. I have it in moderate sun, and water it weekly. It's winter now, and the room it's in is cold with low humidity (31% humidity, and 63 degrees F). So far, it's doing great and has grown four new leaves (one just opened a few days ago)! I hope one day it gets as big and beautiful as yours! Thank you for the great video!
I totally agree with you. Not only with calatheas, but in general - when I get a tiny baby plant, it is just perfect - no issues and good even grow, while all plant issues I ever had were with the plants I got medium to big size - they seem to have more difficulties to adjust to a new environment and are generally much more fragile and sensitive. So I only buy little baby plants - it makes life easier :-)
I agree with you. I have 14 prayer plants, a mixture of Maranta, Ctnenanthe, Calathea and Stromanthe. I have grown most of them from small 2-4 inch pots. I am a biology teacher and I have a working knowledge of botany. Low light on the forest floor is definitely not low light in an apartment. My Marantacae thrive in medium to bright light. I caved and bought liquid gold leaf ( a pretty penny in the US) after it was recommended by an EU UA-camr. I have just one prayer plant with crispy leaves and I just got it in the mail 3 weeks ago. I might just cut off all the leaves so it can regrow. It is a small plant but it came damaged from the seller. Great info!
LOL! i always take mine in the bathtub and spray it all over with tap water also. its doing great and my south australian water is full of clorine and very highly alcaline so go figure..i have to say i have just about killed my 4th freddie and my dottie also two other lime green and some other prayer plant i forgot the name of..orbofolia tho ive had into its second summer..bought a second one and treat it the same and both thrive.
Completely agree with you on the soil topic! I adjusted my Calatheas to much much airier soil and they absolutely took off. I actually had to up-pot one of them a few months later because a rhizome was growing out of the nursery pot! They come in the worst soil!
I think that it should be mentioned on videos what you keep your temp/humidity at and it's good you mentioned about light as this is often not mentioned in advice and it's good you mentioned about buying small and letting the plant slowly get used to its surroundings buying a big plant for instant gratification or to show off is such a bad idea as I know only too well. Unfortunately I don't have enough light that comes into my 50s bungalow so I'm trying a grow light as my plants weren't doing at all well this winter and to be honest not sure about the results yet as plants take a while but it hasn't done any harm. I would like one of your blog's to be about grow lights.
My calathea is not bringing me joy. I stress over it because it’s just producing crispy leaves. I’m giving it away and don’t think I will by another one
I made a mistake of buying a Pin Stripe as one of my first plants. 1, because of price and 2, because of its look. I left it out in direct sun for about a month, thinking it would be OK 😂 That was 7 months ago and I’ve had the privilege of watching it grow back into its best self.
Love your video! Very helpful info. I have that same plant (Calathea Orbifolia) in LECA and is doing really good. I use Dyna gro n filtered water. Hope mine gets as big and beautiful as yours! Subscribed to your channel for more! Happy growing! 🪴🌱😊
I have a couple of prayer plants, and definitely agree with you on the "younger" plant and "coloration" tips. My rufibarba, makoyana, and maranta all came to me as 4 in pots and acclimated well with less leaf loss and crisping. My orbifolia and rosey were 6in plants and looked pretty bad. The rosey completely died back and resurrected as a tiny plantlet. We'll see if this pulls through...
My roset did the same and so did my mums.i boufht 5hem both at the same time and we live 50 miles apart so i think it might just be what they do.not sure.
Thank you for this... I thought I'd tried to save a healthy calathia from Target... it started dying as soon as 3 days after I brought it home...😮 Apparently, it was a very fussy variety, emerald calathea. I gave it a very light drink of filtered water, kept it in a west window not in direct light. Nine days later... crispy black leaves...😮 I'm a moderately successful plant grower... I guess we can't always make it work... 🤷♀️
I love that you mentioned stores advertise Calatheas as being easy to manage...they're definitely not lol I've had this one for two weeks (Calathea Rosepicta) and its been so picky... but these videos have been helping. Thanks :-)
Yes! I agree about the smaller plants growing into your environment! I find that once they have grown out and possibly lost the original leaves and grown new ones in your exact environment they then seem to be happy there after.
Thanks for the video. @9:25 - curious as to why you leave the older brown-edged leaves as they are as opposed to cutting them off or trimming them, given that all the upper leaves are so perfect. I assume there's some reason for leaving them to do whatever they do naturally? I've had great luck with crotons and snake plants but no success with calatheas so far. I have two places where I could put the next one I get: in a bathroom that has more light and humidity but more fluctuation in humidity and temperature, or in a much more stable room with only grow lights and snake plants. After seeing so many videos that say it's the changes that really cause trouble with calatheas I had a theory that if I just put a calathea in my snake plant forest with grow lights it might not brown. Any advice would be appreciated.
Enjoyed your video. For me bright shade and an airy mix of 50% cacti/succulent mix and 50% course pumice is working great. Also an organic fertiliser, and allowing the plant to dry 5cm down before watering again.
Interestingly, I've had far more success with very large calatheas I purchased than smaller ones (which all died). The large ones (the size of yours) all have survived mishaps and thrived for 2 years. I amended the soil with perlite and coco noir, and YES, keep brighter indirect is key. I'm going to try the Liquid Goldleaf fertilizer, thank you!
@@VelasquezJosh I believe he said he only used the neem oil as needed when pests are present. That's what I do, as well- only use it once a week or so until they're gone. Always worked so far.
my pin stripe is in a terrarium along with a white fusion. They will probably never come out. I have had luck weening some others to my average house humidity once they have sized up a bit. I believe they suffer tremendously before purchased after leaving the greenhouse, but take quite awhile to display their troubles. Aquarium stores have products that remove chlorine, etc. but salt build up from fertilizers have the same effect. Best thing about them is that their price is so low that you can keep trying until you get it right.
White Fusion has thin leaves, but Medallion and Dottie. The Ornata is fairly thin, but it's also shiney and smooth. All the purple bottom Calathea, I've had very good luck growing. But the Orbifolia went south at the end of autumn, so I separated it into 3 plants and took the baby bulbs to grow new plants. It will be a few weeks before the babies sprout. But for a Calathea that's not doing its best, dividing and propagating should result in healthy plants. That said, I've found 30-50 cm tall Calathea (medium-size) are easier to keep nice than growing one from a baby plant. I've never purchased a large Calathea, but I believe what you say about a big mature plant having some difficulty acclimating to a new environment. Tap water only matters for Calathea if it has flouride and appreciable amounts of chloride. If those are in the water, let it sit in a bucket for 24 hours before watering. The advantage of untreated well water are minerals and you get the same result from tap water that has sat for 24 hours before watering. I use distilled (reverse osmosis) water and they do very well. However, you must have a high quality potting mix - I use white peat with shredded bark. If you use a fast-draining aroid mix, you can run into trouble when the seasons change. It sounds like your aroid mix isn't as fast-draning as other recipes. Also, with Calathea, you should add some soil, which is usually not included in a true aroid mix. * Regarding light, Calathea like bright indirect sunlight. Don't know where you got the impression that they are a low-light plant. NIce video, thanks for the tip about Liquid Gold Leaf. I will definitly try that for by Orbifolia!
I’m so glad I found this! This has been my experience as well and people thought I was crazy! 😂 BUT I still can’t keep a white fusion alive 😢 and my marantas have permanent mealy bugs that I can’t get rid of 😢 Any tips? 🙏🏼
Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is a pretty cool plant! Also, the pinstripe has given me more grief than every plant I own combined. The calathea medallion, however, is doing wonderfully.
Yes, you are right, the soil mix that i found works really well for mine is my usual aroid mix, so very chunky. In terms of Water ph this is something I am trialling now to see what I find works best in my care and I will do a video on just that topic soon.
Thank you for addressing lighting as I have experienced phenomenal growth in my silver swords giving them high light with a specific plant light, and resisting the temptation to repot them to the degree that they are still in their original growers pot after tripling in size in 9 months. I believe they originally started from a semi mature top cutting. Their newest leaves are 12-13 inches long. .I periodically look to see if roots are coming through the bottom and there are none showing. The new growth is producing robust arial roots.
I've tried less and more mature Orbifolia but I can't seem to figure them out...and I keep ALL kinds of prayer plants with lots of success. Including, Ctenanthe Triostar, Calathea Rufibarba, Rattle Snake, Peacock, Vitatta, Silver Star, Roseopicta, and several Maranta...Orbifolia on the other hand, are another story entirely which is too bad because they're really beautiful. :-(
yes i have heard this too, interestingly most of my other prayer plants hate me and this one (and a couple of others) seems to really like me. i probably don't water it as much as I should. the other thing about this one is I found it really does want light that i would normally give my philodendron. so brighter than most prayer plants. have you tried it in brighter light.
I love that you brought up the arrowroot family! It still blows my mind when I think about it now. I'm such a plant nerd, lol. But when you think of the assortment of genuses, the offshoots of the family, they start to show similarities - showy blooms (and quite unusual blooms too). Rhizomatous, tuberous or bulbous growth. And the family trait that unites them all - All cannot handle excesses of fluoride, salts, chlorine, in addition to the many heavy metals: - maranta - stromanthe - ctenanthe - calathea aka geoppertia - strelitzia aka birds of paradise - heliconia aka lobster claw - bananas - turmeric! - cardamom! - GINGER - galangal - arrowroot - canna? can't remember but would not surprise me.
I was thinking about getting them younger also. Might help. Most of mine are gone. My oberfelia had to be moved to the greenhouse 🤞. Another great video!!!👍👍👍
I'm hoping my younger calatheas make it. I really do like the bright colors so we'll see what light/humidity they like. I've got a moisture control (not cacti mix, just control) so hopefully that helps as it doesn't seem to hold water as much as other soils. I hope the little ones perk back up soon because they are so pretty.
Truly fantastic video. I have several small calatheas that I'm getting ready to repot and your video shed so much light on the do's and don'ts which I expect will give me such a leg up as I work towards having healthy and happy calatheas. I'll be ordering the Liquid Gold Leaf before the night's out. I would love to plant (pun intended) a nice sweet kiss on your cheek. 😊 ❤ I'll keep you posted on my calathea journey. Asking God for many blessings from Vicky in central North Carolina to you. If I haven't subscribed yet, rest assured that I will before I leave. ❤ 😊
Yes! The pinstripe Calathea is difficult. I have been struggling with mine forever and ponder giving up on it often. Then I think of what our can be and determine to make it thrive. It is so moody. I'm hanging in there though...
Did you also have your pinstripe in the same airy mix as your current calathea? I recently purchased one without first researching. Little did I know I would become a slave to it.
On the note about arrowroot starch, I never knew Japanese konjac is an AROID! Which made me think, well duh; the flower looks like an anthurium, spathiphyllum, calla lily or monstera bloom. The corn cob-like spadex (?) surrounded by protective "blooms" or leaves. The titan arum/corpse flower is like an aroid that took a steroid. 😅🤣🤣 they're on Etsy, hmmm... maybe...(let's get back at my mean neighbors by stinking up the yard.)😈😵💫
It is funny about tap water. I have a huge spider plan which is my second one because I killed the first one 😳. Compare to the first spider plant, my second one grows non stop with same tap water.
I have to ask.. does your Orbifolia close up at night? Never saw one do this.. :D I put my Calatheas into my Aroid mix, too. Works well :) Greetings from Germany Linda :)
You can off gas chlorine & chloramine b6 letting the water sit over night, or use aquarium water if you have fish. The same treatment that removes chloramines to make water safe for fish works for plants, and fish waste is natural fertilizer
I had spider mites initially but haven’t seen any for ages. BUT… I have battled with thrips!!!!! I’ve wiped the leaves and puffed diatomaceous earth on the surface of every single pot. So far so good. I think I’ve got rid of them!!🤞🏻
Great video! Thank you! I have seen the bit about buying young, small Calathea's on a couple of different plant channels. I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but it sure makes sense!
new to you
but i really
appreciate this post, as i am now a calathea fan. thank you.
i once had a calathea freddie completely
die on me. as i was about to toss it- i noticed its roots appeared white, fleshy, and well, alive. i plunked fred back in his pot. happy to say in six-eight weeks, he sprouted anew. going strong now.
sometimes the hardest plant to grow is patience.
I'm so glad I found your channel. I have learned so much about my Calathea Rosepicta, in fact I didn't even know its name. I bought it at a Home Depot in the USA. I live in zove 5. Since I changed the origial soil to a more airy soil (my secret) it has grown a total of thirteen new leaves. Thanks for the information.✌️😎🪴
So interesting about the tap water. When purchased my first Calathea, I didn’t know to only use distilled water so i was using tap water BUT I have a water softener so lots of salt in the water .. and my Calathea Dottie is THRIVING.
Flash forward, I have moved and no longer have a softener. I purchased a Stella to go with Dottie and read she’s picky so I started using distilled. She has crispy tips!
Hello, I use tap water always. I pour the tap water into my watering jug (sometimes with fertiliser, but not always) and I leave it on 🔝 of my Rayburn to get warm in the winter, for about 24 hours (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I never have problems with chlorine etc. You don’t need a Rayburn for this, just setting it aside will do the same. 😉
True and same here. Also make sure to leave some space, about 20%, of the jug empty to allow the chemicals to gas off. I always get a big ol' whiff when opening if they've sat for a week lol
Thank you for this information. I’m a new plant mama to Calathea and my latest 3 purchased at an indoor plant grower all came in an aroid mix and I was kinda scratching my head about that. Now I’m going to leave them as they are. Also your giggle is totally cute!
Yes on the giggle!
You have the BEST laugh/giggle... should be made into a sound bite.
You are an absolute champion. I wish I watched you before all my plant journey.
Thank you for that. Presently my red-veined maranta is struggling. The ends were yellowing. I changed the soil to an aroid "Mollie" non-soil and removed them from their clay pot into a plastic nursery pot. Crossing my fingers and toes that I caught this in time and that what I'm doing is right.
Your laugh or giggle is absolutely fabulous! It brought a huge crayon to my face and I had to watch it three times. You’re amazing in your knowledge and I appreciate you sharing thank you.
This is the absolute best video on calathea care out there. I had completely given up on calatheas, as many other people, but I have fallen in love with the warscewiczii, and I am compelled to try again. I’ll probably follow your advice and start with a smaller plant. Thank you kindly for such an informative video! 🪴
I really believe your theory about the baby plants! My triostar stromanthe was a baby when I bought it and got so crispy. Now all new growth is much bigger and barely any - to no crispy edges!!!
G'day from Down Under 🦘and many thanks for the great tips Memo! I'm looking forward to watching my juvenile Orbifolia acclimatise to my conditions and hopefully grow to be as gorgeous as yours. Since switching to worm castings as a fertiliser she's already given me new growth. It's spring now here so REALLY excited about the potential growth for all my houseplants but in particular my Orbifolia and my Makoyana (Peacock) which although have some crisping, haven't died on me yet🙏 🐨
Wow thank you so much for the knowledge! I never knew adapting when they're young is easier for calatheas. That explains why most of my calatheas die!
Great video. I bought all mine as babies...no crispy leaves..I treat mine like other common house plants. I use tap water, no humidifier. They don't like to dryout was the main thing I picked up on, and I also use an aroid mix that includes a handful of premium potting soil to hold onto more moisture. Such gorgeous plants.
I love the plants
Just found you and I really enjoy your channel!!!! Thank you for all your knowledge and videos! 🌿💜🌿
Liquid gold is the slightly nicer name for diluted urine. It's is also called pee water. Urine is rich in nitrogen, fast-acting, nutritious and a good and free alternative to other liquid plant nutrients for your garden.
You are a wealth of knowledge and I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation. Have just subscribed. Cheers!
Darryl
The exact reason why i never buy adult plants anymore.. had to learn it the hard way over several years already way before the plant craze took off (being into plants since 2010-2011).. nowadays all my baby plants from back then are such amazingly big and robust adult plants, especially the calatheae and aroids..
Memo, you can also add aquarium water conditioner to tap water before watering plants. The stuff that dechlorinates tap water. It works for fish, but it also works for plants!!
Nice, I use aquarium water for my plant. Works too!
So you're saying that if I'm not able to find the Liquid Gold Leaf, that aquarium water conditioner can be substituted. Great to know! Thanks for sharing that very valuable information! Happy Planting to all. ❤ 😊
I water mine with rain water, she loves it!
I will try your way, hope to be successful 😊
Very interesting. Thank you for those tips!
I thought I had to let my calathea dreams die, but I think I'll give them another try! I LOVE the tip on starting with them young.
I want to try the liquid gold leaf, but it doesn't ship to the US. Do you have any recommendations on US available products?
Your information is so detailed and motivates me to buy calathea, even as a starter. When calathea is droopy with yellow and brown edge, what does that mean? Thank you!
"all of my calatheas are in a very very light airy _______ mix." I couldn't understand that key word! Help is appreciated!
Aroid, pronounced: (air-rō-id or arrow-id)
Agree with you. There won't be pests if a plant is well watered.
Love the video!! I definitely try the recommended soil mix. I've got a question; I have two calathea ornata that I bought in two different places. They have been "living" together since August/September last year and everything is fine, apart from the occasional little leaf that turns brown at the tips (they came out this year in February) I would like to replant them and put them together, is this advisable?
Thank you for the tips! Also I like your accent :)
I have many calethias but I am the most frustrated with my rattlesnake. I have had the plant for three years now and have only ever seen one new leaf grow. I understand these grow by rizomes such as ferns do but I really need some advice here. It came in a 3 inch pot and it is still no bigger
This is great.
I made the mistake getting a Ornata as one of my first plants - together with a pretty big Stromanthe Triostar. The Ornata hasn't done very well and it has alot of crispy edges, the triostar has been doing better, still some brown tips, but not too bad.
Will defo get some babys tho!
I'm a Calathea plant collector and am having problem with ornata and medallion. Please advise anyone?
What would you suggest to treat should there be any browning within the middle area on the leaves?
Which else do u have. That u find nice to grow other then oberfelia
I have the rufibarba, musaica and ctenanthe Burle Marxii, all been super easy so far
I am struggling with stromanthe Triostar, killed one, another one looks going the same way.. please help 😩
What is the water hardness level in your area?
I have not figured out my orbifolia. My rattlesnake right next to it is perfect, zero issues and just got 3 new leaves at the same time.
I also just got 3 new leaves on my orbifolia but all the other leaves are awful. I cut all but 2 old leaves off, now one of my brand new leaves has a black spot.
I’ve been blaming myself this whole time, BUT Im thinking the issue may have been where I bought it from putting it in way too big of a pot. It takes FOREVER to dry out at all. I’ve just moved it down a size and into a terracotta (not sure if that was smart) but I’m so over this plant lol. I want one that doesn’t look like it’s dying all the time.
In a little ikea greenhouse, getting good light and humidity that averages 70% and doesn’t go below 50% and only gets distilled water.
I just Can’t figure out how it can look so bad l, but put out 3 leaves at once.
Oh no I am sorry you are going through all that, but I know a lot of us have been there too. I had similar experiences, the only way I have got mine happy is starting them off young and then they can be less fussy. Terracotta should be fine, just watch that it doesn't get to too dry
I agree with every thing you mentioned. I used to struggle with calatheas but that ended after changing four things. first thing was buying younger plants as you said(I think that's true with almost all plants.they get along with my conditions better if I buy them in small size). second I started to use an airy mix but not as chuncky as my aroid mix(for calatheas I mix equal amounts of peat moss, cocopeat, coco chips,orchid bark and perlite. I also add a little vermiculite and activated charcoal). third thing: we bought a reverse osmosis filter for our house so I use that water for all of my plants.four: I put them in bright, indirect light
Holy crap man, they're expensive. I'm in Ireland, the cheapest one on Amazon is €300. They go up to €800😮
I have RO water. I never thought of using it from plants. I am going to try it! ✨😁
I water my calathea with aquarium water. That is treated with water conditioner that binds chloramine and metals. No crisping edges!
👀
Me too!
I use aquarium water and rain water x
What brand of water conditioner did you use? I've tried to water my calathea with aquarium water, but I got a bit of the crisping. At the time I thought it might have been from floride. However, this might have also been due to a recent reporting as well. Not entirely sure either way
@@ZypherTheCrow Tetra Aquasafe.
I love your theory on adaptation of smaller plants to their environment. I have noticed this as well. You are spot on. Thank you for all of the wonderful input.
Very interesting point about the Liquid Gold Leaf. Perhaps, it is worth noting that aquarium supply shops sell tap water conditioners that remove chloramine, it may be worth trying these with plants. Try Aqua Safe by Tetra - it is not expensive and a little goes a long way! Hope this suggestion helps some one. :o)
I bought my first Calathea Orbifolia over the summer. I have it in moderate sun, and water it weekly. It's winter now, and the room it's in is cold with low humidity (31% humidity, and 63 degrees F). So far, it's doing great and has grown four new leaves (one just opened a few days ago)! I hope one day it gets as big and beautiful as yours!
Thank you for the great video!
I totally agree with you. Not only with calatheas, but in general - when I get a tiny baby plant, it is just perfect - no issues and good even grow, while all plant issues I ever had were with the plants I got medium to big size - they seem to have more difficulties to adjust to a new environment and are generally much more fragile and sensitive. So I only buy little baby plants - it makes life easier :-)
I agree with you. I have 14 prayer plants, a mixture of Maranta, Ctnenanthe, Calathea and Stromanthe. I have grown most of them from small 2-4 inch pots. I am a biology teacher and I have a working knowledge of botany. Low light on the forest floor is definitely not low light in an apartment. My Marantacae thrive in medium to bright light. I caved and bought liquid gold leaf ( a pretty penny in the US) after it was recommended by an EU UA-camr. I have just one prayer plant with crispy leaves and I just got it in the mail 3 weeks ago. I might just cut off all the leaves so it can regrow. It is a small plant but it came damaged from the seller. Great info!
Hey! Where did you buy the liquid gold leaf in the U.S.?
LOL! i always take mine in the bathtub and spray it all over with tap water also. its doing great and my south australian water is full of clorine and very highly alcaline so go figure..i have to say i have just about killed my 4th freddie and my dottie also two other lime green and some other prayer plant i forgot the name of..orbofolia tho ive had into its second summer..bought a second one and treat it the same and both thrive.
Completely agree with you on the soil topic! I adjusted my Calatheas to much much airier soil and they absolutely took off. I actually had to up-pot one of them a few months later because a rhizome was growing out of the nursery pot! They come in the worst soil!
I think that it should be mentioned on videos what you keep your temp/humidity at and it's good you mentioned about light as this is often not mentioned in advice and it's good you mentioned about buying small and letting the plant slowly get used to its surroundings buying a big plant for instant gratification or to show off is such a bad idea as I know only too well. Unfortunately I don't have enough light that comes into my 50s bungalow so I'm trying a grow light as my plants weren't doing at all well this winter and to be honest not sure about the results yet as plants take a while but it hasn't done any harm. I would like one of your blog's to be about grow lights.
Oh please help a sister out, mine hates me!! She hasn’t grown in 2 years and she just hates me lol
My calathea is not bringing me joy. I stress over it because it’s just producing crispy leaves. I’m giving it away and don’t think I will by another one
I made a mistake of buying a Pin Stripe as one of my first plants. 1, because of price and 2, because of its look. I left it out in direct sun for about a month, thinking it would be OK 😂
That was 7 months ago and I’ve had the privilege of watching it grow back into its best self.
Love your video! Very helpful info. I have that same plant (Calathea Orbifolia) in LECA and is doing really good. I use Dyna gro n filtered water. Hope mine gets as big and beautiful as yours! Subscribed to your channel for more! Happy growing! 🪴🌱😊
I have a couple of prayer plants, and definitely agree with you on the "younger" plant and "coloration" tips. My rufibarba, makoyana, and maranta all came to me as 4 in pots and acclimated well with less leaf loss and crisping.
My orbifolia and rosey were 6in plants and looked pretty bad. The rosey completely died back and resurrected as a tiny plantlet. We'll see if this pulls through...
My roset did the same and so did my mums.i boufht 5hem both at the same time and we live 50 miles apart so i think it might just be what they do.not sure.
Thank you for this... I thought I'd tried to save a healthy calathia from Target... it started dying as soon as 3 days after I brought it home...😮 Apparently, it was a very fussy variety, emerald calathea. I gave it a very light drink of filtered water, kept it in a west window not in direct light. Nine days later... crispy black leaves...😮 I'm a moderately successful plant grower... I guess we can't always make it work... 🤷♀️
I love that you mentioned stores advertise Calatheas as being easy to manage...they're definitely not lol I've had this one for two weeks (Calathea Rosepicta) and its been so picky... but these videos have been helping. Thanks :-)
Yes! I agree about the smaller plants growing into your environment! I find that once they have grown out and possibly lost the original leaves and grown new ones in your exact environment they then seem to be happy there after.
Thanks for the video. @9:25 - curious as to why you leave the older brown-edged leaves as they are as opposed to cutting them off or trimming them, given that all the upper leaves are so perfect. I assume there's some reason for leaving them to do whatever they do naturally? I've had great luck with crotons and snake plants but no success with calatheas so far. I have two places where I could put the next one I get: in a bathroom that has more light and humidity but more fluctuation in humidity and temperature, or in a much more stable room with only grow lights and snake plants. After seeing so many videos that say it's the changes that really cause trouble with calatheas I had a theory that if I just put a calathea in my snake plant forest with grow lights it might not brown. Any advice would be appreciated.
Enjoyed your video. For me bright shade and an airy mix of 50% cacti/succulent mix and 50% course pumice is working great. Also an organic fertiliser, and allowing the plant to dry 5cm down before watering again.
I just use fish tank water conditioner on my collection with tapwater pretty awesome results super easy super cheap
Interestingly, I've had far more success with very large calatheas I purchased than smaller ones (which all died). The large ones (the size of yours) all have survived mishaps and thrived for 2 years. I amended the soil with perlite and coco noir, and YES, keep brighter indirect is key. I'm going to try the Liquid Goldleaf fertilizer, thank you!
Best video on Marantaceae out there and I’ve seen tons. Learned a lot of new info. Thanks. Love your laugh (and nails)!
Sadly I'm a killer....I killed my calathia 4 times. I got my last and it's looking bad.
Has anyone ever used a self watering wick system with this plant?
How often do you apply neem oil to your calathea? And may I know the ratio of your soil mix. Thanks for these learnings!
@@VelasquezJosh I believe he said he only used the neem oil as needed when pests are present. That's what I do, as well- only use it once a week or so until they're gone. Always worked so far.
Can someone tell me if you are supposed to prune these plants ? do i need to remove the old leaves to help it grow ?
my pin stripe is in a terrarium along with a white fusion. They will probably never come out. I have had luck weening some others to my average house humidity once they have sized up a bit. I believe they suffer tremendously before purchased after leaving the greenhouse, but take quite awhile to display their troubles. Aquarium stores have products that remove chlorine, etc. but salt build up from fertilizers have the same effect. Best thing about them is that their price is so low that you can keep trying until you get it right.
That orbifolia is sooo gorgeous! I’m so jelly
Dommage je comprends rien je parles juste le Français 😢
l have large a calathea plant have not been reported for two years should l reported it
White Fusion has thin leaves, but Medallion and Dottie. The Ornata is fairly thin, but it's also shiney and smooth. All the purple bottom Calathea, I've had very good luck growing. But the Orbifolia went south at the end of autumn, so I separated it into 3 plants and took the baby bulbs to grow new plants. It will be a few weeks before the babies sprout. But for a Calathea that's not doing its best, dividing and propagating should result in healthy plants. That said, I've found 30-50 cm tall Calathea (medium-size) are easier to keep nice than growing one from a baby plant. I've never purchased a large Calathea, but I believe what you say about a big mature plant having some difficulty acclimating to a new environment.
Tap water only matters for Calathea if it has flouride and appreciable amounts of chloride. If those are in the water, let it sit in a bucket for 24 hours before watering. The advantage of untreated well water are minerals and you get the same result from tap water that has sat for 24 hours before watering. I use distilled (reverse osmosis) water and they do very well. However, you must have a high quality potting mix - I use white peat with shredded bark. If you use a fast-draining aroid mix, you can run into trouble when the seasons change. It sounds like your aroid mix isn't as fast-draning as other recipes. Also, with Calathea, you should add some soil, which is usually not included in a true aroid mix.
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Regarding light, Calathea like bright indirect sunlight. Don't know where you got the impression that they are a low-light plant.
NIce video, thanks for the tip about Liquid Gold Leaf. I will definitly try that for by Orbifolia!
What about pest infestation? How do you deal with it?
I’m so glad I found this! This has been my experience as well and people thought I was crazy! 😂 BUT I still can’t keep a white fusion alive 😢 and my marantas have permanent mealy bugs that I can’t get rid of 😢 Any tips? 🙏🏼
Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is a pretty cool plant! Also, the pinstripe has given me more grief than every plant I own combined. The calathea medallion, however, is doing wonderfully.
Big shout out to all my bros who killed a stromante triostar.
Hi .......goodness! You forgot to talk about houseplants soil & water ph. After all, it is also very Important like sunlight & humidity!!!!!
Yes, you are right, the soil mix that i found works really well for mine is my usual aroid mix, so very chunky. In terms of Water ph this is something I am trialling now to see what I find works best in my care and I will do a video on just that topic soon.
Thank you for addressing lighting as I have experienced phenomenal growth in my silver swords giving them high light with a specific plant light, and resisting the temptation to repot them to the degree that they are still in their original growers pot after tripling in size in 9 months. I believe they originally started from a semi mature top cutting. Their newest leaves are 12-13 inches long. .I periodically look to see if roots are coming through the bottom and there are none showing. The new growth is producing robust arial roots.
That a phil Esmeraldense behind you?
I've tried less and more mature Orbifolia but I can't seem to figure them out...and I keep ALL kinds of prayer plants with lots of success. Including, Ctenanthe Triostar, Calathea Rufibarba, Rattle Snake, Peacock, Vitatta, Silver Star, Roseopicta, and several Maranta...Orbifolia on the other hand, are another story entirely which is too bad because they're really beautiful. :-(
yes i have heard this too, interestingly most of my other prayer plants hate me and this one (and a couple of others) seems to really like me. i probably don't water it as much as I should. the other thing about this one is I found it really does want light that i would normally give my philodendron. so brighter than most prayer plants. have you tried it in brighter light.
I knew there was a reason why I wanted to eat those potatoes!
This was an awesome video post Memo! Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks to helping our plants thrive!
I love that you brought up the arrowroot family! It still blows my mind when I think about it now. I'm such a plant nerd, lol. But when you think of the assortment of genuses, the offshoots of the family, they start to show similarities - showy blooms (and quite unusual blooms too). Rhizomatous, tuberous or bulbous growth. And the family trait that unites them all - All cannot handle excesses of fluoride, salts, chlorine, in addition to the many heavy metals:
- maranta
- stromanthe
- ctenanthe
- calathea aka geoppertia
- strelitzia aka birds of paradise
- heliconia aka lobster claw
- bananas
- turmeric!
- cardamom!
- GINGER
- galangal
- arrowroot
- canna? can't remember but would not surprise me.
Thank you so much this video has really helped me
I was thinking about getting them younger also. Might help. Most of mine are gone. My oberfelia had to be moved to the greenhouse 🤞. Another great video!!!👍👍👍
Awww excellent hopefully it will like it in the greenhouse
You really never fail to impress me with how knowledgeable you are!
Stress coat . Makes your water suitable as well
I'm hoping my younger calatheas make it. I really do like the bright colors so we'll see what light/humidity they like. I've got a moisture control (not cacti mix, just control) so hopefully that helps as it doesn't seem to hold water as much as other soils. I hope the little ones perk back up soon because they are so pretty.
Wow that orbifolia is absolutely stunning.. 😍 Thanks a lot for sharing such valuable information about them..
Truly fantastic video. I have several small calatheas that I'm getting ready to repot and your video shed so much light on the do's and don'ts which I expect will give me such a leg up as I work towards having healthy and happy calatheas. I'll be ordering the Liquid Gold Leaf before the night's out. I would love to plant (pun intended) a nice sweet kiss on your cheek. 😊 ❤ I'll keep you posted on my calathea journey. Asking God for many blessings from Vicky in central North Carolina to you. If I haven't subscribed yet, rest assured that I will before I leave. ❤ 😊
Yes! The pinstripe Calathea is difficult. I have been struggling with mine forever and ponder giving up on it often. Then I think of what our can be and determine to make it thrive. It is so moody. I'm hanging in there though...
Completely agree. I have a medallion which looks awesome... my pinstripe not so much 😅
I’m down to one leaf on my white fusion. That thing is on my last nerve. Everyone else appears to be quite satisfied!
You are so brave, I always wanted a white fusion, but I have heard that is the hardest one to keep happy 😬😬😬
@@Houseplantygoodness You should try! They are beautiful. But be prepared for heart break.
@@robintucker9057 I keep thinking I should, ok next time I see one I might grab one, I know the heartache is real on that one 😭
Good advice: buying the babies and not the teens. I’m really impressed by the size of that specimen considering the size of the pot.
Did you also have your pinstripe in the same airy mix as your current calathea? I recently purchased one without first researching. Little did I know I would become a slave to it.
yep had my pinstripe in the same mix, but definitely one of the hardest ones to keep happy, humidity is key as well as decent light.
On the note about arrowroot starch, I never knew Japanese konjac is an AROID! Which made me think, well duh; the flower looks like an anthurium, spathiphyllum, calla lily or monstera bloom. The corn cob-like spadex (?) surrounded by protective "blooms" or leaves. The titan arum/corpse flower is like an aroid that took a steroid. 😅🤣🤣 they're on Etsy, hmmm... maybe...(let's get back at my mean neighbors by stinking up the yard.)😈😵💫
It is funny about tap water. I have a huge spider plan which is my second one because I killed the first one 😳. Compare to the first spider plant, my second one grows non stop with same tap water.
These plants don't like me at all. I live in the Caribbean. So I stay away from them ☺️.
Lol.... struggling with mine in Jamaica! 😂
Thank you so much!! This makes sense. I too have struggled with the drainage from the heavy soil. It never dries!
I have to ask.. does your Orbifolia close up at night? Never saw one do this.. :D
I put my Calatheas into my Aroid mix, too. Works well :)
Greetings from Germany
Linda :)
You can off gas chlorine & chloramine b6 letting the water sit over night, or use aquarium water if you have fish. The same treatment that removes chloramines to make water safe for fish works for plants, and fish waste is natural fertilizer
I had spider mites initially but haven’t seen any for ages. BUT… I have battled with thrips!!!!! I’ve wiped the leaves and puffed diatomaceous earth on the surface of every single pot. So far so good. I think I’ve got rid of them!!🤞🏻
Great video! Thank you! I have seen the bit about buying young, small Calathea's on a couple of different plant channels. I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but it sure makes sense!
Experimenting here as well…..using well water run through a potassium chloride softener. We will see.
Thank you for this...I'm always looking forward to watching your videos.
Awww I am glad you are enjoying 😊