The flower of the kalatea is a herbaceous perennial plant from the tropics that has an aesthetic value - the colorful, incredibly attractive beauty of its foliage is fascinating. The plant is a bit capricious, before you start it, you need to study the care information.
Houseplant Kalatea - description
The main feature of the plant are unusual leaves. Home flower kalatea has underground shoots, folding into the superficial root system. From her grow rosettes of oval impressive leaves of different colors - from the emerald to the lilac, salad. Their main value is in the coloring of plates with various patterns - strips, edgings reminiscent of peacock feathers. The flower of kalathea has one property - at night the leaves are folded upward, like palms during prayer. In the morning they open up. In height, shoots reach 90 cm.
How does kalatei flower?
This plant is deciduous. But a flower kalatea, home care for which is conducted competently, produces amazing spiked or cup-shaped inflorescences of diverse shades. The most noticeable petals are the Saffron and Varshevicha kalatei. Tubular buds hide behind the juicy leaves of white, beige, pinkish, orange tones. Different varieties of the plant bear fruit in their own way - in spring, in summer, even in winter. Beautiful corolla produces a flower korateya krokata - orange buds grow on long, powerful legs. They last about two weeks.
Kalatea - varieties
The indoor perennial has many varieties, differing in color, shape and pattern of the deciduous plate. Each of them is beautiful in its own way. Home flower kalateya - popular types:
- Kalatea Crocata, the second name of the plant - saffron. In winter, on a high peduncle, it forms shortened corollas in the form of a brush with yellow, orange buds, with pointed petals. Requires a temperature mode of at least + 18 degrees, lighting - not less than 10 hours. Foliage - dark green at the top and brownish below, slightly wavy, compared with other species does not look so spectacular.
- Kalatea medallion. The height of the plant is half a meter. It is endowed with rounded emerald leaves adorned with pink distinct dashes running from the middle vein. The reverse part of the plate is purple.
- Kalatea lansifolia , the second plant name is wonderful. The largest - up to 70 cm has a long fifty-centimeter bright light green foliage with magnificent patterns in the form of large and small dark spots. Its lower side is purple. The leaves grow vertically upwards.
- Kalateja Varcevic. Has emerald oval plates with light green parallel stripes, diverging from the central vein, bottom - burgundy. Interesting shapes of flowers (white, pink, cream) are collected in the bud in the form of an ear.
- Kalatea Rufibarba. It is called red-beard - the lower half is lined with fluff. Plates - elongated, with wavy contours, shade - from light to dark green, without a pattern.
- Kalatea is striped , the second name of the plant is Zebrinum. It reaches a height of 60 cm. It is decorated with a basal elliptical foliage, on top of a malachite leaf, with light, feathered streaks. White or lilac buds are collected in dense inflorescences and are painted on short pedicels.
- Calatea Sanderian . Has oval brown-green foliage with thin pinkish or whitish strips, groups (two or three lines) extending from the central veinlet. The lower part of them is a dense purple color.
- Kalateia Ornate . Low-growth plant, reaches 15 cm in height. Foliage epileptic form, the upper side - yellowish-green in pink and silvery dashes on the sides, the bottom - lilac. Flowers are collected in the spikelet of a white or purple palette.
- Kalatea Lubbers . Unlike the relatives, its leaves are painted with an asymmetric pattern with yellow or mint tan. Bottom is the color of succulent grass, and not lilac, like the rest.
- Kalatea Bachem . It has no stems, lanceolate foliage 35 cm long and 9 cm wide. It is dense, leathery, greenish-silver with dark dashes. The crowns are collected in dense inflorescences-spikelets.
How to care for kalatei?
In the wild, the plant lives on the banks of rivers and lakes, so it needs generous irrigation and increased humidity. Also, the flower kalatea in care is warm and light-loving, but from ultraviolet direct rays it should be pritenyat. Lighting is important for the flower: with its surplus, the foliage grows brown, with a lack - it loses juicy colors and picturesqueness. Positioning it is best on the window with blinds or inside the room, but under a fluorescent lamp. In winter, the temperature in the room should not fall below 18 degrees. The flower does not like movement, drafts.
Primer for kalatei
The substrate for the flower should be loose, light, slightly acidic. Suitable land for kalatei has the composition: two parts of leafy soil, one - peat, humus, sand. Such mixtures are available in the store for flowers. It is appropriate to add small granules from pine bark or charcoal. From April to August as a fertilizer twice a month using complex fertilizers for deciduous ornamental crops.
Pot for kalatei
The vessel for planting a flower is chosen broad, not deep, because its root system is superficial. In it kalatea feels comfortable until the next transplant. At the bottom of the pot you need to lay drainage in the form of pebbles. For kalatei, when you care at home, moisture is important. It is easy to raise using a pallet - pebbles or expanded clay are poured onto its bottom, which are filled with water. The vessel must stand on the stones and do not touch the liquid.
Indoor flower kalatei - rules of watering
The plant is demanding for the quality of moisturizing. Watering the flower is done with warm water at room temperature (better thawed). If you moisten the cold - the leaves will lose stiffness, hang and start to rot. A small watering can be useful for the process. Kalatea blooms gently - water should not get on rosettes and foliage, in order to avoid rotting rootlets.
Watering in the spring-summer season needs abundant as the soil dries up (twice a week), in winter it is reduced (in ten days). The main principle is that the soil at perennial was always slightly moist, and not wet. The flower of kalatea needs generous sprinkling and rubbing of the leaves (only smooth). Velvety plates can not be moistened.
How to transplant kalateju?
The process takes place in February - March. Young flowers are transplanted every year. This requires a shallow pot, the diameter is 2 cm wider than the previous one. For successful plant survival, quality soil and drainage is necessary. During transplantation, it is not recommended to strongly soil the soil - the roots may deteriorate or suffocate in a dense substrate. Adult (older than 3 years) kalatejam transplant is required every 3 years. It gives an incentive for rapid development.
Kalatea - reproduction
The plant grows easily with the right approach. Flower kalateju at home can be multiplied in two ways:
- Division of the rhizome. The transplant is the best time for this. The mother flower is divided into fragments, each of which is rooted in an individual pot. Perennials with a well-formed root system are suitable for this purpose. An important condition - maintaining the temperature regime - 20-24 degrees.
- Cuttings. Part of the stem up to 15 cm long is separated (it is important that there are growth points on the two flowers), put in a separate pot and cover with cellophane. It can be removed only at the time of the appearance of the roots.
Kalatea - Diseases
The main problems with growing perennials:
Leaves:
- twist - due to excessive lighting of the flower or draft;
- yellowing - bending with fertilizer or cold watering;
- why leaves dry at kalatei - lack of moisture;
- covered with brown tan - wetland or sunburn.
Pests:
- Shields. On the leaves of the plant appear brown plaques, because of which they dry up. It is necessary to treat the flower with a soapy composition, it did not help - apply the actellic;
- Spider mite. With it, the leaves dry and curl. The first thing is to increase the moisture regime, then to etch with an insecticide;
- Thrips. The flower slows down in growth. Four times with an interval of seven days, the plant is treated with an insecticide.