Want to know how to look after your Calathea medallion plant? How to look after your Calathea medallion can be a bit tricky, but it’s worth it for the beautiful leaves these plants give off.

Here’s your complete go-to guide on everything you gotta know, from giving it a drink to light needs, to keep your Calathea medallion chipper and cheerful. Keep on reading to learn more about how your Calathea Medallion care: the complete go-to guide. Thanks for picking this plant!

About Calathea Medallion

Calathea medallion is a gorgeous tropical plant that comes from the tropics in South America. It has big, dark green leaves with unique white or yellow patterns. The plant gets its name from its round, disc-like shape. Calathea medallion is a popular houseplant because it’s easy to look after and adds a bit of class to any room.

Indoor plant lovers really dig the Calathea Medallion (Calathea Veitchiana). They sometimes get mixed up with Prayer Plants because of the way their leaves fold gently in the evening, almost like they’re praying. These are plants for shady spots that can brighten up a dark area.

During the nighttime “prayer,” the bright green patterns on top of the medallion-shaped leaves show up, as does the rich burgundy underneath. This makes the Calathea Medallion one of the most good-looking indoor plants.

These captivating plants are good-looking and catch the eye, bringing life to any space. Luckily, once you understand their growing needs, they’re easy to grow and don’t need much fussing over.

Calathea Medallion Care Quick Overview

Scientific Name	Calathea veitchiana
Common Name	Calathea Medallion, Medallion Prayer Plant
Plant Type	Delicate year-round plant
Origin	Comes from the tropics in South America like Brazil and Ecuador
Color	Green with patterns and burgundy/purple underside leaf
Height:	2 Feet tall (0.61 meters)
Watering	When the topsoil is dry, you can give your plant a drink
Temperature	It likes temps between 65-85 degrees.
Favorable Climate	Tropical Climate
Soil Type	Porous soil
Fertilizing	Low in potassium and high in nitrogen
Propagation	Division
Toxicity	Non-toxic
Status	One of a kind

Calathea Medallion care tips

Ideal Water

Giving your Calathea Medallion a drink is super important. This plant naturally grows at the base of trees in forests, so they’re used to dampness. Calathea medallion prayer plants need well-draining soil that dries out a bit between waterings.

It’s nearly impossible to predict how often you’ll need to give your Calathea medallion a drink because of the many elements that affect how often your prayer plant needs a drink. Checking the soil’s dampness is the best way to figure out when to water your plants. Your Calathea needs a drink if the soil is dry 1 inch below the surface.

Depending on its growth speed and size, your Calathea plant may need a drink once a week or more throughout the spring and summer when it’s growing like crazy.

During the fall and winter, when it slows down a bit, it’ll often need less water and may go two weeks without a drink. But watch out! The soil may dry up more quickly if the air in your home is dry. Considering these points, watering needs to be tweaked or upped.

The chemicals can harm Calathea medallion plants in tap water since they’re pretty fussy about what kind of water they get. If possible, use clean, pure water to water your Calathea medallion plant. If not, let the tap water stand outside all night before giving your plants a drink. The chlorine and other toxins in the water will spread out and disappear.

Water your plant until water runs out easily from the bottom of the pot. Once the water is fully drained, empty the saucer or catch basin. Never let your prayer plant stand in a saucer of water since this can encourage root rot and other fungi infections.

Regular watering calathea is necessary for your plant, but the soil shouldn’t be too wet. The Calathea Medallion is a typical indoor plant that doesn’t like to be soggy for too long. Long-term contact with wet soil can lead to root rot and other issues.

Finally, each plant may have different watering needs. Before watering, examine the state of the soil, the surrounding environment, the location, and the state of the leaves.

Humidity

Calathea medallion is a popular choice for houseplants because it’s pretty easy to look after and can handle less light. However, this plant does need high humidity to thrive. The ideal level of moisture for this plant is around 60-70%. If the air in your home is too dry, the leaves will begin to curl and fall.

To up the moisture around your Calathea medallion, you can mist the leaves regularly, place the pot on a tray of stones, or use a humidifier. If you live in a particularly dry climate, you may need to do all of these things to keep your plant healthy.

It’s also important to make sure that your Calathea Medallion is not in direct sun, as this can cause the leaves to burn.

Here are some handy tips for watering your Calathea:

A great way to look after these plants is to mist them at least once every week.
A humidifier may be the best option in the winter; the moisture level should be 50%.
Lifting the pots’ bottoms off the tray, maybe with the help of stones, will help keep dampness
Increase air circulation, and protect from root rot.
Placing within the kitchen or bathroom may be the best habitat.

Ideal light

Bright and indirect light is the best light for this type of Calathea. While Calathea medallion enjoys low to medium light, it still needs enough bright, indirect light to keep its beautiful color. Don’t worry if the colors begin to fade on plants grown in low light. You can often get back the prettiness of your Calathea medallion plant by moving it to an area where it will receive brilliant indirect light.

Calathea medallion shouldn’t be placed in direct sun because the leaves are tender and can easily get burnt. You can either grow your plants a few feet away from a southern or western window. To soften the light and protect your Calathea plant from the sun’s damaging rays, use a thin curtain to block direct sunlight from a sunny window.

You may also like: Calathea light requirements: What you need to know to keep your plant happy

Required temperature

Calathea Medallion likes it warm, somewhere between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit. This plant is a tropical native and can’t stand the cold. If the temperature goes below 65 degrees, the leaves will start to droop and turn brown. If the temp goes above 80 degrees, the leaves will curl up.

It’s best to grow your Calathea Medallion in a pot if you live somewhere with really cold winters. That way, you can bring it inside when the mercury drops.

You might need to do something to increase the moisture in the air near your Calathea because it’s usually quite a bit lower in a normal home. Especially in winter when the heating is cranked up.

Make sure your plant isn’t somewhere drafty, and watch out for quick changes in temp. Also, keep them away from heat sources and radiators.

Fertilizer

Calathea Medallions should only get a bit of fertilizer. Any all-purpose fertilizer that keeps leaves healthy and is often used on houseplants will do.

Dilute the fertilizer to a quarter of its normal power for best results and to stop overfeeding.

It’s a good idea to feed your plant once a month from the beginning of spring to the end of summer. During winter, you might want to reduce the feeding or stop it altogether.

On the flip side, poor growth, a small plant, and/or closed or droopy leaves might mean that you need to feed your plant more.

Calathea Medallion isn’t a big eater and won’t do well with too much fertilizer, but it needs regular feeding to replace the nutrients it takes from the soil.

Here’s a couple of things to remember when feeding your Calathea Medallion:

First, this plant does best with an even mix of fertilizer that contains both nitrogen and phosphorus. A good rule of thumb is to use a fertilizer that has an N-P-K ratio of 2-1-2.
Second, you’ll want to be sure to water your plant before feeding. This will help the roots take up the nutrients better.
Finally, it’s important not to overfeed your Calathea Medallion. Too much fertilizer can cause leaf damage and other problems.

Soil

Like other Calathea plants, the Calathea Medallion prefers damp soil that drains easily and doesn’t get soggy. If you need help picking soil for your Calathea Medallion, consider this:

Use top-notch potting soil: Calathea Medallion needs a potting soil that is rich in stuff like peat moss, coconut coir, or compost. It should also drain well.
If your potting mix is too heavy or holds too much water, you can make it drain better by adding perlite or coarse sand. These will help you avoid issues with the soil like root rot.
Stay away from heavy garden soils because they tend to hold too much water and can choke the roots of plants like Calathea Medallion.
Consider a mix without soil: A soilless mix, like one based on peat or sphagnum moss, is another choice for Calathea Medallion. These mixtures hold water well, aren’t too heavy, and drain well.

In general, it’s important to give your Calathea Medallion soil that drains well while holding onto enough moisture to keep the plant hydrated. Don’t forget to renew the soil and promote good growth, repot your plant every year or two.

You may also like: Best Soil For Calathea: How to choose the exact and proper

Insect

There are loads of natural pests that bug Calathea Medallions. They’re especially at risk from spider mites, which will dull the normally sharp, mixed colors and cause the leaves to take on a faded brown look.

Bugs like mealybugs, aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and scale insects also pose a risk to Calathea.

Fungus gnats hang out under the surface of the soil where the plant’s potted because these gnats prefer damp soil. When this happens, stop watering the plant until the top 1 to 2 inches of soil have dried up.

Even though home remedies like alcohol or dish soap might work on the bugs, they can burn the leaves.

Choose from a variety of products available, like organic and non-toxic insecticidal oils and sprays, horticultural oils, pyrethrins, and neem oil. It’s important to use these in the right amounts as advised by the makers to keep the plant healthy.

There can be more natural treatments for outdoor Calathea Medallions. Aphid infestations outside, for example, can be sorted out by introducing ladybugs to the area where the plant beds are located.

Spider mite. Although they normally dislike too much humidity, these will happily tolerate it for Calathea. Until their numbers increase and you can see their unique webs, they’re super easy to miss. Remove them by hand and rinse them off with water or wipe off the leaves as much as you can. For a few weeks, spray plants with pesticides, organic or not, to get rid of them.

Thrips are also fairly common. These bugs move quickly and are hard to see. Small, slender insects, the larvae are white, while the adults are black. Their unique sign, silvery streaks on the leaves, can be seen. As these plants spread fast, act fast and treat other plants as well.

Pruning

Trimming your Calathea medallion is a fab way to keep it looking its best. Trimming helps to encourage new growth and can also help to manage the size and shape of your plant.

When trimming, be sure to get rid of any dead or damaged leaves, as well as any stems that are crossing or touching each other. You can trim your Calathea medallion as needed, but typically, once every few months is enough.

Propagation

Propagation is how you create new plants from existing ones. The most usual way of propagation for Calathea Medallion is by dividing. This can be done by carefully separating the root ball into two or more parts, making sure that each part has at least one good leaf. The parts can then be repotted into individual pots filled with fresh, well-draining soil.

How to Propagate Calathea Medallion by division

Water the plant well the day before dividing to make the root ball easier to handle.
Carefully remove the plant from its pot, taking care not to damage the roots.
Gently loosen the root ball and divide it into two or more parts, making sure that each part has at least one good leaf.
Repot the parts into individual pots filled with fresh, well-draining soil.
Water the plants well and place them in a warm, sunny place.

How to Propagate Calathea Medallion by stem cuttings

You can grow more Calatheas from stem bits, though it’s a bit tougher than propagating from division. Here’s how to grow more Calathea Medallion from stem bits:

Pick a good stem: Look for a stem on your Calathea Medallion that’s long enough to have several nodes or joints. Pick a stem that’s healthy and free from any hints of sickness or harm.
Snip the stem: Using a sharp, clean set of pruning scissors, make a neat snip just below a bump or joint. Ideally, the snip should be about 4-6 inches long.
Take off lower leaves: Carefully take off the lower leaves from the snip, leaving a couple of top leaves as is.
Get the cutting to root: Dip the snipped end of the stem into root-boosting stuff and put it into a small pot filled with damp plant soil. Cover the pot with plastic or wrap to hold in moisture.
Put in a sunny, warm spot: Calathea Medallion bits need bright, indirect light and warm temperatures to root successfully. Keep the pot in a warm spot with bright, filtered light.
Keep it moist: Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. Check the soil often and water as needed to keep the soil consistently moist.
Wait for roots to show up: After a couple of weeks, gently pull on the cutting to see if it has grown roots. If there is resistance, then roots have shown up.
Move the cutting: Once roots have shown up, you can move the cutting into a larger pot with quick-drying soil and continue to look after it like you would an older Calathea Medallion plant.

Remember, growing more Calathea Medallion from stem bits can be tough, so hang in there and don’t quit if it doesn’t work at first. With time and tries, you can successfully grow this wow-worthy plant.

Common problems & questions of Calathea Medallion

Calathea Medallion is a gorgeous indoor plant that a lot of folks love for its one-of-a-kind leaves. Though it’s usually simple to look after, there are some usual queries and troubles that can pop up with this plant. Some questions that often pop up include:

Why is my Calathea Medallion not flowering?

If you’re having trouble getting your Calathea Medallion to flower, it’s likely because it isn’t getting enough light. This plant likes bright, indirect light. If it isn’t getting enough light, the leaves will get leggy. Shift your plant to a brighter spot and see if it helps.

Why is my Calathea Medallion Leaves Curling?

If you spot curled leaves, your plant is likely super dehydrated or the air’s too dry.

Be sure to check for bugs because they can make the leaves curl, like spider bugs.

Good Calathea Medallion Care isn’t complex, but there are a few things to remember. Here are some tips:

To keep your Calathea Medallion healthy and blooming, be sure to give it brightly indirect light and fertile, well-drained soil.
Be careful not to overwater your plant, as this can cause root rot. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out before watering again.
During the warmer months, you may want to mist your plant occasionally to help increase humidity.
Be sure to keep an eye out for common pests such as aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites.
These can be controlled with insecticidal soap or other organic pest control solutions.
Lastly, make sure to fertilize your plant every month during the growing season. Use a balanced fertilizer diluted to half-strength.
I hope this FamiPlants post helps you keep your plants healthy and attractive! With proper Calathea Medallion Care, your Calathea Medallion will continue to grace your home with its beautiful foliage for years to come!

If you’re having any problems with your Calathea Medallion that are not listed here, please feel free to contact us or comment for more help. We’d be happy to help you troubleshoot your plant. Thanks for reading!

Learn more about Other Calathea care resources:

Calathea Medallion Care: The Complete And Best Guide