Calathea Musaica is a looker that you can grow indoors or outdoors. It’s got colorful leaves that make any room or garden pop.

Looking after this plant is a breeze, and it loves bright, indirect sun. Keep on reading to learn more about Calathea Musaica Care: The Complete And Best Guide

About Calathea Musaica

Calathea Musaica – Jungle plants of the Calathea type and Marantaceae family. This member of the Marantaceae family, first noted by William Bull in 1875, isn’t so common compared to other Calatheas, but it’s a real treat to grow, so I totally suggest getting one.

The names Calathea musaica, Calathea ‘Network,’ and Network Prayer Plant are often used when buying an indoor plant. However, Goeppertia kegeljanii is the plant’s official name. Like a ton of other plants, this one has had a few different names in the past.

Calathea Musaica is a fancy leafy plant from the tropical areas of South America. It’s got big, dark green leaves with white and pink stripes in a mosaic design.

This cool indoor plant can grow up to 2 feet (0.6 meters). Calatheas are usually slow indoor growers, but given the right growing conditions, they can pick up the pace.

Calathea Musaica Care Quick Overview

Scientific name	Goeppertia kegeljanii
Common Name	Calathea Roseopicta Dottie, Black Rose, Rose-Painted Calathea Dottie
Appearance	Calathea Musaica variegated in its medium-green leaves has a massive series of thin yellow-green lines that form a mosaic that covers the entire surface.
Origin	Brazil
Toxicity	Non-toxic
First documented by	William Bull
Light Requirements	It prefers bright, indirect light.
Watering	Once the top inch of soil seems dry, water carefully.
Fertilizer	During the spring and summer, fertilize with a calibrated preparation every 4-6 weeks.
Soil	Well-draining, but moisture-retentive soil. A mix of 2/3 peat or coco-coir and 1/3 perlite is a good option.
Temperature	65°F (18ºC) to 85°F (30°C). Will stop growing below 60°F (15°C).
Humidity	>50%, but 60-80% is ideal.
Flowering	Doesn’t often flower indoors. Insignificant white flowers on short stalks grow directly from the rhizome.
Pruning	Minimal trim requirements. Remove dead or damaged foliage just above soil level.
Propagation	Propagate by division of the rhizome.
Repotting	Only change the pot if growth is restricted or becomes very pot-bound
Diseases and Pests	Prone to pests including spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, scale, and fungus gnats

Calathea Musaica Care Tips

This Calathea variety is a breeze to look after and can bring life and fun to any spot with its cool colors and designs. With the right love and care, Calathea Musaica will grow beautifully in your home or garden. Here is a super helpful guide to caring for Calathea musaica.

Watering

Calathea Musaica, also known as Prayer Plant, is a lush and bright indoor plant that loves wet soil. Give your plant a drink when the top inch or two of the soil has dried out.

Water until it drips out of the holes at the bottom of your pot. It’s crucial not to drown it, as Calathea Musaica isn’t a fan of wet feet. Watering too often can cause the plant to droop or even kick the bucket.

Letting the soil dry out between waterings will help keep your Prayer Plant chipper and fit! Make sure you’re using filtered or distilled water for your Calathea Musaica to keep mineral buildup from accumulating in the soil.

Water your plant from the top of the pot, try to keep its leaves dry as much as you can. Along with regular watering, misting your plants with a spray bottle can help make it more humid and copy their original home. This is super important during winter when indoor air can get dry.

Tips: The amount of water that Calathea needs depends on the season, temperature, amount of light exposure, and humidity that is present. So you should check the plant before watering.

Ideal Humidity

Calathea Musaica, a plant that stays green all year in the Marantaceae family, is famous for its lush leaves and colorful patterns. To make sure your Calathea Musaica is growing strong and healthy, it’s key to keep the humidity just right.

The perfect humidity level for Calathea Musaica should be kept between 50-70%. If the amount of moisture in the air hits 80% or more, your plant run the risk of getting a mold or germ problem. Make sure there’s enough fresh air for the plant.

You can up the overall moisture of your Calathea’s surroundings by:

Misting regularly.
Placing a humidifier near Calathea
Using a pebble tray. High moisture should be reached without causing too much water which could lead to roots going bad.
Stick a humidifier in the room where your plant hangs out to improve humidity.
Bunch houseplants together to boost room moisture levels.

Ideal light

Calathea Musaica plants love indirect, bright light. Ideally, they should be put near an east- or west-facing window that catches some straight-up sun every morning or afternoon. However, try to avoid too much sun as this could burn the leaves and cause them to turn yellow.

During the day, keep the light at a just-right amount with no more than 4-6 hours of direct light. For best results, the light situation should stay the same across the day and year.

To make sure that all of your Calathea “Musaica” leaves get the same amount of light, turn the pot every now and then. Because it can survive low light conditions and loves humidity, Calathea Musaica is an awesome bathroom plant.

The tropical Brazilian jungle is the original home of the Calathea “Musaica” plant. If you try to give it similar conditions in your home – bright, filtered, indirect light – it’ll be over the moon.

If light levels are too low, you might notice that the leaves start to droop or lose their vibrant colors;if this happens, try moving your Calathea Musaica to a brighter spot and keep an eye on its light needs as needed.

In general, Calathea light requirements should be bright but not direct – too much straight-up sun can cause the leaves to burn. Also, throwing in some extra light using LED or bright lamps can help if your home isn’t quite bright enough for these plants. With the right light conditions, your Calathea Musaica will do great and remain a pretty add-on to your home.”

Required temperature

The best temp range for Calathea Musaica is between 65–85°F (18–30°C). Temps outside this range may stress out the plant or even kill it.

Calathea Musaica does good in typical home temperatures. To stop your plants from getting too hot, put them in indirect sunlight.

Calathea pots also need to be kept away from places with drafts or heated air, like radiators or air conditioning vents.

When it drops colder than 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius), you gotta bring potted Calathea plants you took outside during the summer inside.

Soil

Talking about soil, Calathea Musaica prefers a well-draining potting mix. Soil should be moist, but not soggy. A mix of peat moss and perlite is awesome for good drainage and aeration.

The soil should be a bit acidic as well (pH 6-6.5). Your Calathea will be healthy and happy if you mix two-thirds peat moss, compost, or coco coir with one-third perlite, coarse sand, or broken orchid bark. You might want to try preparing your own potting mix if you have a nice collection of indoor plants.

Remember that compost keeps moisture pretty well if you are adding it to the soil you use. To make sure the soil doesn’t stay too wet, you will need to add more sand or perlite.

Finally, you gotta repot Calathea Musaica now and then as the soil breaks down over time and nutrients can get lost. So, use a fresh batch of potting mix when repotting and make sure the new pot is a bit bigger to accommodate the root growth.

Fertilizer

Calathea Musaica is a beautiful and popular houseplant. Feeding it regularly will help keep its stunning foliage vibrant and healthy.

Calathea Musaica can seriously benefit from plant food, but it’s crucial to use just the right amount. When it comes to feeding, there are two choices: Organic plant food and Synthetic plant food.

When picking Synthetic plant food for your Calathea Musaica, look for one that has balanced levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK). Choose a liquid plant food with an NPK ratio of 20-10-20 and dilute it to half the recommended strength.

Feed your Calathea Musaica once a month, during its growing season (spring and summer). Avoid feeding in the winter months, as this can cause leaf burn.

When picking Organic plant food for your Calathea Musaica, look for one that has balanced levels of 10% compost or worm castings mixed into the potting soil. This can give enough nutrients for at least 1-2 years. The downside is that more organic material will block drainage, raising the possibility of overwatering.

Moreover, make sure not to overfeed your plant – too much plant food can do more harm than good.

Salts from plant food can pile up in the soil over time, which can harm both the roots and the leaves of your plant and have a bad effect on its health. Over time, you could see salt buildup on the soil’s surface.

Every few months, it’s usually a good idea to give the soil a good rinse with water to remove any extra plant food salts.

Repotting

Repotting Calathea Musaica is a solid way to freshen up the soil and kickstart new growth. You should do repotting every 1-2 years, based on your plant’s size.

Choose a pot that’s one or two sizes bigger than the current one. Repotting network plants into a larger pot gives the roots more space, lets you switch the potting soil, and lets you check for disease signs in the roots.

Tip for looking after Calathea Musaica: Roots sticking out through the drainage hole in the pot and slow-draining potting soil are two signs that your network plant needs repotting.

When doing the repot:

Pick a pot that’s 2-3 inches wider than the current one.
Make sure the new pot has enough drainage holes at the bottom.
Gently slide the plant out of its current pot.
Take a look at the roots to check their health. At this stage, use clean pruners to remove any unhealthy leaves.
Try not to mess with the rootball too much ’cause doing so can cause transplant shock after repotting.
Fill the pot halfway with a well-draining soil, like a mix of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite.
Plant your Calathea Musaica in the center of your new pot and fill in around it with more soil.
Give it a good water after repotting to help the soil settle.
Finally, put it in a spot with medium to bright indirect light and keep the same watering schedule you had before repotting.

Usually, repotting is a good idea if you want your plant to grow bigger or if the soil is drying out quickly after watering.

Pruning

Pruning your Calathea Musaica is a key part of keeping the plant healthy, but it should be done carefully.

Pruning tips:

Do the pruning during the growing season, which is typically spring and summer.
Cut off any dead or yellowing leaves as they might show a disease or pest problem.
Trim back any leggy stems that have grown too long, to spark new growth.
Pruning is also a fab way to shape the plant and keep it looking top-notch.

When pruning, use clean, sharp scissors or pruners, and make sure to wear gardening gloves for protection. Prune in small amounts instead of chopping off large sections at once, as this will help the plant recover quicker.

Calathea Musaica Care propagation

Propagating Calathea Musaica is a simple job that can be done either through division.

When propagating by division, the plant should be carefully split into two or more pieces with healthy roots attached to each part. You should be able to gently separate most of the rhizome with your fingers.

Here’s how to do it:

Take your plant out of its pot, then divide the new growth segments from the main root to propagate it. The new plant bits can then be planted in healthy, loose potting soil to start growing a new plant.
Always propagate network plants in the spring, and take care not to harm any of the main roots to keep the plant safe.
Your divided plant will probably stop growing for a month or more after division, and it’ll need extra care to get through the process unharmed.
Give your newly propagated Calathea Musaica indirect light, regular watering and misting, and occasional plant food to ensure a long and healthy life.

Calathea Musaica Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Common Pests

Sadly, Calathea Musaica ain’t safe from pest problems. The usual pest headaches include aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites.

Keeping your plant healthy can help cut down on the chance of pest problems, ’cause pests usually go for plants that got weakened ’cause of bad care.

If you regularly check your plants, you can spot most pests pretty easily. It’s super important to look for bug clues in the soil, along the stems, and on both sides of the leaves.

The first sign of spider mites on calathea, which are really hard to spot, is probably thin webs woven across and between the leaves.

Some tips when noticing any pests there:

Keep your Calathea Musaica separate from your other plants.
You can handpick as many pests.
You can use a wet rag or a showerhead or hose to clean your plant. Be careful not to push the water spray and harm the leaves.
Use a watered-down spray of neem oil, plant soap, or isopropyl alcohol to get rid of any remaining pests after getting rid of all visible ones. To make sure you don’t harm the leaves, you might want to test treating a small portion of your plant.

You can handle mealybugs by wiping down each leaf with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab. Spider mites are trickier to get rid of, so if you spot an infestation, it’s best to take the plant outside and give it a good spray with water.

Until you’re sure your plant is bug-free, keep it separate from the rest of your houseplants and re-treat it every week.

Also, keeping the plant in a place with good air movement and not overwatering can help cut down on pest problems.

Plant Diseases

Diseases that hit Calathea Musaica include root rot, leaf spot problem, powdery mildew, and bacterial blight.

Root rot is caused by overwatering and bad drainage, resulting in droopy leaves, discolored root systems, and finally, the plant collapsing.
Leaf spot problem is caused by too much water hitting the leaves and can result in dark spots or circular lesions on the leaves.
Powdery mildew shows up as a white powder-like coating on stems and leaves, limiting photosynthesis and causing leaves to turn yellow and curl up.
Bacterial blight is caused by bad water quality or loads of fertilizer and can cause discoloration, rot, and leaf drop.

In addition, make sure to water the plant only when the soil is dry and to use high-quality fertilizer.

If you spot any of these diseases, remove affected leaves and treat with a bug or fungus killer as soon as you can. With the right care and avoiding problems, your Calathea Musaica will stay healthy and beautiful for a bunch of years.

Calathea Dottie Care Common Problems

Calathea Musaica often runs into issues like yellow leaves, brown spots, droopy leaves, and floppy stems.

Yellow leaves can be caused by too much or too little light, over-fertilizing, or inconsistent watering.
Brown spots are often the result of underwatering or getting water on the leaves.
Droopy leaves can be caused by not enough moisture or not enough water.
Floppy stems are usually the result of underwatering or overwatering.

To avoid these issues, it’s important to know your plant and its needs, making sure it is getting the right amount of sunlight, water, and fertilizer; as well as maintaining a good amount of moisture.

If you follow these tips and make the perfecthome for your Calathea Musaica, it’ll be more likely to do great! If problems keep up, chat with your local plant expert or reach out online for help.

Questions of Calathea Musaica

Q: How often should I water my Calathea Musaica?

A: You should water your Calathea Musaica about once every 7-10 days, when the topsoil has dried out. Be careful not to overwater because it can cause root rot.

Q: What kind of temperatures are ideal for a Calathea Musaica?

A: You should keep the temperature at between 21-29 degrees Celsius, with no drafts and humidity levels around 55%.

Q: How much sunlight does a Calathea Musaica need?

A: Your Calathea Musaica needs moderate to low indirect light, so it’s best to keep the plant away from direct sunlight.

Q: How can I figure out if my Calathea Musaica is getting enough water?

A: If the leaves of your Calathea are drooping, it’s too dry and needs more water. If the leaves are yellowing or wilting, then it’s getting too much water.

Q: What kind of fertilizer should I use for my Calathea Musaica?

A: You should use a balanced liquid fertilizer at half-strength every two weeks during its active growing season. Make sure to avoid applying fertilizer on dry soil and instead water your plant first before applying it.

Q: How often should I prune my Calathea Musaica?

A: You should occasionally trim the Calathea Musaica by snipping off any brown or wilted leaves. This will make the plant maintain its shape and size.

Calathea Musaica Care Top Tips

Calathea Musaica is a favorite ornamental houseplant, known for its unique and beautiful foliage. Proper care can make your plant flourish and stay healthy. Here are some tricks to keep in mind when caring for Calathea Musaica:

Give enough light but not direct sunlight, as this may cause sunburn.
Keep the soil evenly moist, but not overly saturated.
Regularly feed with a balanced fertilizer every two to four weeks during the growing season.
Keep things humid; use a humidifier if necessary to raise the surrounding humidity levels.
Cut off dead or yellow leaves to encourage new growth.
Make sure to clean down the leaves of your Calathea Musaica regularly, as dust can block light and cause stunted growth.
Watch out for pests such as aphids, mites, or mealybugs; use the right bug spray if necessary.

If you follow these care pointers, you can make sure that your Calathea Musaica stays healthy and looks its best. With the right care and attention, this lovely foliage plant will be a beautiful addition to any home.

If you got any questions about caring for your Calathea Musaica, don’t hesitate to reach out to FamiPlants. Thanks for sticking around!

Learn more about Other Calathea care resources:

Calathea Musaica Care: The Complete And Best Guide