Hahaha same. Mine has survived for a month now. Has grown like crazy too! 😯 my very first house plants that's not a cactus too, so I'm nervous to say the least 😂
Found your videos recently, and I swear you are the realest plant youtube out there. Everyone presents Calathea as easy, but you show us the truth and non-expensive ways to tackle it. I love your channel!
I collect rain water for my calathea's. This is no small task in Spain. It requires real dedication but its been worth it. Turned my calatheas and my orchids around. Orchids really hated me before rain water. Im going to go order a Brita now for back up though. That is a great Idea!!
Yes!! I agree it’s a water filter is a great backup! I got lazy and started watering my calathea with straight tap water this winter and they started getting crispy edges. 😓 The thing is, the tap water was too hard for *me* to even want to drink-why would the calathea like it any better? lol went back to distilled and they’re bouncing back 🤗
I repot all my plants soon as I get them. I use clear pots on all my plants it makes watering so much easier & has made a huge difference. I also use a brita to water with a few drops of fish tank water clarifier.
A tip for you. Putting plants that like moisture and humid air in terracotta is actually a great idea just because it leeches water from the soil. Why is that then might one ask :). Well, where does it leech the water to then? Into the air of course. And the more moist loving plants you have in terracotta, the more humid your room will be. Yes, you will need to water more often, but you will have to refill your humidifier less often as it will not have to work as much.
Get watering stakes to do the job while you are out - or just lazy, ha ha www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H9HZ4FB?pf_rd_r=DVH7JKJYZ2E6MHDHHXTG&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee
there's a simple trick to keeping your calatheas healthy: get a few aquariums! they help to maintain humidity, and if you do your water changes proper, you have an ample supply of well rested, soft water, naturally enriched with nitrates and other organic nutrients.
but that wont get people into fishkeeping, or fun rube goldberg solutions to simple problems, that out-complicate the initial problem by oders of magnitude. :D
Honestly I never had any problems with my calathea zebrina. It used to live in my bathroom close to a window facing east. Never had to worry about humidity because I created it every time I took a shower. It lived happily and even bloomed (tiny purple blossoms). Sadly it died when I moved and handed it to a friend who somehow killed it. Still miss this lovely, easy plant.
I was looking for some tips on how to look after calatheas as my new calathea rufibarba has curled up all her leaves and the base of them are not straight and stronger anymore. This is the most useful video I have found.THANK YOU!!!You have been so helpful :)
I was tempted to buy a Calathea a little while ago because it was so cheap but I never knew they were so temperamental. But now I just want to buy one even more. I tend to be an under waterer sometimes though...
I’d love to see a philodendron care tips just like this one. This was great! I’ve been prepping for several days now before my first calathea arrives and I actually feel pretty good!
The only calathea i've had trouble with is a zebrina, which also happens to be the only plant i've ever killed. I have about 14 other calatheas and none of them hate me like the Zebrina. I always repot my calathea after purchase though as i found they don't like the soggy mix most nurseries sell them in, which i think was the reason the zebrina died.
I have that moisture meter and I don’t think I’ve been using correctly. In fact I overwatered a fiddle even while suing this meter, and it got root rot. It didn’t make it :( So to clarify, you don’t keep the meter in the pot permanently? You check sporadically? Once a week? When exactly? How long does it take to take the moisture reading? You mentioned you don’t test just one spot in the soil, that you move the meter to test different spots, but then how do you really know the true moisture level and whether it’s time to water or not if different parts of the soil read differently?
Thanks for the video - I loooove calatheas, they're some of my faves. I keep reading that filtered water can be bad for plants because of sodium? Do you know if this is true? I've refrained from buying a Brita filter because I don't want to run the risk, so instead I let my tap water sit out for a couple of days before using it to water. I feel like I keep hearing contradictions about filtered water.
hi kaylee! i have a question to ask if u leave in tropical country like i was do i need a humidifier?? our temperature here ranges to 73 F up to 92 F..!!THANKS.
I feel bad for everyone commenting how their partners get annoyed when they add new plants. I get money sometimes can be an issue but cmoooon. Every time I come home with plants my boyfriend ALWAYS goes 'oouuu aahhhh thats so neat what are you going to name it?' lol 💕 tell your partner's to lighten up! Plants are the best 💕
Gus Griswald haha my partner names my plants for me. My favorites right now are the giant golden pathos that he named Gloria and our cactus, cactus jack.
I just have a lot of plants and propagations in water in my east facing window sill above the radiator. Works the same way, some lovely humidity being radiated throughout the house plus some warmer weather but moisture loving plants are in a great place with some dim morning sun :)
Regarding the need for distilled water; I have 8 calathea now and didn't want to constantly be stocking distilled water from the store and didn't even realize a water filter would work, but I learned a trick from UA-cam comments on another video to treat a gallon of tap water with water purifier for aquariums. It's made to neutralize the minerals and whatnot in tapwater, you only need a few drops per gallon, and I got a little bottle of it for under $5 at my local pet store. Been using it for a good while and have no brown tips on any of my callies.
I always go back to this video whenever I get hands on a new calathea. It doesn't matter how many I already have. When I get a new one, the anxiety is high and this video makes me calm 😂
I’ve had a Calathea for two years and never knew it was temperamental. It started flowering last week. And then I read an article about how temperamental they are and now it’s looking pale... ignorance is bliss?
It always makes me sigh a bit when people describe plants as "temperamental" or "difficult to care for" because the plants have evolved to grow and reproduce all on their own (imagine that!), its simply the further you take some plants from their usually environmental conditions the harder you have to work against your house climate to make it more like the plants native climate. It seems you're very lucky! and your house simply has enough humidity and heat to comfort the calathea and you have your watering down to a T!
SAME! I usually am awful with plants, but for the most part my calathea tell me what they want and I give it to them. They're doing pretty good. My other plants are usually "quiet" then die 😅
I put a large plate under each of my calatheas' pots with some pebbles and water, I fill it 1 to 2 cm deep, and I make sure there's aways water, I don't let it dry out. That really helps keeping the "humidity bubble" too! :)
Mercedes Guzmán I don’t remember where I heard it from but apparently because the calathea plants typically grow on the floors of the rainforest where there’s not much light, the purple color on bottoms of the leaves of some calatheas help capture more light to photosynthesize (rather than the light escaping and reaching through the leaf) :)
Wonderful tips! I don't have any Calathea because living in Arizona, it's so dry here. But, you've given me great info to maybe give it a try. Thank you!
Hi, Carmen! Writing from Scottsdale to tell you there is hope! :D I don't have a calathea yet, but a good humidifier has made all the difference in my jungle room 😃
BAHAHA! I haven't bought ANY plants since October. We're relocating in January so my husband told me to wait until then & I ordered 2 more plants off eBay😂😂😂 HOPEFULLY he's at work when they get here! I JUST HAD TO HAVE THEM!! 😂😂
Florence Perez I also didn‘t get any more plants since October! Because.. is it. October. I got two plants yesterday. I have 40+ plants in my bedroom in the house I share with others, because I‘m a student. someone help me haah
My younger brother picked up a Calathea Ornata because he thought it looked cool and I had no idea they’re they require this much care! I just ordered a spray bottle, humidity meter, and water level meter off amazon to be sure i can try my hardest to keep it alive!
So, i have a calathea in a terracottapot, don't know my humidity, has quite a lot of light and she is thriving! She gives me new leaves every day. And then i have a fern, a plant every idiot can maintain and it fucking hates me. Started dying within a week.... Dead now. Buried it. Never again. Fucking fern. Love my calathea though. My favorite baby.
Hi Kaylee Ellen! This is one of the few times that I'm actually happy to NOT HAVE a plant! Lol! The beauty of calatheas is amazing & I love them; but, I haven't yet purchased one. My fear of failure & indecisiveness have obviously saved me from experiencing the dreaded "brown, crispy leaves" and disappointment that so many people have endured. Thank goodness! This video AND the one done by Tropical Plant Addict on calathea care have given me a new attitude toward those beautiful plants. I've decided to purchase the same humidifier that you own. Once my home & I are properly prepared, I'll shop for calatheas with the confidence I've lacked until now. Thank you very much for your channel AND this most valuable video! 🌾💜
And im watching this video after buying my Calathea insigns🤨🤨🤨 im scared now.. coz i spent a good amount of money for the plant & if it dies my husband will go crazy😂
I've just bought a Calathea "Network" and I love it - but I am so worried I'm going to end up with a sad crinkly mess. Hope not. I'll mist until I can save for a humidifier...
Great video. Thanks for the info. Starting to think its the British atmosphere. You and Tropical Plant Addict (fellow Englishwoman) have the best calatheas on youtube. I have one question (two parts), how often do you run your humidifier and how long? Thanks again and keep it coming.
Thanks :) yeah it could be our atmosphere to be honest. Ah yeah I know her I watch her videos and follow her on Instagram shes great 😁 well I actually have one that I use to set the desired humidity level and my humidifier just maintains that by itself. But when I used my old humidifier I actually had it running 24 hours a day lol. Calathea like insanely high levels of humidity - even as high as 85%! So I just give them as much as I can.
@@KayleeEllenOfficial thanks for your video! I think I may take her into the shower with me on occasion as our place is too damp as it is upstairs, but downstairs is not
The spray bottle is pointless. Humidity is the moisture in the air around the plant. Once the water drops land, they are no longer in the air. A better suggestion is to put the plant in a shallow dish, on some small stones, then fill the dish with water. This keeps the plant out of the water and allows the water to be vaporised.
Thank you, this was a really helpful video! I bought a Calathea Zebrina about a month ago and it's doing fairly well, but I'm going to implement some of your tips to really get it flourishing! My dream plant is a Calathea Musaica, so if I can get the Zebrina right I feel like I'll be ready for the far more rare and expensive Musaica...
The thing i always ask myself when it comes to humidity is " Do none of you get house mold ? " I have no problems getting up to 60-70% humidty in my room since i have aquariums, but in winter i get serious mold if i don't use a dehumidifier.
I *heard* ivy helps with that because it cleans spores from the air, however I have no source to back it up. But I thought it might be Wort mentioning to you so you can check it out
How have I only just found you! At last a UK plant channel. This video is SO helpful. especially as I didn't realise I have one of those 'humidifiers' for essential oils and I never thought to use it with my plants. My Calathea is doing so well despite the abuse (I repotted it the day I got it!) but I do keep her warm and moist.
This is perfect! I'm planning to move forward on my plant journey and calathea are my next target. I'm starting to do a research before I get one and this video is all timing. ♥️💚🌿
Your tips were a huge help my ctenanthes have been far to wet since I bought them. The moisture meter I bought did not say what calathe etc. Should register when it needs water. I did check them and emptied out some of the wet soil and added some dry I figured it would wick the wet away from the center but I dont think it has and I have several new leaves coming out light brown Im assuming now due to being to wet for to long. Again thank you. You probably just saved 2 plants lives.
I've got a calathea gandersii and a zebrina and the gandersii has always been very healthy even though I give it tap water, my friend recently gave me the zebrina and she's very crispy so I'm going to get a humidity sensor and use rain water and hopefully she'll get better 🌿😊
I use essential oils in my diffuser but it's semi close to my plants mainly my Maranta. (which is fairly similar to calatheas) Is it safe to use oils in a diffuser that close to my plants.
Depends on the oil! Many oils are very good for keeping pests and fungus at bay (peppermint, rosemary, lavender, cedarwood, etc) while I know bergamot combined with intense sun exposure can cause problem in both humans and plants. Just make sure to do your research and your plants will love you for it!
I literally bought 2 calatheas last week, one calathea sanderiana pinstripe and also a calathea lemon lime(because you mentioned it 🤦♀️😂) I bought a humidity checker because I was curious about the level of my home luckily it's at 50-60% at the moment. I do also have my plants on trays of pebbles with a little water and I have a good few plants close together to help with the humidity in the area. So there's a couple tips for anyone who can't afford a humidifier right now (me😂). I am in Wales in the valleys so it gets colder here than most other places so time will tell now it's getting colder.
I just watched your video on tare Calatheas and was surprised when you were disappointed by the Calathea Lutea. I live in the tropics and these are common in suburban gardens. The photo you showed did not do it justice. They have grow to about 2- 3 metres and have the most beautiful leaves of soft green on the upper side and on the lower side soft silvery tones. When they sway in the breeze among the other darker plants they are simply stunning. Their flowers are just dark brown long stems that hang dow. Hence the common name of the Havana Cigar plant. These really are beautiful caltheas. Perhaps you could source a better photo. The rest if your video was informative and enjoyable. Thank you.
I have a big humidifier and the temperature is fine. Thus my calatheas are getting brown edges :( Does the humidifier also needs to be filled with filtered water?
Calathea and other humidity-loving plants seem to do well in my damp Devon home. We struggle to get our humidity below about 65% without using a dehumidifier and it's often closer to 80%. One thing I've realised is not to buy Calathea and other similar plants from supermarkets on the odd tempting time they have them, I think the air conditioning damages them as none have them have lasted long without severe issues. They seem to be fine if they've come from garden centres.
I love terracotta pots, mainly because I'm a compulsive kill-it-with-kindness over-waterer and it gives me some level of comfort to know my pot is doing its best to save my plants from me. Looks like I'll have to be a bit more careful with my Calathea. I've got a moisture meter too, and a big bottle of distilled water, so I really have no excuse now if my Calathea dies.
Hey, Is it safe to live in/sleep in a space with 40-60% humidity. I'm looking at getting a humidifier, where I live in NZ in the bush, they are basically unheard of. Everyone here has a dehumidifer due to damp conditions causing lung issues and sickness :( I'm keen to hear Kaylee's thoughts. Love your channel and all your plants
.. I've got my very first calathea ornata a couple of months ago, not knowing what it was, but I fell in love with the little critter in the grosery store.. Back home I found it was soaking wet and I left it on my kitchen table thinking I would see tomorrow where to put it.. That night I was really worried about the dripping soaked soil, it was actually drowning.. Next morning I skipped my routine and took the little critter out of the pot dripping all over the place and gently removed the soil and cleaned the roots under lukewarm water.. It took a good wee while and patience.. I removed the dead roots and sprayed with neem oil, took a clean pot and gave it my own potting mix and waited a few days before watering.. Meanwhile I used my spray to mist it and 24 hours later it behaved like it should.. Like a Calathea prayer plant.. It has given mee 2 new leafs and has grown half size taller.. Now it sit on my grands old desk with 5 others, in the shade (I've got 3 sitting on my working place in a corner of the kitchen where its very low light) and they are all as happy as can be.. With same mist routine everyday, water when they are halfway dry fertilizer with fish emulsion and more once every 2 week.. I boil the tap water, cools it down and run it through a paper coffee filter, and it works for all my 75 plants 🤗
Thank you so much Kaylee, I really really enjoyed listening to your tips and advice on Calathea’s. I think these plants are really really stunning and beautiful too. I only have two of them so I’m learning so much about them. I’ve subscribed and given you a thumbs up too.
I purchased a Calathea last week. I’m giving it time to recover. I noticed the roots are growing out from the bottom. I’ll need to repot. Any suggestions for type of soil?
Good basic information, but I disagree with a couple of things and here is why. 1) Misting. Misting is useless for raising humidity in most instances unless one is sitting there and misting their plants constantly. I have hygrometers in every single room of my home. The humidity level rises for a maximum of 10, maybe 15 minutes (yes, I've timed it), then falls to the previous level. If one cannot afford a humidifier, or simply doesn't want to buy one, a pebble tray or grouping plants together is a much better option than misting. As plants transpire, they raise the humidity level for the entire group. 2) Although I have and use a moisture meter, they are not 100% reliable if one is using a chunky/specialized soil mix. I use a custom mix for my Calathea's and my epiphytes that contains potting soil, pumice, orchid bark, and horticultural charcoal, among other things. When my moisture meter hits those chunks of bark or charcoal, I get a false reading. Please be aware of that. I have found that a combination of the weight of the pot, my moisture meter, and, in cases of epiphyte soil, the texture of the leaves give me a much better assessment of where my plant is regarding needing to be watered. Another option would be to pot plants in a clear nursery pot, then tuck the plant into a cover pot. It is very apparent when the plant needs to be watered. 3) Placing a hygrometer near a humidifier is not going to give you an accurate assessment of the humidity levels in the rest of the room. Neither is a humidity gauge on the actual humidifier. Of course the hygrometer/humidity gauge is going to read higher when near the humidity, but that isn't going to benefit any plants farther away. The hygrometer needs to be placed some distance from the humidifier to assess how effective the humidifier actually is. I move my hygrometer around in different locations during the day to see how far the humidity is traveling, and make necessary adjustments. 4) As far as Brita type filters go, according to what I've read, they will filter out chlorine and fluoride, but they will not filter out calcium, magnesium salts, or any heavy metals from hard well water. For that, one needs a reverse osmosis system installed in their water system in their house.
Lol as someone with LOTS of planted aquariums, this is all funny. Mine is looking great, because the humidity from the aquariums, and I'm actually using an aquarium light meant to grow plants on it (it's sharing with other things). I water mine with fish tank water, which happens to have trace amounts of nutrients as well, is already warm, and already has chlorine/chloramine removed Thinking of setting up an epiphyte/ living wall above my largest tank to take advantage of that humidity, and because more plants is better.
Ordered a Calathea before along with a couple other house plants (my first time getting house plants) I've just spent another 200 pound after watching this video 🤦♂️
Can anyone advise me why i often get emerging leaves that have mushy areas ? I water with distilled water, the adult leaves are fine (no crisping) am i over watering? Could it be an airflow issue? I have ambient humidity of around 60, no spidermites, i check religiously.
We have those meters in the states, but the light meter seems to be set more for outdoor readings, I wish there was one that was calibrated for indoor light readings. Has anyone used those photometers for houseplants, I see you can get one for $20-$30 US$. Do those work? LOL, I love Kaylee talks about her boyfriend not happy about the new plant, then in the very next sentence she talks about getting soil all over the bed - gee, wonder why he would be upset? I find with Calatheas too that the variety makes all the difference, there are several that are less fussy, but also less showy. i like a lot of the Ctenanthe (Grey Star, Amigris, Setosa), many of those come from Central America, still like humidity but not to the extent that the Amazon varieties demands.
The Brita filters actually aren't good for forest plants (better than plain tap water, tho). Issue is, that they use not just filtering but also ion replacement, meaning scale etc gets replaced by another ion coming from salt which is also non-desirable for plants. This effect can be observed by looking at the conductivity of the water before and after filtering - it barely goes down. Rather get a small table osmosis system or buy filtered water in your local aquarium shop. Costs about the same as the Brita filters. If you got access to it: rainwater. Cheap and perfect. Also, I'm aware that this is an old video and she probably changed her setup already. This post is just an FYI.
I have a Calathea roseopicta (Medallion Calathea). I impulse bought her a couple of years ago because she is pet safe and very pretty. I wish I had researched her care needs beforehand as I would have given her a miss - I do my best but I cannot seem to keep her happy. She is surviving but not exactly what I'd call thriving. I made the tap water mistake when I first got her, never again, she got instant leaf-burn. I give her bottled mineral water now but may switch to distilled after watching your video. Maybe I'll invest in a small humidifier as well. How long does it need to run for?
"Recreate its forest environment" "Stick this probe in the soil" xD Sorry, I couldn't resist. This was a really good instructional video for care of a Calathea plant. However, some people still have had trouble despite creating ideal conditions for their calathea(s), and I have also seen many plants, calatheas included, do just fine in adverse conditions and tap water. This just further increases my own anecdotal evidence that plants respond to much more than just the conditions of the home. Obviously, it is better to create a good environment for your house plants, but it would seem that plants also require some form of stress in order to boost its growth potential.
I just got my first calathea today. It is in really bad shape so they gave me a distressed discount. Most of the plant is crispy so I will need to clean it up a bit. I really enjoy finding distressed plants. They usually just need a good water and most places will give you a deal.. I inspect thoroughly as to not get any plants with disease or pests. And quarantine it for a while. I am impatient when I get a new plant. I always want to repot right away but I do understand that they need to acclimate. I have a really good humidifier too! So im excited. Anyways, wish me luck!
I live in Bandung, west java, Indonesia. tropical islands, a lot of calathea and alocasia. the price around $1. Dont worry about sun, maybe in early he will burn or the end of leaf will be brown, under the sun. But the calathea, alocasia will survive and adapted. In next leaf he will strong enough to fight under the sun.
I'm over waterer too, i have to get one of those thermometer. I'm use to using terracotta pot and now I've changed to plastic pot and I'm struggling, my Anthuriums, my ficus all their root rot. Gosh! Thanks for the video.
watching after impulse buying my first Calathea yesterday lol oops
Rhiannon H hahahah same
Me too I’m in trouble
Haha same. I just bought mine today. A bit nervous now 😳
Me too! I did pretty much everything she said not to do!
Hahaha same. Mine has survived for a month now. Has grown like crazy too! 😯 my very first house plants that's not a cactus too, so I'm nervous to say the least 😂
Hi Kaylee! I came here from Jenna and Juliens vlog and subscribed right away ☺️
and now we wont be able to watch jenna and her plants :/
Found your videos recently, and I swear you are the realest plant youtube out there. Everyone presents Calathea as easy, but you show us the truth and non-expensive ways to tackle it. I love your channel!
I collect rain water for my calathea's. This is no small task in Spain. It requires real dedication but its been worth it. Turned my calatheas and my orchids around. Orchids really hated me before rain water. Im going to go order a Brita now for back up though. That is a great Idea!!
Yes!! I agree it’s a water filter is a great backup! I got lazy and started watering my calathea with straight tap water this winter and they started getting crispy edges. 😓 The thing is, the tap water was too hard for *me* to even want to drink-why would the calathea like it any better? lol went back to distilled and they’re bouncing back 🤗
I repot all my plants soon as I get them. I use clear pots on all my plants it makes watering so much easier & has made a huge difference. I also use a brita to water with a few drops of fish tank water clarifier.
A tip for you. Putting plants that like moisture and humid air in terracotta is actually a great idea just because it leeches water from the soil. Why is that then might one ask :). Well, where does it leech the water to then? Into the air of course. And the more moist loving plants you have in terracotta, the more humid your room will be. Yes, you will need to water more often, but you will have to refill your humidifier less often as it will not have to work as much.
Rare plants are fun and this is also very helpful. Maybe also vacation tips? If you don't have anyone to water your plants?
Get watering stakes to do the job while you are out - or just lazy, ha ha www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H9HZ4FB?pf_rd_r=DVH7JKJYZ2E6MHDHHXTG&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee
Simply the best care guide out of all the videos i watched
If you glaze the inside of a terra-cotta it creates a barrier so that the terra cotta doesn’t absorb moisture.
That's a good one! I should try that :) good tip! 🙂
Wow, Latrice! How do you DO that? Please? Thank you!
there's a simple trick to keeping your calatheas healthy: get a few aquariums!
they help to maintain humidity, and if you do your water changes proper, you have an ample supply of well rested, soft water, naturally enriched with nitrates and other organic nutrients.
Or if you don't like the look of aquariums a pebble tray works great for humidity
but that wont get people into fishkeeping, or fun rube goldberg solutions to simple problems, that out-complicate the initial problem by oders of magnitude. :D
Me watching this while removing my varigated calathea from it’s nursery pot : 👁👄👁
Which one do you mean? White fusion?
Honestly I never had any problems with my calathea zebrina. It used to live in my bathroom close to a window facing east. Never had to worry about humidity because I created it every time I took a shower. It lived happily and even bloomed (tiny purple blossoms). Sadly it died when I moved and handed it to a friend who somehow killed it. Still miss this lovely, easy plant.
Yes I am a Cambodia
Damn girl your makeup looks bomb af
Superb explanation as always! Love from the Philippines!
I was looking for some tips on how to look after calatheas as my new calathea rufibarba has curled up all her leaves and the base of them are not straight and stronger anymore. This is the most useful video I have found.THANK YOU!!!You have been so helpful :)
it's getting too much sunlight! move it further away from the window or sunlight
that way it will stay evenly most moisthighest self waterer that way it will stay evenly mosthighest self waterer
I was tempted to buy a Calathea a little while ago because it was so cheap but I never knew they were so temperamental. But now I just want to buy one even more. I tend to be an under waterer sometimes though...
I’d love to see a philodendron care tips just like this one. This was great! I’ve been prepping for several days now before my first calathea arrives and I actually feel pretty good!
The only calathea i've had trouble with is a zebrina, which also happens to be the only plant i've ever killed. I have about 14 other calatheas and none of them hate me like the Zebrina. I always repot my calathea after purchase though as i found they don't like the soggy mix most nurseries sell them in, which i think was the reason the zebrina died.
I have that moisture meter and I don’t think I’ve been using correctly. In fact I overwatered a fiddle even while suing this meter, and it got root rot. It didn’t make it :( So to clarify, you don’t keep the meter in the pot permanently? You check sporadically? Once a week? When exactly? How long does it take to take the moisture reading? You mentioned you don’t test just one spot in the soil, that you move the meter to test different spots, but then how do you really know the true moisture level and whether it’s time to water or not if different parts of the soil read differently?
Hello, thx for sharing, please show plant your talking about ...it makes it easier , this a tutorial , thanks so much...
It isnt a tutorial - it is general Calathea care - not specific to any 1 Calathea plant.
Thank you I went and purchase one at Lowe's
Thank u I just got mines yesterday water meter
I just got a fury Calathea. I love this little guy (although probably common), but is it true that I shouldn’t mist it ?
Thanks for the video - I loooove calatheas, they're some of my faves. I keep reading that filtered water can be bad for plants because of sodium? Do you know if this is true? I've refrained from buying a Brita filter because I don't want to run the risk, so instead I let my tap water sit out for a couple of days before using it to water. I feel like I keep hearing contradictions about filtered water.
Do I have to play rainforest sounds in the background also ? ha ha
Great tips!
i am going to get my first calathea today(peacock) and goodluck to me.😆
can you use bottled mineral water?
Or can u use boiled water? 🤔
hi kaylee! i have a question to ask if u leave in tropical country like i was do i need a humidifier?? our temperature here ranges to 73 F up to 92 F..!!THANKS.
Hey 😊 it's not temperature that's the issue it's how humid the air is. It's not related to temperature
@@KayleeEllenOfficial noted!..thanks for the info...Your great!.
I feel bad for everyone commenting how their partners get annoyed when they add new plants. I get money sometimes can be an issue but cmoooon. Every time I come home with plants my boyfriend ALWAYS goes 'oouuu aahhhh thats so neat what are you going to name it?' lol 💕 tell your partner's to lighten up! Plants are the best 💕
Gus Griswald haha my partner names my plants for me. My favorites right now are the giant golden pathos that he named Gloria and our cactus, cactus jack.
Gus Griswald you stole that comment from reddit, you fucking plant hater.
Well my boyfriend said enough is enough when dirt was found in the bed 🙈
Olivia Ekvall not in the bed😩😩😩I try to clean up before mines come friend u can’t be leaving evidence around😂😂😂
@@oliviaekvall4767 I dropped gritty mix into the back of the couch last week, knocked succulent from table.. still have a bunch clean out.. ;)
Plant pickup lines: girl, are you a calathea? 'cause you look stunning but painfully high maintenance! 😂
You can also put pots water on radiators as the water will evaporate into the air working like a (very cheap) humidifier :)
I just have a lot of plants and propagations in water in my east facing window sill above the radiator. Works the same way, some lovely humidity being radiated throughout the house plus some warmer weather but moisture loving plants are in a great place with some dim morning sun :)
Regarding the need for distilled water; I have 8 calathea now and didn't want to constantly be stocking distilled water from the store and didn't even realize a water filter would work, but I learned a trick from UA-cam comments on another video to treat a gallon of tap water with water purifier for aquariums. It's made to neutralize the minerals and whatnot in tapwater, you only need a few drops per gallon, and I got a little bottle of it for under $5 at my local pet store. Been using it for a good while and have no brown tips on any of my callies.
Thank you.
I always go back to this video whenever I get hands on a new calathea. It doesn't matter how many I already have. When I get a new one, the anxiety is high and this video makes me calm 😂
Same!
I’ve had a Calathea for two years and never knew it was temperamental. It started flowering last week. And then I read an article about how temperamental they are and now it’s looking pale... ignorance is bliss?
It always makes me sigh a bit when people describe plants as "temperamental" or "difficult to care for" because the plants have evolved to grow and reproduce all on their own (imagine that!), its simply the further you take some plants from their usually environmental conditions the harder you have to work against your house climate to make it more like the plants native climate. It seems you're very lucky! and your house simply has enough humidity and heat to comfort the calathea and you have your watering down to a T!
SAME! I usually am awful with plants, but for the most part my calathea tell me what they want and I give it to them. They're doing pretty good. My other plants are usually "quiet" then die 😅
So what you are saying is that I basically just bought the plant version of a Karen
🤣🤣
Calathea’s are also non-toxic, for all you pet owners concerned about that 😸
Mvp 🙌🏼
Even birds !!!
They’re my favorite and I’m actually not that bad with them! 🙈
Even some reptiles, like crested geckos! :)
Oh thank god 😂 my cat Satan likes to go and rub up against the leaves to torment me 😆
I put a large plate under each of my calatheas' pots with some pebbles and water, I fill it 1 to 2 cm deep, and I make sure there's aways water, I don't let it dry out. That really helps keeping the "humidity bubble" too! :)
"We don't want crispy, we want sexy" XD You're so funny. Thanks for making it a fun calathea care guide.
I keep my calathea in my bathroom, he loves the hot showers 😂
Same🤣
So glad I don't need a humidifier because I live in Costa Rica, where is 70% humid all year!
same! haha here in Curridabat is always like 99%
Here in Gambia we swing from 70-80% to 20% every six months. Such hard work for my poor plants. 😣
Me too! Humidity here ranges from 71-85%
ooooh, Why the underleaves are purple?Pleeeease, a video about that :) Excellent tips and tools!!!
Mercedes Guzmán I don’t remember where I heard it from but apparently because the calathea plants typically grow on the floors of the rainforest where there’s not much light, the purple color on bottoms of the leaves of some calatheas help capture more light to photosynthesize (rather than the light escaping and reaching through the leaf) :)
Can you please do one of these on anthuriums?! 😊
It's coming on Friday 😂😁😍
Wonderful tips! I don't have any Calathea because living in Arizona, it's so dry here. But, you've given me great info to maybe give it a try. Thank you!
Hi, Carmen! Writing from Scottsdale to tell you there is hope! :D I don't have a calathea yet, but a good humidifier has made all the difference in my jungle room 😃
BAHAHA! I haven't bought ANY plants since October. We're relocating in January so my husband told me to wait until then & I ordered 2 more plants off eBay😂😂😂 HOPEFULLY he's at work when they get here! I JUST HAD TO HAVE THEM!! 😂😂
Florence Perez I also didn‘t get any more plants since October! Because.. is it. October. I got two plants yesterday. I have 40+ plants in my bedroom in the house I share with others, because I‘m a student. someone help me haah
Thank you for pointing out about cold water shocking plants. I think I almost killed my Avocado tree because of it. 😪
My younger brother picked up a Calathea Ornata because he thought it looked cool and I had no idea they’re they require this much care! I just ordered a spray bottle, humidity meter, and water level meter off amazon to be sure i can try my hardest to keep it alive!
Im so glad im not the only one that my partner gets annoyed if i add more plants. Ive been told i have a jungle.
So, i have a calathea in a terracottapot, don't know my humidity, has quite a lot of light and she is thriving! She gives me new leaves every day. And then i have a fern, a plant every idiot can maintain and it fucking hates me. Started dying within a week.... Dead now. Buried it. Never again. Fucking fern. Love my calathea though. My favorite baby.
Hi Kaylee Ellen! This is one of the few times that I'm actually happy to NOT HAVE a plant! Lol! The beauty of calatheas is amazing & I love them; but, I haven't yet purchased one. My fear of failure & indecisiveness have obviously saved me from experiencing the dreaded "brown, crispy leaves" and disappointment that so many people have endured. Thank goodness! This video AND the one done by Tropical Plant Addict on calathea care have given me a new attitude toward those beautiful plants. I've decided to purchase the same humidifier that you own. Once my home & I are properly prepared, I'll shop for calatheas with the confidence I've lacked until now. Thank you very much for your channel AND this most valuable video! 🌾💜
And im watching this video after buying my Calathea insigns🤨🤨🤨 im scared now.. coz i spent a good amount of money for the plant & if it dies my husband will go crazy😂
I've just bought a Calathea "Network" and I love it - but I am so worried I'm going to end up with a sad crinkly mess. Hope not. I'll mist until I can save for a humidifier...
I absolutely love seeing your channel growing!!
So does anybody’s Calathea move their leaves up and down throughout the day where it sometimes show all purple the underside of the leaves?
Great video. Thanks for the info. Starting to think its the British atmosphere. You and Tropical Plant Addict (fellow Englishwoman) have the best calatheas on youtube. I have one question (two parts), how often do you run your humidifier and how long? Thanks again and keep it coming.
Thanks :) yeah it could be our atmosphere to be honest. Ah yeah I know her I watch her videos and follow her on Instagram shes great 😁 well I actually have one that I use to set the desired humidity level and my humidifier just maintains that by itself. But when I used my old humidifier I actually had it running 24 hours a day lol. Calathea like insanely high levels of humidity - even as high as 85%! So I just give them as much as I can.
@@KayleeEllenOfficial thanks for your video! I think I may take her into the shower with me on occasion as our place is too damp as it is upstairs, but downstairs is not
The spray bottle is pointless. Humidity is the moisture in the air around the plant. Once the water drops land, they are no longer in the air. A better suggestion is to put the plant in a shallow dish, on some small stones, then fill the dish with water. This keeps the plant out of the water and allows the water to be vaporised.
Thank you, this was a really helpful video! I bought a Calathea Zebrina about a month ago and it's doing fairly well, but I'm going to implement some of your tips to really get it flourishing!
My dream plant is a Calathea Musaica, so if I can get the Zebrina right I feel like I'll be ready for the far more rare and expensive Musaica...
Things to know before buying a calathea.... don't! hahahaha :)
I just bought my first plant which is a Calathea- very lovely! Thanks for these helpful tips esp the info on the probe👍🏼
How is your calethea doing?
The thing i always ask myself when it comes to humidity is " Do none of you get house mold ? "
I have no problems getting up to 60-70% humidty in my room since i have aquariums, but in winter i get serious mold if i don't use a dehumidifier.
I *heard* ivy helps with that because it cleans spores from the air, however I have no source to back it up. But I thought it might be Wort mentioning to you so you can check it out
did you ever make a video about the „purpleness“ of the calatheas?
How have I only just found you! At last a UK plant channel. This video is SO helpful. especially as I didn't realise I have one of those 'humidifiers' for essential oils and I never thought to use it with my plants. My Calathea is doing so well despite the abuse (I repotted it the day I got it!) but I do keep her warm and moist.
This is perfect! I'm planning to move forward on my plant journey and calathea are my next target. I'm starting to do a research before I get one and this video is all timing. ♥️💚🌿
Your tips were a huge help my ctenanthes have been far to wet since I bought them. The moisture meter I bought did not say what calathe etc. Should register when it needs water. I did check them and emptied out some of the wet soil and added some dry I figured it would wick the wet away from the center but I dont think it has and I have several new leaves coming out light brown Im assuming now due to being to wet for to long. Again thank you. You probably just saved 2 plants lives.
i wish i saw this video before my calathea died ;(
Can you provide any insight to the Calathea Musaica?
Yes! Mine is unhappy in the cold weather at the moment.
Worldclass in every aspect, great personality, intelligent and gorgeous. Great channel!
I've got a calathea gandersii and a zebrina and the gandersii has always been very healthy even though I give it tap water, my friend recently gave me the zebrina and she's very crispy so I'm going to get a humidity sensor and use rain water and hopefully she'll get better 🌿😊
I’ve been wanting one of those weather things for indoor outdoor so now this is my excuse to get one! I am ordering now.
I use essential oils in my diffuser but it's semi close to my plants mainly my Maranta. (which is fairly similar to calatheas) Is it safe to use oils in a diffuser that close to my plants.
Depends on the oil! Many oils are very good for keeping pests and fungus at bay (peppermint, rosemary, lavender, cedarwood, etc) while I know bergamot combined with intense sun exposure can cause problem in both humans and plants. Just make sure to do your research and your plants will love you for it!
I literally bought 2 calatheas last week, one calathea sanderiana pinstripe and also a calathea lemon lime(because you mentioned it 🤦♀️😂) I bought a humidity checker because I was curious about the level of my home luckily it's at 50-60% at the moment. I do also have my plants on trays of pebbles with a little water and I have a good few plants close together to help with the humidity in the area. So there's a couple tips for anyone who can't afford a humidifier right now (me😂). I am in Wales in the valleys so it gets colder here than most other places so time will tell now it's getting colder.
Got the soil moisture meter thanks to this video. It is a life saver, I was seriously under watering :’). I expect my plants to do much better now.
me watching this video your video after impulse buying my calathea rufibarba, peace lily, 2 areca palm and a swiss cheese. I’m depressed now
I just watched your video on tare Calatheas and was surprised when you were disappointed by the Calathea Lutea. I live in the tropics and these are common in suburban gardens. The photo you showed did not do it justice. They have grow to about 2- 3 metres and have the most beautiful leaves of soft green on the upper side and on the lower side soft silvery tones. When they sway in the breeze among the other darker plants they are simply stunning. Their flowers are just dark brown long stems that hang dow. Hence the common name of the Havana Cigar plant. These really are beautiful caltheas. Perhaps you could source a better photo. The rest if your video was informative and enjoyable. Thank you.
We don’t want crispy, we want sexy xD
I have a big humidifier and the temperature is fine. Thus my calatheas are getting brown edges :( Does the humidifier also needs to be filled with filtered water?
Calathea and other humidity-loving plants seem to do well in my damp Devon home. We struggle to get our humidity below about 65% without using a dehumidifier and it's often closer to 80%. One thing I've realised is not to buy Calathea and other similar plants from supermarkets on the odd tempting time they have them, I think the air conditioning damages them as none have them have lasted long without severe issues. They seem to be fine if they've come from garden centres.
hahah I laughed when she got soil on the bed lol thats happened to me already
“A crispy plant” 😩
great tips!
I love terracotta pots, mainly because I'm a compulsive kill-it-with-kindness over-waterer and it gives me some level of comfort to know my pot is doing its best to save my plants from me. Looks like I'll have to be a bit more careful with my Calathea.
I've got a moisture meter too, and a big bottle of distilled water, so I really have no excuse now if my Calathea dies.
Hey, Is it safe to live in/sleep in a space with 40-60% humidity. I'm looking at getting a humidifier, where I live in NZ in the bush, they are basically unheard of. Everyone here has a dehumidifer due to damp conditions causing lung issues and sickness :( I'm keen to hear Kaylee's thoughts. Love your channel and all your plants
its completely safe and will probably help if you have a dry nose or something
You got a new subscriber! I’m totally binge watching - great format and love how you share your research!
.. I've got my very first calathea ornata a couple of months ago, not knowing what it was, but I fell in love with the little critter in the grosery store.. Back home I found it was soaking wet and I left it on my kitchen table thinking I would see tomorrow where to put it.. That night I was really worried about the dripping soaked soil, it was actually drowning.. Next morning I skipped my routine and took the little critter out of the pot dripping all over the place and gently removed the soil and cleaned the roots under lukewarm water.. It took a good wee while and patience.. I removed the dead roots and sprayed with neem oil, took a clean pot and gave it my own potting mix and waited a few days before watering.. Meanwhile I used my spray to mist it and 24 hours later it behaved like it should.. Like a Calathea prayer plant.. It has given mee 2 new leafs and has grown half size taller.. Now it sit on my grands old desk with 5 others, in the shade (I've got 3 sitting on my working place in a corner of the kitchen where its very low light) and they are all as happy as can be.. With same mist routine everyday, water when they are halfway dry fertilizer with fish emulsion and more once every 2 week.. I boil the tap water, cools it down and run it through a paper coffee filter, and it works for all my 75 plants 🤗
Thank you so much Kaylee, I really really enjoyed listening to your tips and advice on Calathea’s. I think these plants are really really stunning and beautiful too. I only have two of them so I’m learning so much about them. I’ve subscribed and given you a thumbs up too.
Hey love the videos n very good information thanks so much 👍🏾😃👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙋🏾♀️ so how often should I mist it.?
I purchased a Calathea last week. I’m giving it time to recover. I noticed the roots are growing out from the bottom. I’ll need to repot. Any suggestions for type of soil?
Good basic information, but I disagree with a couple of things and here is why. 1) Misting. Misting is useless for raising humidity in most instances unless one is sitting there and misting their plants constantly. I have hygrometers in every single room of my home. The humidity level rises for a maximum of 10, maybe 15 minutes (yes, I've timed it), then falls to the previous level. If one cannot afford a humidifier, or simply doesn't want to buy one, a pebble tray or grouping plants together is a much better option than misting. As plants transpire, they raise the humidity level for the entire group. 2) Although I have and use a moisture meter, they are not 100% reliable if one is using a chunky/specialized soil mix. I use a custom mix for my Calathea's and my epiphytes that contains potting soil, pumice, orchid bark, and horticultural charcoal, among other things. When my moisture meter hits those chunks of bark or charcoal, I get a false reading. Please be aware of that. I have found that a combination of the weight of the pot, my moisture meter, and, in cases of epiphyte soil, the texture of the leaves give me a much better assessment of where my plant is regarding needing to be watered. Another option would be to pot plants in a clear nursery pot, then tuck the plant into a cover pot. It is very apparent when the plant needs to be watered. 3) Placing a hygrometer near a humidifier is not going to give you an accurate assessment of the humidity levels in the rest of the room. Neither is a humidity gauge on the actual humidifier. Of course the hygrometer/humidity gauge is going to read higher when near the humidity, but that isn't going to benefit any plants farther away. The hygrometer needs to be placed some distance from the humidifier to assess how effective the humidifier actually is. I move my hygrometer around in different locations during the day to see how far the humidity is traveling, and make necessary adjustments. 4) As far as Brita type filters go, according to what I've read, they will filter out chlorine and fluoride, but they will not filter out calcium, magnesium salts, or any heavy metals from hard well water. For that, one needs a reverse osmosis system installed in their water system in their house.
Lol as someone with LOTS of planted aquariums, this is all funny. Mine is looking great, because the humidity from the aquariums, and I'm actually using an aquarium light meant to grow plants on it (it's sharing with other things). I water mine with fish tank water, which happens to have trace amounts of nutrients as well, is already warm, and already has chlorine/chloramine removed
Thinking of setting up an epiphyte/ living wall above my largest tank to take advantage of that humidity, and because more plants is better.
Ordered a Calathea before along with a couple other house plants (my first time getting house plants) I've just spent another 200 pound after watching this video 🤦♂️
My Calathea Majestica has brown tips! Ahhh, please send help! 😭😭
Can anyone advise me why i often get emerging leaves that have mushy areas ? I water with distilled water, the adult leaves are fine (no crisping) am i over watering? Could it be an airflow issue? I have ambient humidity of around 60, no spidermites, i check religiously.
We have those meters in the states, but the light meter seems to be set more for outdoor readings, I wish there was one that was calibrated for indoor light readings. Has anyone used those photometers for houseplants, I see you can get one for $20-$30 US$. Do those work? LOL, I love Kaylee talks about her boyfriend not happy about the new plant, then in the very next sentence she talks about getting soil all over the bed - gee, wonder why he would be upset? I find with Calatheas too that the variety makes all the difference, there are several that are less fussy, but also less showy. i like a lot of the Ctenanthe (Grey Star, Amigris, Setosa), many of those come from Central America, still like humidity but not to the extent that the Amazon varieties demands.
The Brita filters actually aren't good for forest plants (better than plain tap water, tho). Issue is, that they use not just filtering but also ion replacement, meaning scale etc gets replaced by another ion coming from salt which is also non-desirable for plants. This effect can be observed by looking at the conductivity of the water before and after filtering - it barely goes down.
Rather get a small table osmosis system or buy filtered water in your local aquarium shop. Costs about the same as the Brita filters. If you got access to it: rainwater. Cheap and perfect.
Also, I'm aware that this is an old video and she probably changed her setup already. This post is just an FYI.
I have a Calathea roseopicta (Medallion Calathea). I impulse bought her a couple of years ago because she is pet safe and very pretty. I wish I had researched her care needs beforehand as I would have given her a miss - I do my best but I cannot seem to keep her happy. She is surviving but not exactly what I'd call thriving. I made the tap water mistake when I first got her, never again, she got instant leaf-burn. I give her bottled mineral water now but may switch to distilled after watching your video. Maybe I'll invest in a small humidifier as well. How long does it need to run for?
"Recreate its forest environment"
"Stick this probe in the soil"
xD
Sorry, I couldn't resist. This was a really good instructional video for care of a Calathea plant. However, some people still have had trouble despite creating ideal conditions for their calathea(s), and I have also seen many plants, calatheas included, do just fine in adverse conditions and tap water. This just further increases my own anecdotal evidence that plants respond to much more than just the conditions of the home.
Obviously, it is better to create a good environment for your house plants, but it would seem that plants also require some form of stress in order to boost its growth potential.
I just got my first calathea today. It is in really bad shape so they gave me a distressed discount. Most of the plant is crispy so I will need to clean it up a bit. I really enjoy finding distressed plants. They usually just need a good water and most places will give you a deal.. I inspect thoroughly as to not get any plants with disease or pests. And quarantine it for a while. I am impatient when I get a new plant. I always want to repot right away but I do understand that they need to acclimate. I have a really good humidifier too! So im excited.
Anyways, wish me luck!
I live in Bandung, west java, Indonesia. tropical islands, a lot of calathea and alocasia. the price around $1. Dont worry about sun, maybe in early he will burn or the end of leaf will be brown, under the sun. But the calathea, alocasia will survive and adapted. In next leaf he will strong enough to fight under the sun.
You are the most beautiful girl 😍....why don't you making videos on makeups or cosmetics
I'm over waterer too, i have to get one of those thermometer. I'm use to using terracotta pot and now I've changed to plastic pot and I'm struggling, my Anthuriums, my ficus all their root rot. Gosh! Thanks for the video.