Calathea striped (zebrina): description and cultivation of a plant

Some houseplants surprise and delight in their appearance. One of these is the striped calathea, or zebrin. Its cultivation is akin to art, so we suggest that you familiarize yourself with its subtleties and features.

Description of the plant calathea striped

Perennial from the family Moraine. Homeland - tropical forests of South and Central America, where there are about 120 species of calathea.

The height of the home bush is up to 60 cm; leaves are velvety, oval, fleshy, strong, large (30–45 cm). The species was bred for cultivation on the windowsill and is characterized by increased whimsicality to the conditions of detention and care.

Did you know? The name of the flower comes from the Greek word kalathos - " basket " . In nature, some varieties reach huge sizes, and local residents use their leaves to equip the roofs of auxiliary buildings, and sometimes even housing.

Growing conditions

Calathea, being a tropical resident, is demanding on the humidity of the surrounding air and needs high-quality watering. When maintaining such a plant, you need to arrange the right conditions for comfort.

Location

In the wild, calathea grows under the canopy of the rainforest, where it is light enough, but the rays of the sun break through with difficulty. In this regard, at home, the pot with the plant must be placed where it is light, but the lighting is not bright - like many indoor flowers, the zebrin does not tolerate direct sunlight. The best place is the eastern or western window sills, - with sufficient general illumination, the sun will shine either early in the morning or late in the evening.

Temperature and lighting

Lighting must be adjusted according to the season and growth conditions. Sometimes the bush is grown as an outdoor plant in the back of the room. In this case, the natural light is increased using artificial, - fluorescent lamps or LED lamps should work at least 12 hours a day.

Calathea striped loves warmth and comfort, therefore it is necessary to maintain a temperature of +21 ... + 24 ° С in summer and +16 ... + 20 ° С in winter around the clock. At the same time, eliminate drafts.

Air humidity

Humidity is regulated using water tanks located near the pot. The plant is responsive to spraying and rinsing leaves with warm clean water (boiled water is suitable). Air with a humidity of about 90% is perfect for the aboveground part of the plant, and the underground can be moistened through a stand and expanded clay bedding at the bottom of the pot.

Important! Calathea can be put in the bathroom, where she likes the humidity. However, one must not forget about lighting and not get carried away with household chemicals near the plant.

Calathea Striped Plant Care at Home

The care of zebrina is classic: it needs to be watered, fertilized and loosened in time in a flowerpot.

Watering rates

Watering the bush must be defended, purified or boiled water slightly above room temperature. A little warm water is supplied through a watering can to the basal area. At the same time, try not to splatter the outlet and leaves.

Winter watering is minimized and produced only when the topsoil dries by 2-3 cm. Usually this is done once a week. In the summer, watering should be frequent and plentiful, but without excesses, so that the roots are not constantly in the damp ground and rot.

Video: Zebrin Calathea Home Care

Top dressing

During the growing season, calatea must be fed. They do this using complex fertilizers for ornamental deciduous plants. Fertilizer frequency - once every 14 days. During this period, the bush manages to process the previous batch of fertilizers and rest after them.

The dosage for such a tender plant should be halved, and the separate use of nitrogen or calcium fertilizers should be excluded.

We advise you to read about such varieties of calatheas as Varshevich, Lansifoliya, a medallion and a croquet.

Pruning

The plant should not be specially cut. It is necessary to periodically inspect the bush, remove the yellowed leaves and rinse these places with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Sometimes old stems are cut almost off the ground and grow new ones.

Transfer

The transplant is performed as the flower grows, but not during winter dormancy. The bush you just bought needs to be transplanted into its first pot, since the land in which it was sold is not suitable for long-term cultivation. If the purchase is made in the winter, you need to wait with the procedure until the beginning of spring.

Video: Zebrin Calathea Transplant

The substrate for transplantation is purchased at a flower shop or prepared independently.

In the second case, the composition of the soil is as follows:

• peat;
• sheet earth;
• humus.

All ingredients in equal proportions are thoroughly mixed, moistened and laid in a pot. Before planting the bush make complex fertilizers for home flowers. Subsequently, they are transplanted as calathea grows - after 1-2 years with an increase in the volume of the pot.

Important! Half of the sand can be added to the soil, this will help retain moisture in the substrate.

How to propagate a plant?

Kalatea is propagated in different ways, more often:

• cuttings;
• planting seeds;
• dividing the bush.

Cuttings

Cuttings are made with stem sprouts about 15 cm long. The sprout is immediately planted in prepared soft and light soil or pre-germinated in containers with water. In the second case, when several normal roots appear, the stem can be planted in the ground.

Seeds

The seed method is the most time-consuming, but in this case, new plants are bred, and not divided by adults. Did you know? Some plants of the Maranta family, including calathea, under unfavorable conditions raise the leaf plates vertically and fold them, which is why they got the popular name “prayer herbs”. Small calatheas are grown from seeds in the following sequence:

1. Rinse the planting material in a solution of potassium permanganate.
2. Put on moist soil, gauze or a napkin.
3. Cover with glass or transparent film.
4. Hatching seeds are placed in the soil to a depth of 1 cm and again covered with glass or film.
5. Every day, remove the shelter and air the seedlings for several minutes.
6. When the sprouts reach a length of 3 cm, transplant them into the first pot.

Dividing the bush

The easiest way to propagate a flower is to divide the bush during transplantation. A significant part of the stems and roots is selected, which are separated from the mother bush and planted in a prepared pot.

With this method of propagation, the new plant quickly takes root and begins to actively grow. All manipulations are performed during the activity of the flower, and not during the dormant period.

Possible growing difficulties

When growing calathea, foliage problems can occur that require immediate intervention:

1. Drying - it is necessary to regulate watering and spraying, as well as to eliminate drafts.
2. Twisting - you need to take care of the absence of drafts and dim the lighting.
3. Yellowing - it may have been irrigated with cold water or there was an excess of fertilizing.
4. The appearance of brown spots is a sunburn or excessive watering.

In addition to improper care, pests can also cause plants to feel unwell. Thrips, scale insects , and spider mites attack zebrin. The bush must be regularly inspected carefully and, if pests are found, wash the bottom of the leaves with a soapy solution. If there are a lot of pests, and they cause significant damage, the bush is treated with an insecticide.

With quality care, the striped kaleatea is actively growing and pleasing with a healthy appearance. For beginners in indoor plant growing it will be difficult at first to deal with this capricious resident of the windowsill. But the plant is worth it to develop the skills of caring for it.