How to care for your calathea
Long known as the divas of the plant world, calathea can take a bit of patience to care for! But with these easy instructions, you're sure to have a happy plant...
Watering Your Calathea
Calathea are touchy when it comes to water, we're not going to lie. Between the leaves turning yellow or drying up and turning brown, it can be tough to figure out.
Calathea have roots and tubers, which helps them retain moisture. They definitely don't like to be overwatered. Let your calathea dry out almost completely before re-watering your plant (a moisture metre can help you decide when it is the right time).
When you water your calathea, stop when the water starts to drain out the bottom of the pot. (ALWAYS give you calathea a pot with drainage holes.)
Another great way to water your calathea is to fill the saucer with water and allow the soil to pull up the moisture into the roots.
Misting Your Calathea
A key component to keeping these plants happy is humidity! They are used to high humidity in greenhouses and their leaves will dry out and look unhappy if they are in a dry environment. Mist them daily and make sure to get the leaves hiding inside the bushy plants too.
Light for Your Calathea
Bright, indirect light is perfect for these tropical plants. Calathea leaves will burn if they are in direct sunlight, leaving unsightly scorch marks.
Other Care for Your Calathea
Clip off brown or yellow leaves in order to make room for new growth. Check your plant for mites and other pests, which can be washed off if they are spotted early, or cared for with pest control products. Shine up those leaves with neem oil, or just rinse them off, to give the plant the best chance of absorbing lots of light!
We hope you enjoy your calathea plants—please drop by with any questions.
