Can Calathea roseopicta be grown hydroponically? Here's how to do it correctly

Calathea roseopicta is a classic indoor foliage plant. Grown as a potted plant, it has an elegant form and unique charm, and it is highly sought after by plant enthusiasts. In the articles I previously shared, Calathea roseopicta was mostly presented as a soil-grown plant. So, can Calathea roseopicta be grown hydroponically?

In fact, besides soil culture, Calathea roseopicta can also be grown hydroponically, though the process cannot do without a medium entirely. Below, I will introduce the hydroponic method for Calathea roseopicta.

1. Substrate selection

As I just mentioned, hydroponic growing of Calathea roseopicta cannot do without a medium entirely. The medium here does not refer to water, but to the growing substrate. It is recommended to use a mix of perlite + vermiculite, or a mix of peat + cinder + perlite.

2. Plant selection

Calathea roseopicta plants used for hydroponic growing can be obtained from soil-grown plants. You need to choose small, robustly growing plants, because if the plant is too large, since Calathea roseopicta has large leaves and stems, it will be top-heavy in hydroponic growing, easily causing the container to tip over, and it will also be inconvenient to care for and manage.

3. Container selection

Even if we choose a short, compact plant, the hydroponic container we select should still be large enough. This is because the plant will keep growing larger, so besides choosing a heavy container, other techniques will also be needed later to control the plant's size.

4. Hydroponic method

Take the plant out of its soil pot, rinse the soil off the roots with clean water, then place a layer of clay pebbles at the bottom of the hydroponic container to help with drainage, put in the plant with cleaned roots, then add the growing substrate and press it firm, and finally spread a layer of clay pebbles on top of the substrate.

6. Care and management

After planting Calathea roseopicta in the hydroponic container, the next thing to do is how to care for and manage it.

1) Mist promptly

After planting Calathea roseopicta, besides adding an appropriate amount of clean water to the container, we also need to promptly mist the leaves to keep them moist. After about 1-2 days, change the water once, and the leaves will gradually return to normal growth. After about a week, the plant will sprout new roots.

2) Add nutrient solution

Once the plant has returned to normal growth and sprouted new roots, to promote healthy growth, we can drip a few drops of nutrient solution into the container and change the nutrient solution every 3-4 weeks. However, as long as the water quality in the container does not change, there is no need to change the water frequently; just top up the water promptly.