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You are viewing a single post made by MySecretIslandGarden in the thread called Calatheas.. 4 problems.. could u help a newbie?.
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Jul 18, 2022 10:34 PM CST
Name: Gheri
Merritt Island Fl zone 9b (Zone 9b)
Aroids The WITWIT Badge Tropicals Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Orchids Region: Florida
Dog Lover Critters Allowed Cactus and Succulents Butterflies Birds Bee Lover
The experience I've had with my calatheas is that they can be a little temperamental. They do not appreciate being moved to a new environment. When you purchased the Crocata it was happily blooming. But then it moved far away as far as the plant is concerned. Think of it like when we move to a new place, we also need a period of readjustment. The light and water may be different than what it is used to. Personally, I would cut any dead parts off. I do this for 2 reasons.
1. It looks bad and dead and dying material leave it more prone to pests.
2. It frees up the plants energy to focus on readjusting and producing new growth because it wants to survive.
Calatheas can bounce back. I put my musaica outside for some reason and forgot about it. When I found it the leaves were all crispy. I cut all of the leaves off (I didn't cut down to the soil, just the leaves and I'm not sure if it makes a difference or not, it's just what I chose to do), repotted it, put it in bright indirect light and kept the soil moist, not wet. It took a few months, but leaves started growing again.
Your plant looks like it will be fine.
Your Calathea Dottie, not sure what is going on there. Is it possible that she is getting crowded out? I'm not sure what size pot they are in, but 4 calatheas in 1 pot seems like a lot. They need room to grow and spread their leaves.
Ok, rules to know about calatheas
They are not the easiest plants to care for. But,they can be easy once you get to know them.
They like bright indirect light, no direct sun.
They like to be moist, not wet. The soil on top should feel slightly damp. If it feels very wet, it's too much. If it feels dry, it needs some water.
The key being evenly moist.
They like a humid environment and especially like a fine mist.
They don't appreciate being moved around to new places, even a small amount of change can mean a big change in light, temperature, draftiness, etc. Things we may not really notice, but the plant will let you know when they notice.
They need a place to plant themselves and get used to their surroundings, so patience is a virtue here.
If you use tap water, put the water in a pitcher and let the water sit before using on your plant. I fill my containers at night and let them sit overnight before using. Bottled water is an option, but can get expensive.
They appreciate a well-draining soil mix, 50% potting soil, 20% charcoal, 20% orchid bark and 10% perlite. This is just an example.
Having the plant sit on a pebbled tray with water is good for humidity, as long as the pot is lifted above on pebbles not sitting in the water.
Ok, that's the best I can do for now for you. I hope it helps. Thumbs up Crossing Fingers!

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