How to Care for Calathea Orbifolia?

The appearance of Calathea Orbifolia is not beautiful, it is unique! This houseplant has a great variety and is available in different sizes and colors. Look at the leaves carefully. It is as if a professional painter had painted them with a brush. Continue reading this article in TooPlant in order to learn more about how to grow and care for Calathea Orbifolia.

Introduction of Calathea Orbifolia

Before addressing how to care for Calathea Orbifolia, please allow us to give you a brief introduction about this houseplant.

Calathea Orbifolia plants are part of the large Marantaceae family; A family consisting of tropical flowering plants (such as Africa). These plants are famous for their green, colorful and broad leaves. Having large, broad leaves optimizes them for effective placement in low light areas.

Plants that need little light to grow have large leaves that can receive as much sunlight as possible and make the most of it for their growth. In nature, similar plants are found in forests and along tree trunks.

It is interesting to know that Calathea Orbifolia indoor plant opens its leaves completely during the day to effectively absorb sunlight and re-tubes them at night!

Calathea Orbifolia is a popular plant that is often used to decorate the environment. Therefore, it is a common and widely used plant in homes and workplaces. Calathea Orbifolia is one of the plants that prefer indirect sunlight; This is what makes Calathea Orbifolia an ideal houseplant.

In general, Calathea Orbifolia plants have a large share of common plants due to their ease of maintenance, beautiful appearance and evergreen leaves. If you are looking for a beautiful, colorful and flowering plant and at the same time it has little light and in general you do not intend to bother taking care of that plant much, Calathea Orbifolia will be a good choice for you.

In this article, we want to provide you with information about how to care for Calathea Orbifolia, so stay tuned with Tooplant.

Care for Calathea Orbifolia

In this part, we will focus on the most important aspects which you need to take into consideration while treating this houseplant. The best methods of how to care for Calathea Orbifolia include as follows:

Calathea Orbifolia Light Requirements: What light is best for Calathea Orbifolia?

Light is among the first important issues to care for Calathea Orbifolia. You should know that it grows in its tropical habitat, and you should provide a similar environment for it. It needs adequate and indirect sunlight. So make sure you sufficiently provide the Calathea lighting requirements and place it in a room with enough light and relative shade.

We said that Calathea Orbifolia indoor plant needs bright but indirect sunlight to grow. This need arises from its original nature; Calathea Orbifolia houseplant grows on the surface of the forest floor, where it receives little light from the sun due to its deciduous trees. In fact, direct sunlight causes the leaves to burn or fade.

Above, we tried to discuss all the details related to the Calathea lighting requirements since it plays a significant role in order to care for Calathea Orbifolia.

Calathea Orbifolia Watering: How often should you water a Calathea Orbifolia?

In the rest, concerning the tips of caring for a Calathea Orbifolia, it is better to know that from spring to early fall, keep the soil moist. Therefore, watering is another important aspect in order to care for Calathea Orbifolia. Water it once a week during this time. If the soil is still moist after a week, you will have to wait a few days for re-watering. In winter, reduce the amount of water and water the plant every 15 days.

Always try to keep the soil moisture of this plant high. Calathea Orbifolia house plants prefers moist soil, not wet soil! So be careful when watering it, this plant does not need much water, so it must drain excess water. As a result, never overwater the Calathea Orbifolia indoor plant, as it may drown in excess water that accumulates under the pot! It is better to give purified water or rain water instead of ordinary water.

In this way, to care for Calathea Orbifolia, watering is considered to be of great significance.

Calathea Orbifolia Soil: What is the best soil for a Calathea Orbifolia?

Intending to care for Calathea Orbifolia, the other crucial matter is soil. Plant soil is one of the most important factors in maintaining Calathea Orbifolia houseplant and should always be able to maintain proper moisture. This soil should be able to pass water quickly and retain some water.

It should also have the organic nutrients the plant needs. Peat moss or coco coir can retain soil moisture while allowing the roots to breathe. But proper addition of elements that help drainage is essential. Perlite and pumice are good for drainage, but vermiculite retains more water. In general, the best soil mixture that can be introduced to keep the Calathea Orbifolia plant is a mixture of two parts peat moss or coco dessert and one part perlite or pumice. Orchid soil can also act as a natural drainage element but is not recommended.

Thus, it can be said that, soil is another basic and important issue so as to care for Calathea Orbifolia.

Calathea Orbifolia Temperature and Humidity Tolerance

Now, we come to temperature and humidity which are assumed to be principal to care for Calathea Orbifolia in addition to light, watering and soil that are mentioned above. Usually, all the problems of Calathea Orbifolia are summarized in two main factors, temperature and water.

If watering is not enough, the temperature is not right and the humidity is low, Calathea Orbifolia indoor plant will be in trouble. If you are paying attention to the correct amount of watering and the right room temperature, you should go to the humidity of the ambient air. If you follow these three factors well, you will have a beautiful, green and fresh product.

The lobby, meeting rooms and small rooms have more moisture than other parts of the building and because they usually receive indirect sunlight, they can be very good places to place this ornamental plant. Of course, greenhouses and hallways are not a bad place for Calathea Orbifolia house plant either!

Moisture is another thing which we need to inevitably pay attention to when talking about how to care for Calathea Orbifolia. So try to maintain the humidity of the air around it. The optimum humidity of this plant is between 70 to 80% and it grows well at a temperature of 18 to 25 degrees. Its leaves may absorb dust, in which case you can gently clean them with a damp cloth.

Therefore, please do not forget to take humidity into consideration in order to care for Calathea Orbifolia in the best way.

Calathea Orbifolia houseplant is not very fond of cold weather. Of course, this is not unexpected, because it belongs to the tropical regions of the world, where the temperature always varies between 18 and 28 degrees Celsius. Temperatures outside this range may damage the plant. Usually the first sign of thermal damage to the Calathea Orbifolia house plant is tubular and leaf shrinkage.

Calathea Orbifolia Fertilizer: What is the best fertilizer for a Calathea Orbifolia?

When you want to care for Calathea Orbifolia, one of the important questions that may come to your mind is “what is the best fertilizer?” In what follows, we will address how to fertilize this plant:

Calathea Orbifolia does not need much fertilizer or booster. But if it receives the fertilizer for houseplants during spring, summer and autumn, it will definitely grow better and flower more. The main need of this plant for fertilizer is during the growing seasons.

As a result, we could say that fertilizer is regarded as one of the fundamental issues when someone wants to care for Calathea Orbifolia.

Calathea Orbifolia Toxicity: Is Calathea Orbifolia poisonous to humans and pets?

In order to care for Calathea Orbifolia, toxicity is considered to be a major issue because it directly relates to your health, especially for children. To find answer to the question “is Calathea Orbifolia toxic to pets and humans?” we must say that Calathea is safe for cats, dogs and humans and is not toxic. So, you can safely keep this plant at home because no danger threatens you and your pets.

Calathea Orbifolia Pruning: How to prune Calathea Orbifolia?

Another thing to keep in mind when caring for a Calathea Orbifolia is pruning it. Calathea Orbifolia indoor plant does not need pruning! Just like other plants, just remove the yellow and brown leaves from the plant if necessary.

Calathea Orbifolia Propagating: How to propagate Calathea Orbifolia?

When you want to care for Calathea Orbifolia, another important question that may come to your mind is “how to propagate it.” Propagation of this plant by seeds and cuttings is not always successful, but propagation by division of rhizomes is suggested and acceptable.

It is important that your plant does not become interested in growth disorders and is a little sensitive in this regard. So you have to do it very carefully. The best time to propagate Calathea Orbifolia indoor plant is early in the growing season.

To do this, carefully remove the plant from the pot and carefully separate the soil from the rhizome of the plant. Using a sharp, disinfected razor, separate the part of the rhizome that has roots and at least one stem and plant it in a suitable soil mixture.

Place the pot in a warm, moist place so that it can recover. And cover the pot of the new plant with clear plastic to maintain the required moisture. When you see signs of new growth in your plant, you can remove the plastic from the pot.

Calathea Orbifolia Repotting: How to repot Calathea Orbifolia?

Repotting can stress our plant and you should only do this if necessary. It is usually necessary to repot the Calathea Orbifolia every two years. If you notice that your plant is slowing down, it may be time to repotting.

Pots with a diameter of 20 to 30 cm are usually suitable for keeping the plant Calathea Orbifolia at home. When changing the pot, be careful with the roots and do it slowly. Do not apply too much soil when planting in a new pot.

Caring for Calathea Orbifolia: Common Problems With Calathea Orbifolia

After a description of taking care of a Calathea Orbifolia, we will explain the problems and their solutions:

Overwetting or dampness of the leaves when spraying can lead to fungal diseases, powdery mildew and other pests. As mentioned, let the soil surface dry, especially around the stem of your plant, and then water.

Make sure of the quality of the soil used by the plant and the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, and check your plant from time to time to ensure its health. Large leaves are usually attractive to insects such as aphids, mealybugs and thrips. Check them regularly and deal with them at the first sight using special pests.

Why Are Calathea Orbifolia Leaves Turning Yellow?

One of the most important problems you may face in caring for Calathea Orbifolia is the yellowing of the leaves of this houseplant. Yellowing of the leaves of Calathea Orbifolia is usually due to watering problems. Overwatering or underwatering can cause the leaves to turn yellow.

Other causes of this problem include stress on the plant and sudden changes in temperature and movement and dryness of the air. Sometimes after buying and moving the plant home, the problem may arise for Calathea Orbifolia house plants, which should be found at the ideal point for the plant in the house and avoid frequent relocation of the plant.

Why Are Calathea Orbifolia Leaves Curling?

One of the main reasons for the lack of moisture in the maintained environment of your Calathea Orbifolia house plant. Therefore, check the soil moisture and the maintained location of your plant. Calathea Orbifolia usually reacts to cold weather and the leaves will become tubular.

Why Are Calathea Orbifolia Leaves Turning Brown?

Underwatering and low moisture content of the plant are important factors in browning of leaves.

Underwatering and low moisture content of the plant are important factors in browning of leaves. Sometimes an underwatering can cause fatal damage to your plant. Peat moss is a common soil element in Calathea Orbifolia indoor plant, but if it dries, it can repel soil and cause the leaves to dry out.

One way to check soil dryness is to use a piece of wood that you can measure the moisture level of your plant soil. Low humidity will also cause the leaves to turn brown. Watering or spraying with non-filtered water and municipal water and excessive fertilization are other causes of browning of leaf edges.

Since “leaves turning brown” is another common problem that you may face when you want to care for Calathea Orbifolia, we tried to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in detail.

Infographic Of How To Care For Calathea Orbifolia

In this article, we tried to explain to you in an infographic the essential tips in the care of Calathea Orbifolia, so that you can briefly and usefully learn the methods of caring for this plant.

In The End

In this article, we tried to provide you with the necessary information about the methods of caring for a Calathea Orbifolia.

However, if you have any questions regarding this indoor plant or you need to get advice from our houseplant experts, please share your questions with us through the comments section below.