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Calathea enjoy moist soil—but not wet soil. Try a mix of 50 percent potting soil, 20 percent orchid bark, 20 percent charcoal, and 10 percent perlite. They also dislike being dried out. Every few days, stick a finger in the soil to see if the medium feels dry.Jun 7, 2021

Use Espoma's organic potting soil when it's time to repot your calathea. In the event your calathea is not looking so hot, cut the leaves off to the bottom of the stem to encourage new growth. These plants are good at making a comeback and grow quickly. Feed plants regularly with Espoma's liquid Indoor!Aug 14, 2019

Most begonias grow best in part shade (4 to 6 hours of direct morning sun a day), or filtered sun (as through trees). Most will tolerate full shade (no direct or filtered sun), but won't be as dense and usually have fewer flowers. A few grow in full sun. They prefer moist, but not soggy, soils.

To sum up, bright, indirect light is bright enough to cast a shadow—though not a dark, clearly defined one—and to read by. It can be found near north- and east-facing windows or shaded south- and west-facing ones, as well as a few feet back from unshaded south- or west-facing windows.Oct 22, 2021

Sunlight is the perfect balance of wavelengths necessary for plant growth and blooming, but you can also use artificial light to help your plants along. In fact, low-light foliage plants (such as pothos and peace lily) can grow quite nicely in windowless offices with enough artificial light.

• However, when using artificial light to grow a Calathea plant, be careful not to provide it with more than 16 hours of light. After all, Calathea plants need darkness to increase their respiration rate, which is how they distribute the energy produced during photosynthesis for growth.

• The genus calathea includes some of the most beautiful tropical plants in the world, characterized by boldly marked, oblong leaves in a dazzling array of colors. Due to the plant's eye-catching stripes and veining, they're often known by nicknames such as the zebra plant, peacock plant, or rattlesnake plant .

• They're used to growing beneath a canopy of trees on the jungle floor and are therefore adapted to brief dapples of sunlight instead of constant harsh rays. In fact, it's best to keep your calathea plants out of direct sunlight, as too much light can burn the leaves and cause their vibrant patterns to fade.

• You may notice your calathea moving its leaves throughout the day as it orientates itself towards the light – something it has evolved to do in its native environment. Calatheas need specific care in order to thrive.

Some of the key requirements for most species of Calathea plants include: Indirect light – Calathea plants need bright, but not direct, sunlight to grow. This is because they grow on the floor of jungles and forests where they get limited light through the tops of the trees.

Light When it comes to proper lighting, Calathea plants can easily grow in medium to low light, although the best choice is an environment rich in filtered light (near the light source but protected by a thicker curtain for example) or partial shade.

This is because Calatheas are bushy plants growing not taller than 2feet, and are, in their natural environment always protected by the taller plants and trees of the tropical rainforests. When you think of that, it is quite logical that bright, direct sunlight will not be good for your plant.

Jon began collecting plants over 10 years ago and he maintains a growing collection of rare and tropical plants. The genus calathea includes some of the most beautiful tropical plants in the world, characterized by boldly marked, oblong leaves in a dazzling array of colors.