Calathea Saffron - a perennial flowering plant. At home very capricious.
Therefore recommended for growing only professional florists.
Demands special careful leaving, excessive waterings, additional lighting, top dressings.
Plant description
Calathea Saffron grows off the coast of the Amazon. Homeland of the flower is considered to be the tropics of the United States. The plant belongs to the genus Calathea.
It is a perennial with a well-developed root system. Belongs to herbaceous plants. It has a shortened stem, from which a large rosette grows with elongated leaflets on the petioles. The diameter and height of the outlet reach one and a half meter marks.
Leaf plates are large, egg-shaped. In length can reach 25-35 see. Near the central vein strongly stretched. Because of this, a ribbed surface is created. The face of an emerald shade, purl - violet. Flowering occurs in January-March. Flowers tubular shape.
Have tips of burgundy hue. Collected in small thyroid inflorescences. Bracts hidden, orange hue. Peduncles lengthened. Grow from the center of leaf sockets. Every flower blooms more than 15 days.
A photo
You can visually familiarize yourself with Calathea Saffron in the photo below:
Home care
In the indoor environment is a naughty flower. In the summer period can feel very good. After the onset of autumn and the reduction of daylight, saffron Calathea begins act up.
When growing near the heating devices, the plant begins to depressed. The flower starts to hurt a lot and later dies. Also to achieve flowering is very difficult. In order for this representative of the flora to grow painlessly, it is necessary to follow a number of rules.
Watering
IMPORTANT! Watering in summer and spring should be excessive. Use soft water without chemical impurities. Can be used thawed or rainy. When watering with tap water, it is necessary to boil, stand or pass through the filter.
During active growth the soil should always be in a moist state. Watering in winter reduce to a minimum. It is important that at this time the ground has time to dry. Otherwise, the overmoistening of the root system and the decay of the plant will occur.
Air humidity
Humidity should always be high. Recommended limit 60-75%.
The plant negatively refers to a slight increase in moisture due to a small spraying. Therefore, it is best to place a flower in florarium.
Allowed placement in the oridarium. It is important that the chosen place is protected from the arid air of the room.
If this is not possible, then the plant container is placed on an additional pallet with moistened pebbles or forest moss.
The plant needs daily spraying with water from a sprayer. To increase and maintain humidity at night, Calathey Saffron is put on a plastic bag.
Landing
REFERENCE! The plant grows well in subacid soil. It also grows well in fortified, loose, breathable earth.
For planting, you can buy ready-made black earth for maranth subspecies or prepare the substrate yourself. For this use leaf earth, humus, peat, fine-grained sea sand.
For greater breathability, charcoal and pine bark are added to the soil. For planting it is recommended to use small wide tanks. At the bottom of the stack drainage of pebbles or pebbles. The rhizome must be covered with forest moss.
Transfer
Adult representatives of the flora transplanted once in 3-5 years. It is important that the root system completely fills the container.
Top dressing
During the growing season, this representative flora is fed every other week. To do this, use the complex purchased feeding for home flowers. Calathea does not tolerate a surplus of fertilizers. Therefore, the concentration specified in the instructions halve.
Temperature
Plant very thermophilic. Optimum temperature for growth 19-21 ° C. The interval of preferred temperatures is small. Calathea Saffron dies at temperatures below 18 ° C and above 24 ° C. The flower does not tolerate temperature fluctuations, strong gusts of wind.
Therefore, in winter, the room in which the flower is located is prohibited. In the summer, professional growers do not recommend opening the frames next to which Calathea grows.
Lighting
REFERENCE! By lighting the flower is very picky. The plant needs bright natural light. It must be protected from direct sunlight.
When growing in the shade, this representative of the flora becomes shallow, loses its decorative effect. Rosettes of leaves begin to thin. When there is an excess of light, the leaves turn brown.
You can learn more about caring for Calathea Saffron on the video below:
Breeding
Seeds
This method is actively used for the reproduction of saffron Calathea in a greenhouse or specialized nursery. It is easier to get seeds of good quality directly from the "parent" plants, rather than taking at random "the cat in the bag" from the hands of dubious breeders. However, if you are confident in the quality of purchased seeds, you can begin to multiply the plant. To do this, follow a simple algorithm:
- Step 1: Wait for spring or autumn. It is best to propagate plants during the growing season, that is, in spring or autumn;
- Step 2: Find the right ground. The soil should be slightly acidic and consist of peat, humus, sand and leafy earth in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 2;
- Step 3: Selection of seeds. There are two ways to obtain seeds: purchase ready-made in the store or get seeds from the "mother" flower. Calathean seeds are in the ground and are small balls. Before planting such seeds, they should be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate: per 100 ml of 1 gram of potassium permanganate;
Tip! So that the soil allows air to enter it, mix perlite well.
- Step 4: To plant the seeds in the substrate, pour water abundantly without depth;
- Step 5: Cover with foil or glass, put in a bright sun;
- Step 6: Periodically raise the "greenhouse" and sprinkle with water from a spray bottle to keep the ground slightly damp;
- Step 7: Periodically air sprouts;
- Step 8: After the appearance of seedlings with two true leaves, place the sprouts in partial shade, constantly spray, maintaining the temperature of 22-25 degrees;
- Step 9: The young, grown-up calatheas should be divided into separate small pots.
Cuttings
- With the help of a pruner from the mother plant it is necessary to separate the cutting 11-15 cm long, cutting off so that it remains two or three leaves. Choose a healthy process, without mechanical damage or damage caused by diseases and pests;
- Place in a small ceramic or plastic pot.your choice. The main thing is to keep the soil moist and the plant on top of it to be covered with a glass jar or plastic bag to fit the pot, respectively. So get a mini-greenhouse. If you cover with a glass jar, then once a day it is necessary to air the cutting. In a plastic bag, it is enough to make several holes for air penetration;
- The film is removed only after one new leaf appears on the plant.;
- Next for the rooted young plant need to care according to the standard scheme.
Pests
Poor care may be affected. spider mite. As a preventive measure, the flower is constantly sprayed, wiped with wet wipes and rinsed with a warm shower.
Pre-ground closed with a plastic bag. If you find a pest, you can use tinctures of nettle, garlic, dandelion, pine needles, ginger.
You can wipe the leaves of the flower with potassium permanganate, alcohol or laundry soap. If the pest has not disappeared, then apply chemical agents. Perfectly suited "Aktelik", "Fungicide", "Aktar", "Bankolom".
Diseases
All emerging diseases appear with improper care.
- If the growth of the plant slowed down significantly, the tips of the leaves began to dry and curl - humidity in the room is too low. The plant must be transferred to the florarium or provide him with a similar habitat.
- If the leaves themselves began to curl and fall abundantly, the air near the flower is too dry. Dry air has a negative effect on the flower. It is necessary to start spraying the plant and put it on a pallet with moistened forest moss.
- If the branches and leaves began to wither and rot badly - the temperatures in the room are too low. It is necessary to move the flower to a warmer and lighter room.
- If the shade of the leaves has become too pale - it fades in the sun. There was an excess of light. The flower needs to be shaded or rearranged in a darker corner of the room.
- If rotten spots appeared on the leaves, the soil became too wet. Watering should be stopped, and the plant itself should be transplanted into another container.
More nuances about how to deal with plant diseases and pests, read here.
Saffron Calathea - capricious perennial. It responds well to top dressing, additional lighting in winter, an annual transplant. It grows at a temperature of 18-24 ° C. It requires constant humidified air, everyday spraying with water from the sprayer. Propagated by seeds and root sprouts.
