Calathea Plant Care Guide

Knowing how to care for calathea plants is a vital part of helping your calathea houseplant to thrive. Here are our top tips and pointers to help you avoid any problems with your calathea plants.

Calathea Light Requirements

Calathea lighting requirements are relatively easy to accomodate and get right. Most varieties of Calathea prefer a location with indirect light, where they can receive filtered sunlight throughout the day.

Calathea Watering

Calathea water requirements can be tricky to meet. Calathea plants like their soil to be constantly moist but not soggy, a fine balance that can take some time to get right.

How Often to Water Calathea Plants?

When the top inch of the soil feels dry, it is time to rewater. If you are unsure, then a watering indicator Watering Indicator is a handy product to help you make the decision.

How to Water Calathea Plants?

You should water this plant from the top and allow any surplus water to drain away to prevent the soil becoming soggy which could lead to root rot.

Calathea Humidity Requirements

Ideal Calathea Humidity Level?

Calathea indoor plants thrive in a high humidity environment. However, we understand that it may not always be possible to create these conditions in some indoor spaces.

A easy and quick way to increase humidity around your calathea plants is by regularly using Houseplant myst spray. A simple way to assess the humidity levels around your calathea plants, is to look at the leaves. Calathea brown leaves and calathea brown tips both suggest that the humidity is too low.

Aside from using a houseplant myst spray, you could also increase the humidity levels by using a tray filled with water and clay pebbles.

Calathea Temperature Range

The ideal calathea temperature tolerance is between 65°F and 85°F (18°C - 29°C).

Calathea - Minimum Temperature?

You should avoid exposing these plants to less than 60°F (15°C). If the temperature is not high enough for these plants, you may start to see the leaves drooping. If you see this happening, move your plant to a warmer spot and monitor the health of the leaves.

Calathea Fertilizer

Best Fertilizer for Calathea Plants?

We recommend using a balanced fertilizer once a month throughout the Spring and Summer months to help your calathea plants to thrive.

Houseplant focus fertiliser is easy to use and contains a range of essential nutrients.

Calathea Soil

Best Soil for Calathea Plants?

Calathea house plants will be happiest in a well-draining soil that also retains moisture.

A peat-free houseplant soil such as Houseplant focus repotting mix is a great choice for these plants.

As calathea plants can be prone to root rot but like their soil to be moist, a combination of perlite and vermiculite to help improve drainage and aid moisture retention is a good choice.

Both of these products can be easily added to your calathea plant soil and should complement your soil quality.

Calathea Pruning

How to Prune a Calathea Plant?

Pruning any yellow or brown leaves from your calathea plants helps with the overall appearance of the plant but will help to promote further growth.

When pruning, it is best to use clean and sharp pruning shears to ensure a clean cut and to avoid the spread of any diseases or pests.

Calathea Pests

Calathea plants are on the whole not affected by diseases or pests. Although it is not uncommon to occasionally see aphids, mealybugs, and scale bugs, calathea diseases are very uncommon.

Some pests can be quite tricky to spot, and you may not notice them with a quick glance at your plants.

A simple way to look for any pests is to frequently inspect the leaves. Wiping down the leaves with a wet cloth, is a simple, yet effective way to look for any pests.

If you do notice any pests, then a SB plant invigorator and bug killer is an easy to use product that can be used through the year.