Calathea Orbifolia Care

CONTAINER SIZE
Calathea Orbifolia grow very well in patio and indoor containers. Allow enough room for growth generally a 8″ to a 10″ diameter, 10″ deep container will suffice to get started. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your plant will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow. At that point it is time for a larger pot.

SOIL
Orbifolia Calatheas enjoy well drained but moist, rich organic mix. Remember try to stay away from wet, mucky or dry, sandy soils.To help establish your new Orbifolia Calathea, fertilize sparingly a few inches away from the base, tri-annually with a slow time release 15-5-10. Unfertilized they will tend to grow very slowly. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the plant.

WATER
Good drainage and regular water will help keep your Calathea Orbifolia looking good. Never allow the soil to dry out completely, especially during the growing season. Like most plants, water more regularly in Spring and Summer and less in Winter. Just keep an eye on the soil, if it feels dry past the first inch then give it a drink. Since they prefer humid conditions, they may suffer from leaf curl if humidity levels become too low. To remedy this, you can place the plant and pot on a tray of pebbles with water to increase the ambient humidity around the plant.

GROW ZONE & LIGHT
Best outdoors if grown in zone 10-11. Calathea thrives best without direct sunlight, so it will happiest in a bright spot with indirect sunlight. Depending on your location filtered sun is best. In the northern end of their grow zone Orbifolia plants should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. The patio zone is 7-11 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before temperatures drop below 38 degrees f and avoid frost.