How to Care for a Calathea Medallion

Calatheas, also called zebra plants, are tropical plants that consist of about 300 different species. Grown as houseplants in most regions, calathea plants are prized for their variegated, colorful foliage and reach a height of 6 to 36 inches at most. The calathea medallion variety has dark-purple foliage with a prominent silver-colored midrib, or central leaf vein, on the round to oblong leaves. Calathea medallion plants enjoy lower light levels, high humidity and moderate soil moisture.

Position the calathea medallion plant in indirect sunlight. Keep the plant away from direct sunlight because this will scorch the leaves.

Maintain air temperatures around your calathea medallion of 60 to 70 degrees. Place the plant beside a humidifier, or set the pot on top of a drainage dish filled with water and gravel, to keep the air around the plant humid.

Water your calathea medallion plant once each week or when the top 2 inches of soil begin to dry out. Water the plant using room-temperature, fluoride-free water, applying water to the soil until it begins to drain from the bottom of the pot.

Re-pot your calathea medallion in the spring when its roots become crowded in the pot, usually once each year or every two years. Transfer the calathea plant into a pot that is no more than 1 1/2 times wider and deeper than the current pot, filled with an all-purpose potting soil.

Feed your calathea medallion plant once each year in the spring with a slow-release 12-4-8 NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilizer, or a similar fertilizer with a 3-1-2 NPK ratio. Follow the dosage instructions on the label for houseplants.

Repotting Calatheas

Use a glazed ceramic or plastic pot with at least two drainage holes at the base. Choose one that measures 1 to 2 inches larger than the original pot. Avoid using a catch-pot since they lack adequate drainage and will cause the soil to stagnate.

Mix two parts peat moss or milled coir, two parts perlite and one part potting soil in a bucket. Drizzle water onto the components while mixing them together. Keep adding water and stirring until the mixture is evenly moist and has a uniform appearance.

Place a coffee filter or paper towel over the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot to keep the soil from washing away. Fill the bottom one-third of the pot with the soil mixture and firm it well with your fingertips.

Remove the zebra plant from its original pot. Place your hand over the opening with the stems between your fingers. Carefully flip the pot upside-down and jiggle it to loosen the rootball. Guide the plant from the pot without tugging on the stems or leaves.

Crumble away one-third of the soil from around the roots. Gently tease apart the roots with your fingertips so they hang freely. Inspect the rootball and use small scissors to snip off any black or damage roots.

Hold the zebra plant in the pot so its roots touch the surface of the soil and the base of the stems rest just below the top edge of the pot. Add small amounts of soil around the roots until they are covered. Mist the soil occasionally to settle it.

Add soil until the zebra plant's entire rootball is buried. Firm the soil gently with your fingertips to anchor the plant. Water it to a depth of 2 inches and position it in the same spot where it originally grew.

----------

LIGHT
A Calathea Plant likes bright indirect light; so placing it in front of an east, west, or north window is ideal. Too much direct sun burns the leaves of a Calathea Plant and causes the beautiful leaf colors to fade.

WATER
Calathea Plants are very sensitive to the water you use. Hard water, soft water, fluoridated water, or water of poor quality causes the leaves of a Calathea Plant to turn brown from leaf burn. The best way to water a Calathea Plant is to use distilled water, rain water, or allow your tap water to sit out over night before using it. Keep the soil of a Calathea Plant moist but never soggy. Allow the top 2-3” to dry out before watering. Never let a Calathea Plant sit in water.

FERTILIZER
Feed a Calathea Plant monthly in the spring, summer, and fall with a basic houseplant food at ½ the recommended strength. Don't fertilize a Calathea Plant if it is not growing.

TEMPERATURE
Calathea Plants like temperatures between 65-80 degrees, and do not like cold drafts or temperatures below 55-60 degrees. Hot temperatures cause the leaves of a Calathea Plant to curl.

HUMIDITY
High humidity is a must for a Calathea Plant. A Calathea Plant gets brown leaf edges when the air is too dry. Humidity can be increased by placing your Calathea Plant on a tray of wet pebbles (be sure the pot is on the pebbles and not in the water), setting a humidifier close by, or by grouping plants together to create a greenhouse effect.

FLOWERING
The leaves of a Calathea Plant are more beautiful than many of the flowers on other indoor plants. With over 300 types of Calathea Plants, some varieties, such as Calathea Crocata, White Ice, and Brazilian have lovely flowers as well as spectacular leaves.

PESTS
Spider mites, scale, Mealy Bugs and Aphids are houseplant pests that can be a problem for Calathea Plants.

DISEASES
The high humidity that a Calathea Plant needs, encourages bacterial and fungal diseases which usually manifest themselves as leaf lesions.

SOIL
Use a good light porous indoor potting soil that retains water but still drains quickly for Calathea Plants. African Violet soil works well for Calatheas.

POT SIZE
A Calathea Plant rarely need repotting.

PRUNING
Cut off brown or crispy Calathea leaves as soon as they appear.

PROPAGATION
Calatheas Plants are propagated by plant division but it is a little difficult.

POISONOUS PLANT INFO
Calatheas are non- Poisonous Houseplants.