Calathea

November 18th, 2020

Hey plant friends!

Its time to talk about Calathea (ka·luh·thee·uh). Calathea belongs to the family Marantaceae. They are native to Brazil and other tropical areas. This plant is known for being a tad picky. I am here to help you change that! Calathea has so much potential to make a big statement in your home or office if you give it a little extra love. There are so many different beautiful varieties to chose from which makes it a truly diverse plant.

Calathea need a bright indirect lit space. Direct sunlight will burn and damage the leaves. I would consider them as a medium light houseplant. This plant does take up a bit of water. It does not like to dry out completely between watering. I would suggest watering it once a week. In the winter cut back on watering a bit. Water as needed. Keep the soil moist but not saturated. As always, we don’t want our plants sitting in water in their saucers. Make sure to dump that excess water out. A great trick to keeping your calathea healthy, shiny, and fierce is to mist those leaves. You can use a spray bottle or a mister to give those leaves a nice shimmer. They love humidity. The more the better. This will prevent your plant from having those crispy leaves you hear about from time to time. If you notice some brown leaves don’t be afraid to do a little pruning. Calatheas are extremely resilient. As for soil I would recommend a nice well-draining potting mix. Adding a little orchid bark/mix is also great for the plant and helps with drainage.

Calathea can be extremely rewarding once you get the hang of them. A little bit of patience and love is all they need! We carry a wide variety of Calathea here at Tonkadale in many different sizes.

Happy Planting!