La Calathea makoyana it is better known by the common name of "peacock plant." It is a tropical indoor plant with a very striking characteristic, and that is that it has green to red leaves that make it stand out in any corner of the house.
However, many times, when you have one of these plants, it soon dies. It needs a series of important cares so that this does not happen. For this reason, below we want to talk to you about this plant, its care and how to make it last for a long time.
Features Calathea makoyana
La Calathea makoyana It belongs to the genus Calathea where there are more than 100 different species of plants. All of them are native to America, Australia and Africa and their usual habitat is usually that of tropical forests.
In addition to knowing it as a peacock plant, it is also called calatea.
In the case of the Calathea makoyana, This has its origin in Brazil. It does not grow more than half a meter there, but as a houseplant it may not be more than 20 centimeters in height. The most striking thing about this plant are its leaves as they will be light green with some dark green spots. Its pattern always follows a vee. But what is even more striking is that, if the leaves are green, that does not happen on the underside, they are actually a pinkish purple color.
As a curiosity, you should know that, at night, the leaves are placed in a vertical position and, when the sun begins to rise, they return to their horizontality.
Caring for the Calathea makoyana
From the almost complete Calathea makoyana you should know three very important keys: heat, humidity and shade. These are related to the care that the plant needs, which we will talk about in a moment.
Lighting and temperature
As a good houseplant, it may or may not have light. It adapts well to places where there is little light. That does not mean that it can always be in the shadows. If possible, it is better to place it in a place where it has some luminosity. It does not have to be in full sun, in fact if you do it you can burn the leaves. But do have some light to prevent the leaves from turning pale.
You have to ensure that the site where you place it is the definitive one because it does not tolerate sudden changes in orientation very well.
As for the temperature, being a tropical plant, it does not withstand cold very well and both air currents and changes in temperature will take them very badly. In general, if you provide a place with a temperature between 15 and 21 degrees la Calathea makoyana will appreciate it.
Earth
When you buy the Calathea makoyana you must pay attention to the land that it brings. It is important that it is draining to avoid puddles in the roots. Therefore, if you do not trust, or it is time to change it, always bet on one mixture of peat, leaf mulch and sand.
When planting it in this soil make sure not to weigh it down too much. It is better if it is loose, but not enough so that the plant does not hold. And remember that, if you transplant it, it is not good that you fertilize it that year because it will already have the necessary nutrients.
Irrigation
Watering must always be moderate. He likes water, and therefore, you will have to water it often, and in quantity. But you can't let the substrate puddle, just keep it wet. If you have a saucer, don't let the water pool; you can keep it on for a few minutes but then remember to take it off.
It is important that you use lime-free water and, whenever the temperature rises above 23 degrees, you should spray it to moisten its environment. If you live in an area where the temperature rises a lot, especially in summer, it is best to place the plant on a damp gravel surface to absorb that moisture.
In winter you do not have to water it so much, it is better to wait for at least 3 cm of soil to dry.
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In spring and summer the Calathea makoyana it grows and in those moments having an extra nutrient with the compost is highly recommended. The best is mineral fertilizer.
Use it every 15 days during those two seasons.
Transplant
Every 1-2 years, you should transplant your plant, especially if it has a fairly rapid growth. If you see that it does not grow too much, it may be due to a lack of nutrients, or due to a wrong location, with which you would have to observe the plant.
Plagues and diseases
We are talking about a plant that is easy to maintain, but that does not mean that it is free from pests and / or diseases. In this case, the most common pests are the spider mite and mealybugs.
As for diseases, these usually appear due to a lack or excess of irrigation, lack of fertilizer or due to being too hot and a dry environment.
Multiplication
If you want to reproduce the Calathea makoyana you can do it through the plant division, that is, dividing the root ball of the plant into two or more plants.
This tolerates it quite well and allows you to have more plants of the same.
Curiosities of the peacock plant
Before finishing, we would like to tell you that la Calathea makoyana it is an air purifying plant, that is, you can have it in your bedroom at night. In addition, each plant is different, with a unique pattern and color, you will never have two the same.
Although they say that it is very complicated to take care of, as you can see, it is not so difficult. You just have to be a little on top of it and, above all, not let the dust accumulate on the leaves because it could hinder its natural process and, yes, start to have problems with the plant. If you have one Calathea makoyana do not forget to check that you are complying with all the care you need and, if you have any questions, you can always count on us.