How to grow and care for Calathea Orbifolia

Calathea Orbifolia is a plant that likes high temperature and a wet semi-shade environment, is afraid of cold and avoids strong light, but its large leaves can adapt to the requirements of various occasions. So how did Calathea Orbifolia grow? What should I pay attention to when growing Calathea Orbifolia? How to grow care for Calathea Orbifolia? Please read along with me with questions!

How to grow Calathea Orbifolia 

Best growing time: Calathea Orbifolia's best growing time is in the early spring and late fall of each year.

Best growth soil: calathea orbifolia like good drainage, loose and fertile slightly acidic to acid leaf rot soil or culture soil. Potting soil should be a mixture of humus, compost and a third of river sand or sawdust, with a pH value between 5.5 and 7.2. When the pH value is above 7.5, the leaves are prone to iron deficiency and chlorosis or yellowing and scorch.

Growth humidity requirements: Calathea Orbifolia's optimal growth air relative humidity is maintained above 85 {bf} to 90 {bf}.

Optimal growth temperature: Calathea orbifolia prefers warm and peaceful environments, and does not tolerate extreme heat or high temperature, and has poor cold resistance. Its suitable growth temperature ranges from 18℃ to 30℃.

Best growing light: Calathea Orbifolia prefers half shade and avoids strong light exposure. From mid-spring to Mid-Autumn, shade requirements, too strong sunlight, easily lead to pale and dry leaves, even leaves appear with serious burns. But the light cannot be too weak again, which can bring about leaf quality to become thin and dim lacklustre. Therefore, potted plants placed in the shed in winter, we should be given supplementary light.

How to care for Calathea Orbifolia:

Apply fertilizer: Calathea Orbifolia can apply thin organic fertilizer once a week during her growing period. When potted plants are used for display at home or in public places, they can be poured or sprayed with 0.2 {bf} urea and 0.1 {bf} potassium dihydrogen phosphate mixture. When we grow and care for Calathea Orbifolia after entering the summer, when the temperature is higher than 32℃, we should stop fertilization. In late autumn and early winter, if the temperature in the shed is lower than 18℃, all forms of dressing should be stopped, otherwise it is easy to cause fertilizer damage to rotten roots.

Watering points: During the growing season, water the soil once a day to keep it moist. When winter comes, in addition to paying attention to heat preservation, and we also should strictly control watering, at this time basin soil is too wet,  easy to cause root rot, and maintain the basin soil slightly dry, even if the leaf withered phenomenon. Calathea Orbifolia will be out of new leaves in spring. When new leaves begin to germinate they also cannot overwater. We need to increase as new leaves increase, increase water amount gradually, be helpful for plant robust growth.

Main Points of pruning: When we grow and care for Calathea Orbifolia, it does not need to be pruned at ordinary times as long as there is no sign of leaf withering or yellowing. However, if there are yellow leaves, clopping is removed in time.

Basin soil change: To the old basin that uses afresh, we must soak with potassium permanganate 1000 times liquid half hour above, rinse with clear water next, air is waited for, new basin can be used directly. Generally, small pot plants are planted with a diameter of 110cm in the basin. During planting, the substrate is put on the bottom of the cup for about 3cm, and then the sieve seedlings are moved into the cup. It is advisable to plant small plants at the base of the flat plants. Fill the cup for 9 minutes, usually one pot per plant.

Propagation points: Plant division can be carried out in combination with pot changing. During plant division, it should be noted that there should be more leaves and strong roots in each section. The new plant should not be planted too deep, and all roots should be buried in the soil, otherwise the growth of new buds will be affected. New plants should control soil moisture, but they can often spray water to the leaves to increase air humidity. Don't water the new roots until they grow.

Pest control of Calathea Orbifolia

1. Diseases: The common diseases of Calathea Orbifolia include leaf spot disease and rust disease. Spraying 0.5:0.1:100 bordeaux solution or 50 {bf} carbapenem-wetware powder with 800 times liquid can be used once every 10 days and continuously for 2 to 3 times can achieve good control effect.

2. Insect pests: Under high temperature and dry conditions, a large number of yellow spots will appear on the leaves due to the damage of starbuck, which will seriously reduce its ornamental value. The wettable powder of 25 {bf} can be sprayed with 2000 times liquid. Scale infestation may also occur.