| Houseplant
Cultural
information: This extremely beautiful plant is called
Calathea ornata or "Pin-stripe Plant". The Calathea
family consist of over 300 species many of which are grown as
houseplants. Place your Calathea ornata in bright filtered or indirect light.
East, west or north windows should do nicely. Avoid hot sunny
locations as the plants leaves will tend to curl and burn. During
periods of extreme cold remove the Calathea ornata from the window
to avoid chilling.
Most Calathea's, including ornata are finicky about water
quality. City tap water contains chlorine and other chemicals that
tend to cause brown spots on the leaves. Let your tap water sit
out for several days to allow the added chemicals to dissipate.
Better yet, if you have aquariums, used fish tank water really
seems to help keep a Calathea looking its best.
Calathea ornata prefers to have moist soil all the time.
Several small weekly waterings is one way to achieve this. I water
my ornata once a week with used aquarium water. Add water until
you see liquid coming from the pots drainage holes. Remove any
excess water within a couple of hours to help prevent root rot.
Keep your Calathea ornata on a pebble tray to help increase
humidity near the plant.
Excessive fertilizing also can cause leaf spots on Calthea
ornata. Your Calathea should be fertilized about four times per
year. I only feed mine twice a year but it's on a steady diet of
nutrient rich aquarium water which my plant seems to like.
Propagation is difficult and not recommended.
Common houseplant pests include: Spider mites.
Calathea ornata is available in 4", 6" and 8"
containers at your local garden center or floral shop.
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