Introduction
Calathea orbifoliais a tropic flora that is autochthonous to Brazil and Argentina . It is a hardy plant that can tolerate a wide range of conditions , making it a popular houseplant . Despite its popularity , this industrial plant has been around for centuries . The ancient Incas used calathea orbifolia for a variety of purpose , from spiritual ceremonial occasion to healthcare .
This flora is in the same sept as supplication plants , but is in its own genus , Calathea . While there are many types of plants out there , you ’ll get hold that the Calathea Orbifolia stand apart from other foliage in its ornate beauty and easy care requirements .
The plant is prized for its cosmetic leaf , which are dark green and heavily patterned with silver vein . They can develop up to 18 inch long and 12 in widely , throw them an ideal houseplant for those with a bit of distance . The leaves are also feathery , giving them a soft , finespun appearance . The plant is easygoing to give care for and can be keep in a range of term , make it a democratic alternative for tyro gardener .
If you ’re looking for a slap-up indoor plant that brings the tropic into your home , Calathea Orbifolia is it . This exotic - sounding leafed industrial plant makes a wonderful summation to any way of your house and has even been called one of the most gorgeous industrial plant on earth . If you want to learn more about this fantastic tropic plant life , keep reading below !
What is Calathea Orbifolia ?
Calathea orbifolia is a tropic plant life that can be found in the rainforest . It is recognize by its large , black gullible folio that are adorned with hit striped silver striation throughout every leaf . The leaves are also velvety to the cutaneous senses , tote up an extra layer of luxuriousness . Perfect for adding life to any way , Calathea Orbifolia is also an idealistic plant for the office . It ’s low care , requiring only restrained illumination and dampish soil , and is kind of a wide-eyed orbit of temperature . So if you ’re search to add some life and color to your home or office , the Calathea Orbifolia is the perfect plant for you !
How To Grow And Care For Calathea Orbifolia
If you ’re a plant fan , you ’ve likely come across a Calathea Orbifolia at one full point or another . This wonderful , tropical perennial industrial plant is know for its vivacious , showy foliage and can make a groovy addition to any home . The mintage is generally comfortable to arise , but certain factors must be have into circumstance to ensure healthy ontogenesis . For example , where should you lay your Calathea Orbifolia ? How will you be watering it ? What kind of clean vulnerability will it get ? We ’ll serve all of these question and more .
good case of soil for a Calathea Orbifolia
The stain you opt for your Calathea Orbifolia is important , as this works prefers a moist but well - drain medium . forfend using territory that is too heavy or compact , as this will prevent proper drainage and may even make your industrial plant to rot . You’ll also want to avoid using land that ’s eminent in salt or potassium , as this can be harmful to your industrial plant . A right quality potting mix specifically for houseplants should be more than enough to keep your flora sound and thriving . you could either commix your own soil or buy a pre - mixed blend from your local garden center .
Also Read : Calathea Zebrina Growing Guide
Where not to keep Calathea Orbifolia
While Calathea orbifolia is a very various plant , there are a few places where it will not boom . First and first of all , avoid direct sun . This plant does not wish too much light source and can get sunburnt quite easily . Secondly , do not target your Calathea orbifolia near any cold drafts . This industrial plant does not like the cold and can get quite unhappy if it is constantly chilly . Thirdly , ensure to keep your Calathea orbifolia by from any wet . This flora does not do well with eminent humidness and can get a lot of fungal trouble if it is perpetually besotted . Finally , do not rate your Calathea Orbifolia near any unmediated heat energy seed , such as a fireplace or warmer , as this will also damage the leaf .
How much piddle should you give your calathea orbifolia ?
There is one crucial affair to remember , though , when it comes to irrigate this industrial plant : do not over water!The calathea orbifolia prefers to dry out a little bit between lachrymation . When you do body of water , give it enough so that the grease is wet all the way down , but do n’t irrigate again until the ground is dry to the soupcon .
The effective time to irrigate your Calathea Orbifolia is early on in the cockcrow . This is because the industrial plant utilise less H2O as the daylight goes on , so you do n’t want to water it late in the twenty-four hours and have it sit in urine overnight . A good way to tell if your Calathea Orbifolia needs water is to check the stain . If it ’s juiceless an column inch below the aerofoil , it ’s time for a lacrimation .
How to severalise if your calathea plant needs more water
To determine whether or not your calathea need more water , you may perform the weight test . Pick up your industrial plant and see how ponderous it is . If it sense light , then it likely postulate more water . Another elbow room to tell is if the folio are wilting . If they are , that means your flora is hungry ! In world-wide , you want to irrigate your calathea plant generously , making certain the territory is always moist . you could do this by water it every other daytime or by using a water metre .
Ideal temperature for Calathea Orbifolia
The idealistic temperature for your Calathea Orbifolia will depend on the metre of year . During the colder months , we recommend keeping your plant between 65 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit . For the warmer month , the ideal temperature is 75 - 85 arcdegree Fahrenheit . Anything outside of this range could potentially cause some job for the works , such as slowed growth or even death . To make certain your plant is level-headed , essay to keep it in an environs where the temperature is uniform . The best way to keep caterpillar track of your plant ’s temperature is to employ a way or thermostat thermometer .
What kind of humidness is just for Calathea orbifolia ?
A mutual interrogation houseplant enthusiasts have is how to learn whether their plants want more humidness or not . For Calathea orbifolia , one room to tell is to check the underside of the leaves . If they are come out to grow browned , it think that the plant life is not getting enough humidity .
The idealistic humidity for your Calathea orbifolia will depend on your climate and the specific conditions of your home . These plants like gamey humidity , around 60 - 70 % . If the humidity in your home is downcast than that , you’re able to render some simple whoremonger to increase it . you could place your plant near a water system germ , like a bathroom or kitchen , or use a humidifier . If the humidity is too high , you could render to lower it with a dehumidifier or by impress your flora to a drier location .
Also learn : Calathea Vittata Growing Guide
How do you properly fertilise your Calathea Orbifolia ?
When it come to fertilizing your Calathea Orbifolia , you have a few different options . A oecumenical - purpose fertilizer can be used every other workweek from spring to fall . you could also use a melted provender every two calendar week during the growing season . In addition , you’re able to apply a slow - button plant food pellet every three to six months . Be sure to follow the focus on the package for right applications programme . retrieve : it ’s always respectable to err on the side of too little fertilizer rather than too much . Over - fertilizing can be harmful to your industrial plant .
Feed your Calathea Orbifolia every two to four weeks , depend on the type of plant food you ’re using . You ’ll have sex your plant is getting the right amount of food when its leaves are a undimmed dark-green coloring material and it ’s growing new leaves and halt .
Combining your Calathea Orbifolia with other plant
One great agency to dress up your Calathea Orbifolia is to combine it with other plants . Not only will this make your plant look total and more plushy , but it ’ll also give you some originative choice when it occur to styling . Try adding a improbable , spiky flora next to it to produce a visual contrast , or bunch up a few together for a lucullan , tropical flavour .
You could also mix it in with some succulents or other tropical plants . The possibility are dateless ! As long as you keep in mind the aid requisite for both plants , you’re able to have a quite a little of fun experiment with different combination .
Pests And Diseases That Can Affect Calathea Orbifolia
Pests
Petiole Borer Larvae
Petiole borers are the larvae of a minor moth . These caterpillars tunnel into the leafstalk ( the lean stem that connect the leaf steel to the branch ) of the Calathea orbifolia , feed on the industrial plant tissue paper and disrupting the period of H2O and nutrients . The telltale sign of the zodiac of a petiole borer plague is when the leaves start to turn yellow and wilt . If you suspect that you have an infestation , get rid of the affected leaves and dispose of them in the trash . you may also stress spray the leaf with an insecticide , but be certain to understand and follow the instructions cautiously .
Thrips
thripid can be a major problem for Calathea Orbifolia industrial plant . These tiny dirt ball can rapidly damage farewell and blossom , and may even make the plant to pop off . thripid are pull to the color yellow , so they may be more likely to lash out plants with yellow flowers or leaves . There are several things you’re able to do to avoid or reduce the chances of thrips affecting your plants .
First , visit your plants regularly for signs of thripid . If you detect any damage , withdraw the affected leave and flowers straightaway . you could also try out spray your plant life with a pest controller product specifically designed to kill thrips . Finally , you may keep your plants level-headed by watering them regularly and fertilizing them regularly .
Calathea Snail
One common pest that affects Calathea orbifolia is the snail . Snails can be a vast nuisance in the garden and can quickly make damage to your flora . They ’re particularly drawn to young leaves , flower and fruits . So how can you protect your plant from these slimy critter ? One way is to order a physical roadblock between the plant and the escargot , like a alloy or credit card cone . you’re able to also utilize constitutive methods , like traps or repellents .
Scale
One of the most mutual pests that move Calathea orbifolia is scale leaf . Scale is a sap - sucking dirt ball that attach itself to the stems or leaves of plants and feeds on the sap . It ’s often identify by the honeydew it excretes , which can then lead to jet mold . If you remark any musical scale on your Calathea orbifolia , take action right away ! Scrape off any seeable scale with a toothbrush or cotton swob , and then process the plant with an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil .
Also take : Calathea pin tumbler - stripe Growing Guide
Spider Mites
Spider mites are tiny arachnoid that spider flora owners are all too familiar with . These pests are barely visible to the naked eye and provender on the leaves of your plant life , sucking out the chlorophyll and juices . As a consequence , the leaf will start to yellow-bellied , dry out out and fall off . If wanderer mites are left untreated , they can promptly damage a works . The best room to deal with wanderer mites is to catch them too soon , before they have a chance to do too much legal injury . Inspect your plants regularly and appear for webbing on the leaf , which is a star sign that wanderer mites are present .
Fungal Molds
One common fungus that can bear upon Calathea orbifolia is Rhizoctonia solani . This special fungus is easy recognisable by its sinister reproductive structure , which can form on the surface of the leaves and lead in foliage blight . Pythium aphanidermatum is another fungus that can cause problems for Calathea orbifolia . This fungus is specially harmful because it can survive in H2O , making it difficult to get rid of . It can cause root hogwash , stem decomposition and leaf spot .
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are tiny , sap - sucking insects that can do quite a bit of terms to plants . They often congregate in colonies and can be difficult to get free of . mealy bug can get leaves to scandalmongering , distort , and even flow off . They also secrete a mucilaginous honeydew that can attract other blighter like bee and ants . If you think you have a mealybug problem , take legal action right away!Schedule a destitute consultation with our experts or gossip your local garden centre to get the sound advice and product for your plants .
Aphids
aphid are tiny , sap - sucking insect that can cause serious wrong to plants . They can be difficult to get disembarrass of and often return after intervention . Aphids can go away a sticky balance on leaves call honeydew , which can lead to the growth of grim mold . If you ’re seeing aphids on your Calathea Orbifolia , take activity quickly to get disembarrass of them .
Conclusion
The calathea orbifolia is a tropic flora that is favored for two reasons : its colorful parting and its easy care . This plant is aboriginal to the rainforest and can be found in the wild growing near flow and rivers . The farewell of the calathea orbifolia are brightly colored and extremely cosmetic .
