Calathea zebra checks all the boxes regarding what a houseplant should be like, how information technology behaves, and how much care it needs. For a tropical plant, this calathea is easy to manage. And it looks dashing with its striped thick leaves and compact leaf equally well.

Calathea zebra care

If you have feel with calatheas in detail and tropical houseplants in general, then you won't have much problem with this zebra. Admittedly, information technology can be a little choosy and enervating when information technology comes to soil and light conditions. But overall, it's a lot easier to grow than many houseplants of its caliber.

If this is your outset run across with whatsoever of the calathea family, this article will help you lot get acquainted with the zebra variety. We focus on planting, growing, and caring for this tropical plant and how to avoid common issues including pests and diseases that afflict it.

All Most Calathea Zebra

A native of Brazil, calathea zebra needs growing weather condition that are shut to its original habitat in the Amazon Rainforest. That means it needs a warm temperature, high humidity, and moist soil. It'southward ordinarily suitable for zones 11 and 12 where y'all can abound it as a garden plant.

As a herbaceous perennial, the zebra has green foliage that doesn't change color all yr round. And these are not merely any regular dark greenish leaves that the Amazon Rainforest churns out regularly. The leaves of the zebra are fleshy and green with whitish stripes. The stripes give information technology the common name, the Zebra plant.

Calathea zebra care all about the plant

The mature plant varies in size depending on the variety you lot abound. Merely on average it could grow anything between 6 inches to three feet tall. As for its spread, the small varieties will have the aforementioned width as their peak. The tall plants would have about 2 feet in width.

The leaves tin can grow to nearly 12 inches solitary. But if you accept intendance of the plant and proceed information technology healthy, it might surprise you with pocket-size flowers that bloom in either white, purple, or yellow. Although the flowers are pretty in their ain correct, it's the leaves that are there for the long haul. You tin can also tell if the plant is healthy or non by examining the leaves since they reflect any stress the zebra plant is going through.

Calathea Zebra Varieties

Calathea zebra care calathea varieties

The calathea is a large family with many varieties, i of those is the calathea zebra constitute. Only when you determine to purchase a zebra plant, yous're faced with the many options and varieties that this plant comes in. Fifty-fifty though all the varieties have striped leaves, they vary in the size of the plant, the length and breadth of the leaves, and the colors these leaves have. The post-obit zebra institute varieties are all skilful candidates for your household or fifty-fifty your garden if you lot have the right microclimate.

  • Calathea Orbifolia: The leaves of this evergreen variety can abound up to 12 inches long and about one-half of that in width. The mature plant would hands top 2.5 anxiety tall and about two feet in bore. It requires space and bright calorie-free to grow and thrive. The leaves are light green with silver stripes and they shimmer in the light. Constant high humidity is a must to avert the leaves crimper under.
  • Calathea Warscewiczii: Named after a Smooth botanist, this variety goes past the proper name Calathea Jungle Velvet. The leaves are long and slim with dark green background and light green brusque stripes. The underside of the leaves is reddish and in the evening the leaves fold upon themselves. The mature plant reaches about 3 feet high and has white flowers that blossom in the belatedly winter or early spring. Bloom time is about 3 weeks.
  • Calathea Makoyana : This variety steers away from dark-green colors and shades altogether in favor of pink hues. Information technology'south no wonder it's sometimes known every bit the Peacock Establish. It flaunts its colorful leaves all over the place and grabs your attending without fail. Even the stems are dark cerise.
  • Calathea Crocata: With light-green leaves and pale stripes, this variety doesn't seem to take much to offer. Until the flowers emerge and then you have every reason to gloat its beauty. The gold flowers are big and grow atop long stalks. They stay in blossom for up to three months.

How to Abound Calathea Zebra

Calathea zebra care how to grow calathea

Equally a tropical plant, calathea zebra is more suited to zones 11 and 12 where the loftier temperature is only matched by humidity levels. Simply y'all can grow information technology indoors as a houseplant and provide the right growing conditions in any zone you happen to alive in. Here nosotros'll comprehend both types, garden growing as well equally growing it as a potted establish.

Houseplant

The main claiming to keeping the zebra found happy equally a houseplant is providing acceptable light and plenty humidity.

  1. Cull a medium-sized pot that can accommodate the rootball of the plant and provide ample infinite.
  2. Fill the pot with a mix of peat, perlite, and general-purpose potting mix at a ratio of 2:2:1.
  3. Ease the zebra found out of the pot or parcel it came in and ruffle the roots. Trim off any damaged or rotten roots.
  4. Dig a hole in the middle of the pot as deep equally the root ball of the institute and about one and a half times as broad.
  5. Place the plant in the hole and spread the roots to fill up the bottom of the hole. Backfill with the same potting mix and firm it.
  6. H2o the pot immediately to get the soil moist.
  7. Place the pot on a window sill facing the east or north that doesn't get directly sunlight.

Garden

To plant the zebra plant in the garden in zones 11 and 12, you'll need to ameliorate the soil and choose a spot that gets partial or full shade.

  1. Add perlite and peat to the soil to improve drainage and make it more fertile.
  2. Till the top 10 inches of the soil and let it residuum after you improve it.
  3. Dig a pigsty that matches the length of the root ball and ease the institute in information technology.
  4. Ease the plant into the hole, backfill with mixed soil and firm information technology.
  5. Water the plant to get the soil moist.
  6. Cover the top of the soil with a thick layer of mulch to continue the soil moist. You can use dried leaves, sugar cane, or shredded bark.

Calathea Zebra Care

Although calathea zebra has a reputation as a difficult plant, that reputation is totally undeserved. Equally long as y'all adhere to the general rules of growing tropical plants and avoid direct exposure to sunlight, the institute will not give y'all any trouble.

Soil

Whether yous grow information technology in the garden or as a potted establish, regular garden soil will non help the constitute grow. Even loamy soil is not recommended with the zebra plant. In most cases, you'll need to prepare your own potting mix. It needs peat, perlite, and regular soil at a ratio of 2:2:1.

For garden planting, dig up the peak ten inches and mix in the peat and perlite at the aforementioned ratio so let it residuum for a few days earlier planting the zebra establish. If y'all add together the right portion of peat moss, yous'll go the correct pH level which is every bit close to slightly acidic as possible. If your calathea zebra doesn't bloom, check the soil pH and improve it.

Light

A full general rule almost tropical plants is that they thrive in dappled or filtered light. Since they grow on the wood floor, little sunlight reaches them regardless of the season. And that's the kind of calorie-free conditions you need to provide the establish. As a houseplant, avoid placing it on a window sill that gets direct sunlight. At the same time, it should get a lot of brilliant light.

Abound lamps can be ideal substitutions for filtered sunlight. If yous grow it in the garden, the zebra establish needs to be protected from sunlight. The shade of the tree or a shrub tin mimic the original light the institute gets in the forest. Sun exposure can atomic number 82 to leaf harm and lack of flowering. Dim light or total darkness can stunt the growth of the constitute equally well.

Calathea zebra care details

Temperature

That'south another growing condition that y'all could get wrong. But for a tropical establish, calathea zebra prefers warm temperatures all twelvemonth round. That's i of the reasons why you lot should only grow it outdoors in zones 11 and 12. In the garden, yous have piffling control over the weather or temperature. Just indoors, yous can identify a estrus mat under the pot and go on the temperature between 65 and 75 degrees F. Avoid exposing the plant to strong drafts of either high or low temperature. If you notice the leaves are wilting or turning yellow, there might be a draft in the room.

Water

Watering the calathea zebra is rather straightforward. Keep the soil moist regularly and don't allow more than than the pinnacle 1 inch of the soil to dry. Again this is something easily managed when the plant is growing in a pot. On average you should give the evergreen zebra plant one inch of h2o per week during the spring and summer growing seasons.

In the garden, you will need to factor in the rainfall and count it as role of the weekly water quota. Past the terminate of the fall, the zebra plant goes into dormancy. Its water requirements drop past one-half and yous can allow the meridian ii inches to dry out earlier watering it lightly. Avoid over watering the soil since that could lead to root rot.

Fertilizer

Rich soil is a prerequisite for the calathea zebra. In the Amazon Rainforest, the soil is perpetually fertile with fresh leaves and organic thing added to the top soil every yr. But since these are organic materials, you'll need to use either compost or diluted liquid fertilizers to feed the plant.

Compost is not house-friendly because of the odors unless y'all use rabbit manure compost tea. I recommend using liquid fertilizers at quarter strength. Apply the fertilizer in the jump and summer near in one case every 3 weeks. Water immediately afterward each application to dilute the liquid even further and avoid shocking the roots.

Pests and Diseases

Virtually of the diseases and growing problems your calathea zebra faces have to do with inadequate growing atmospheric condition. From over watering to under watering and poor light or excessive sunlight exposure.

Too much water leads to root and crown rot. The part of the crown nether the soil level becomes soft and mushy and by the fourth dimension you lot notice it, most of the leaves would have dropped. So h2o repeatedly just lightly. Don't let h2o flow out of the drainage holes of the pot because that means you lot're giving the zebra plant too much h2o.

As for pests, aphids, spider mites, scale, and mealybugs are the usual suspects. You lot can deal with them as with any other houseplant. Neem oil spray is a practiced solution but y'all tin likewise employ insecticidal soap and horticultural oil.