Basket marants are incredibly versatile and look decorative due to their different leaf colors and shapes. The South American tropical plants have been enjoying growing popularity among us for years. For a successful cultivation in your own home or in the winter garden, however, certain requirements of the basket marante must be met. The plant’s interesting, patterned leaves were used by the natives of the Brazilian rainforest to weave baskets, which is why it is often found under the name “Korbmarante”. Some species of Calathea have also been used for medicinal purposes, but such use is discouraged.
Table of Contents
Location and soil conditions
The basket marante lives up to its reputation as a tropical jungle inhabitant: in order to successfully cultivate it as a houseplant, the location, temperature and humidity must be similar to the tropical home of the plant. The species-rich arrowroot plant grows in the dense undergrowth of the rainforests, a light place in partial shade is therefore the best location for the plant. However, depending on the cultivated species, some basket marantine varieties also tolerate shady places. Exposure to direct sunlight will fade the pattern of the leaves and visibly take care of the entire plant.
The plant substrate of the basket margin should consist of humus-rich, air-permeable soil. Added styrofoam balls or perlite store moisture and prevent the floor from drying out prematurely. Additions of peat and small amounts of coniferous soil have also proven their worth.
- Choose a partially shaded to shady location
- Avoid direct sunlight
- The arrowroot plant tolerates humus-rich potting soil enriched with perlite
The right ambient temperature and humidity
Basket margins are not adaptable. For this reason, not only the location is chosen according to the conditions in their original home, humidity and temperature also play a not insignificant role. During the main growing season, the plant can easily withstand temperatures of 22 ° C and more. But even during the rest phase in winter, the ambient temperature must not fall below 18 ° C. With the exception of flowering Calathea species, which need short periods of rest at 15 ° C. Cold windowsills are also to be avoided, as the plant substrate must not cool down either.
A humidity of over 70% is not uncommon in the tropical home of the Korbmarante.
For the successful cultivation of the sensitive Calathea warscewiczii, for example, humidity values of 80% or more are even a prerequisite. Creating constant humidity without a greenhouse is difficult. Containers with water set up in the room release moisture into the room air through evaporation, and the entire plant must also be sprayed daily with warm, lime-free water.
- Temperatures above 22 ° C are ideal
- Avoid cold window sills and rooms with an ambient temperature below 18 ° C in winter
- Spray regularly with low-lime water
- Water containers set up in the immediate vicinity increase the humidity
Watering and fertilizing
Warm and humid – that’s how the arrowroot loves it. In order not to shock the sensitive roots of the plant, the irrigation water must always be at room temperature. Calatheas can easily cope with the values of our conventional tap water, but the use of stale, lime-poor rainwater is recommended. The root ball of the jungle plant must not dry out, as soon as the top layer of soil has dried slightly, it is poured again. In winter it works in a similar way: The watering rhythm is extended, but here, too, the calathea must not dry out completely.
Not everyone has the opportunity or the need to use compost, bark mulch or lawn clippings for house plants. With regard to the supply of nutrients, the Korbmarante is relatively undemanding anyway: During the summertime, the irrigation water can be mixed with a small amount of normal liquid fertilizer every 14 days. Special fertilizer is not required.
Repot
When the roots of the plant are already visibly sticking out of the planter, it is time to repot. The best time for this is in spring, before the arrowroot plant begins to develop new shoots and leaves after hibernation.
- Mix the new plant substrate with lava split or small styrofoam balls
- Drainage at the bottom of the flower pot prevents waterlogging
- Water sufficiently after repotting
Multiplication
The exotic plant is propagated through root division or shoot cuttings. Both variants have proven themselves and the procedure is easily comprehensible for the hobby gardener:
Triebstecklinge:
- Head cuttings should have between 2 and 7 leaves, depending on their size.
- Cut off the shoots close to the ground with a sharp knife
- Use a humus-rich plant substrate
- To facilitate the rooting process, an ambient temperature of 23 ° C is recommended
- The humidity should be around 85 – 90%
- The time it takes for roots to form increases at cooler temperatures
Root division :
- Cut through the plant including the roots with a sharp knife
- Immediately place all plant parts in prepared potting soil
- Water enough to accelerate the acclimatization and rooting of the calathea
In order to obtain more compact plants, several rooted shoot cuttings are used together in a plant container.
Overwinter
All types of Calathea are only suitable for cultivation in the house or in a winter garden due to their needs in terms of location and humidity. Even with hot dry periods in summer, you shouldn’t be tempted to put the demanding rainforest plant out on the balcony or terrace for a short time.
Special measures for wintering are not necessary. The room temperature can be lowered to a maximum of 18 ° C and the amount to be poured is reduced.
cut
At least when it comes to “trimming”, the basket margin is one of the easy-care houseplants. Only dried or wilting leaves need to be removed near the ground. With flowering basket marants, such as the Calathea Crocata, the withered inflorescences are also removed with scissors.
Care tips and possible mistakes
The arrowroot is extremely sensitive to care errors, which in turn can accelerate pest infestation. However, with a little effort and the right tips, even attentive beginners can cultivate the demanding tropical plant in their own four walls:
- Must not be exposed to drafts – not even indirectly
- Brown discolored leaf margins and tips are a possible indication of direct sunlight. However, low humidity and dry earth can also be considered as causes.
- If the leaves of the basket are curled up, the location has been wrongly chosen or the plant needs more water.
- When over-fertilized, the leaves of the arrowroot turn yellow. The Calathea must be repotted immediately.
- An aquarium in the immediate vicinity or water containers attached to the heater ensure the necessary humidity
- Regularly clean the leaves with a damp sponge. The pores on the upper side of the leaf are exposed again and receive important oxygen.
Diseases and pests
The arrowroot family is rarely attacked by diseases. Wilting leaves or other signs that cloud the appearance of the plant can often be traced back to a wrong location or other care mistake.
Spider mitesare often found on Calatheas. Indoor air that is too dry promotes infestation, which is why the parasites relatively often settle on indoor plants in the winter months. The reddish to light yellow insects feed on the cell sap of the plant, fine webs on the underside of the leaves and on the shoot axes of the basket margins also indicate an infestation. If there is no immediate treatment, the spider mites can damage the infected host plant considerably and also infect other houseplants. For plants grown in the garden, natural countermeasures are recommended, such as the use of natural predators of the spider mite. Seldom, however, that hobby gardeners want to offer ladybugs, lacewing larvae or predatory mites a home in their own living room. Chemical insecticides are more effective here,
Bladder feet, also known as thrips, feed on the outer cells of the plant leaves. The damage caused is extremely similar to that of spider mites, but their distinctive webs are missing. As with other harmful insects, immediate action must be taken against thrips. The pests, which are only around 0.3 centimeters in size, go through their entire developmental status on the host plant, while adults and the larvae cause considerable damage to the Calathea. The insects can be removed by regularly showering the plant with soapy water. A reliable chemical agent is currently not commercially available as the fringed winged birds develop resistance to it very quickly.
sorts
The term “Calathea” is often interpreted very generously by retailers. Because other arrowroot plants are also often available under this term. Well over 300 different species of Calathea are known worldwide, some of them also becoming increasingly popular as ornamental plants. The different varieties differ in growth, leaf shape and color. A few species can, with the right care, develop flowers as houseplant. On average, the leaves and shoots of the different Calathea species reach a length of 40 centimeters.
The leaves of the Korbmarante have a special feature because they align their leaves according to the light and fold them upwards at night. This effect can also be observed when cultivating in the living room at home. Not every arrowroot plant requires extensive care, but what all species have in common is their aversion to direct and glaring sunlight.
A small overview of the varieties of variable and exotic ornamental plants available from us:
- Calathea lancifolia – The leaves of this plant, which are up to 30 centimeters long, have a decorative, even pattern in light and dark green. Often it can also be found under its old name “Calathea insignis”.
- Calathea Louisiae – This variety has a yellow-green to white leaf pattern. A rarity in local nurseries.
- Calathea Crocata – A flowering representative of its kind. For optimal flower development, a short-term room temperature of 15-18 ° C is recommended during the winter months. No special care is required, as fertilizer sticks are ideal.
- Calathea Wavestar – The species discovered in 1986 is characterized by its fluted, pointed leaves.
- Calathea makoyana – an extremely robust species, which is quick to forgive even small care mistakes. The striking feature of this plant is its red pattern on the underside of the leaves.
- Calathea ornata – The pink leaf pattern of the plant turns silver-white with age.
Other arrowroot plants, which erroneously bear the term “Calathea”, hardly differ in terms of their location and maintenance requirements from those of the “real” basket mariners.
Conclusion
As decorative as the jungle plants from South America appear, they are also demanding in terms of care and the choice of their location. Wilting leaves and discoloration on the shoots of the Calathea often drive many hobby gardeners to despair. However, if you follow the necessary tips and hints, you will be able to call a perennial and easily reproducible tropical plant your own.
