What are the cultivation methods for the Calathea orbifolia flower

The Calathea orbifolia flower refers to Calathea orbifolia, a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant of the Marantaceae family. Its leaves are round, plump and fleshy, jade-green in color, with neat stripes on the leaf surface, giving it extremely high ornamental value, and many people want to grow one. Below we introducethe cultivation methods for the Calathea orbifolia flower.

1. Soil

Calathea orbifolia can be grown in loose, fertile, well-drained, organic-rich acidic leaf mold or peat soil. It can be mixed from humus soil, compost plus one third river sand or wood shavings, with a pH value of 5.5-7.2 being suitable.

2. Temperature

Calathea orbifolia likes a warm environment, fears high temperatures, fears cold, and cannot tolerate intense heat. The suitable growth temperature is 18°C to 30°C. When the temperature exceeds 25°C in late spring and early summer, a shade frame should be set up; in winter the temperature must not be lower than 10°C. If it is lower than 5°C, the plant will suffer cold damage, so attention should be paid to keeping it warm.

3. Light

Calathea orbifolia likes a semi-shaded environment and avoids strong direct sunlight. From mid-spring to mid-autumn, a shade frame is required, and at other times it can be placed in a spot with sufficient scattered light. The light must not be too strong, to avoid scorching the leaves, but it also must not be too weak, to avoid the leaves becoming thin and dull and lusterless.

4. Watering

Calathea orbifolia likes a moist environment. During the growing season, in addition to watering once a day, it should also be misted on the leaves and surrounding environment, keeping the relative air humidity at 85% to 90% or above. In winter, watering should be strictly controlled, keeping the potting soil slightly dry, to avoid waterlogging causing root rot; when new leaves sprout, do not water too much, and gradually increase the amount of water as the new leaves increase.

5. Fertilizing

During the growing period, Calathea orbifolia can be watered with dilute organic fertilizer once a week. When the summer temperature is above 32°C, and when the temperature is below 18°C in late autumn and early winter, fertilization should be stopped, to avoid fertilizer damage.

6. Pest and disease control

Common diseases of Calathea orbifolia include leaf spot and rust, which can be sprayed with 0.5:0.5:100 Bordeaux mixture or 50% carbendazim wettable powder 800 times dilution, once every 10 days, continuously sprayed 2 to 3 times. Pests include scale insects, whiteflies, and red spider mites. Scale insects and whiteflies can be killed by spraying 25% buprofezin wettable powder 2000 times dilution when the nymphs have just hatched, and red spider mites can be killed by spraying 25% fenbutatin oxide wettable powder 2000 times dilution.