One common type of Calathea plants is Calathea vittata. It comes from Brazil in South America and loves thick woods.
When looking after your Calathea vittata, there are a few things you gotta know. This plant is a tropical, meaning it loves humidity and warmth. To keep your Calathea looking its best, give these things and follow the tips in this guide. Keep reading to learn more about Calathea Vittata Care: The Complete And Best Guide.
Calathea Vittata Care Quick Overview
| Botanical Name | Calathea Vittata |
| Common Name | Prayer Plant Vittata, Maranta Vittata, Calathea Elliptica |
| Plant Family | Marantaceae |
| Origin | Brazil and South America |
| Plant Type | perennial |
| Leaf Shape | elliptical |
| Leaf Color | bright green with sleek white stripes |
| Recommended Home Placement | near an east or west-facing window |
| Growth Rate | moderate |
| Light | bright indirect light |
| Soil | usual store-bought potting soil |
| When To Water | Water when the top bit of soil’s dry. |
| When To Fertilize | once a month when it’s growing |
| Preferred pH | 6.5-7.5 |
| Humidity Range | 50%-70% |
| Toxicity | It’s not poisonous |
Calathea vittata Care Tips
Watering
You gotta water your Calathea Vittata right and often. Only water it when the soil’s dry – typically, this happens every 7-10 days. In the summer, it needs watering every two to three days, and in the winter, it is only once a week.
Always keep the soil damp because this tropical plant needs it. Don’t let the soil entirely dry out.
Use a moisture meter or stick your finger in to see if your plant needs watering or not. If the soil sticks to your finger after dipping it into the soil up to the second knuckle, don’t water the plant and check back in a few days.
Some tips for watering Calathea Vittata:
- Water with lukewarm water to avoid shocking your plant with cold liquid.
- You can also spray the leaves of your Calathea Vittata to increase humidity.
- Water around the edges of the pot, not directly on the crown of the plant.
- Make sure to dump any extra water in the saucer after watering so your Calathea Vittata doesn’t sit in soggy soil.
Giving this pretty plant too much water can kill it, so only water when necessary and always let the soil dry before watering again. It may be a sign of too much water if you see your plant’s leaves turning yellow and curling in on themselves. If you spot any of these signs, change your watering schedule.
Lastly, don’t use hard or mineral-heavy water which can cause discoloration and leaf spots.
Ideal Humidity
The sweet spot for humidity for Calathea vittata is between 60% and 70%. You gotta keep the humidity steady to stop the plant from drying out or getting overly wet, which can cause issues like brown tips on the leaves or fungus growth.
By using a humidifier, setting up a tray of water nearby, putting plants together, misting the leaves often, or any mix of these methods, you can crank up the humidity level around the plant. To avoid too much dampness, good airflow is also super important.
Ideal light Calathea Vittata Care
The best light for calathea Vittata is some nice bright but not direct light. This means putting the plant in a spot of your home where it will get a few hours of direct sunlight but not too much.
Don’t put it near windows that are straight in the south or west because this can make the leaves burn and lose their color. It’s okay to put the plant several feet away from a sunny window or to use filtered light coming through sheer curtains.
Direct sunlight along with super hot temps can scorch the leaves and make them turn brown. If you give the right light, temperature, and humidity, calathea Vittata will grow some awesome colorful leaves that are sure to wow your visitors.
Although this plant likes the perfect conditions, it can make do in lower light spots but may not grow as many new leaves or show off as much green.
Required temperature
The needed temperature range for Calathea Vittata is between 70-85°F (21-29°C). Calathea Vittata loves warm temperatures, but keep it away from drafts or sources of heat like radiators and air conditioning vents.
Don’t shock it with sudden temp changes. For a few days, Calathea Vittata can handle temps below 60 °F, but if it’s super cold for a long time, the plant will droop. So, as soon as it drops below 60 °F outside in the fall, bring the Calathea Vittata plant inside.
If the temperature drops too much, it can start drooping and leaf discoloration. Below 15 or 16°C can be bad news because the plant could freeze to death.
If the temperature gets too hot, the leaves may start to curl or brown at the tips. To make sure your Calathea Vittata stays healthy, keep an eye on where it’s at and give it the right cover against extreme temps.
Soil
The Marantaceae family of plants includes the Calathea vittata, which needs soil that drains well. Peat moss, perlite, and a tiny bit of sand should be used to make the best mix for the soil for Calathea vittata.
Here’s a recipe for a soil mixture that’s good for Calathea vittata:
- 1 part perlite to 2 parts peat moss
- 1/fourth sand
Mix everything up good, and check that the soil drains well to stop waterlogging, which can lead to root rot. A pH range of 5.5 to 6.5 that is slightly acidic is also what Calathea vittata prefers.
Don’t forget to water your Calathea vittata a lot and well, but let the soil dry up a bit before watering it again. Don’t use hard water or water that has too much salt because these conditions might cause tip burn and leaf browning.
Fertilizer
Feeding your Calathea Vittata is a big deal for caring for this type of houseplant. You gotta feed it every two weeks during growth time, and just a bit in the winter.
Use an even mix feed (20-20-20) and water it down to half strength. When feeding, don’t let it touch the leaves, as that can hurt it.
Feed should be given to wet soil and washed in real well right away. Don’t feed it too much, as this can hurt the roots. Leaf feeding with a liquid feed is another choice for Calathea Vittata.
Use feed like the instructions say. After watering, make a watered-down mix and use it. Don’t feed the plant too much. Extra salt will pile up in the soil and make it sick. Droopy plants and leaves turning yellow are signs of too much feed.
You gotta use a sharp thing to dig up the soil and then wash it off with water running after spotting the salt layer on the soil’s top. Too much salt will run out from the drain hole when the soil is flushed, along with the water.
Repotting
Moving Calathea Vittata is a piece of cake that you should do every year or so. Repotting your Calathea plant is best done at the beginning of spring before growth time starts.
- Start by gently taking out the plant from its pot and softly shaking off any extra soil.
- Get a new, a bit bigger pot than before, add new drainage stuff to the bottom (like pebbles).
- Put in some new mix of potting soil and slow-release feed.
- Carefully put the plant back in the new pot, pressing down a bit to get rid of air holes and make sure of good contact of roots with the soil.
- Water often, making sure it doesn’t stay wet for too long.
- Put in a bright spot away from direct sun.
Calathea Vittata likes to be moved every year or so to keep fit. It grows best in bright, indirect light and always wet soil. When moving, be sure to use a pot with enough drainage and new potting soil that contains slow-release feed for perfect growing spots.
Pruning
Calathea vittata naturally keeps a small size and shape, so you don’t have to trim it much. To keep the plant looking tidy, you can still pull off any yellow or brown leaves.
With clean, sharp trimming scissors, snip any stems that look too long or skinny down to where the plant starts. This will help new stuff grow and aid in keeping the plant looking thick.
Don’t take off more than a third of the plant’s leaves at once to stop the plant from stressing out and stopping its growth. Instead, trim as needed slowly over time.
Also, to make it grow thicker and stop the plant from getting too tall, you can regularly nip off the tips of new sprouts.
Calathea Vittata Care propagation
Making more Calathea Vittata is fun and rewarding. You can do this by splitting the parent plant. This works best for growing more Calathea Vittata.
If you’re growing more plants through splitting the parent plant:
- Carefully take out the parent plant from its pot and break it into sections. Each piece should have at least three leaf sets.
- Brush off the extra soil from the roots and see if you need to snip off any stems.
- Plant each piece in a grow pot filled with damp soil or grow mix.
- Put the grow pots somewhere with light, but no direct sun.
- Keep the soil damp but not soaked, and roots should start showing up within 3-4 weeks.
After you’ve separated the baby plants from the mom plant, put the mom plant back in its old pot. Then, wait a few days before moving all your new plants to their final spots.
To grow more of these lovely little plants, propagate Calathea Vittata. The best time to grow more plants is early spring, when the growing season is just starting.
Calathea Vittata Common Pests & Common Problems
Common Pests
Usual bugs that love to bother Calathea Vittata plants include mealybugs, aphids, thrips, scale bugs, and spider mites.
- Mealybugs are squishy bugs with a shiny cover that feed on the plant’s sap.
- Aphids are teeny green or black bugs that suck the sap of leaves and stems
- Thrips are skinny bugs with fuzzy wings that can mess up the leaves and flowers of the plant.
- Scale bugs are small, stuck-in-place bugs that feed on sap from the plant’s stems or leaves and can cause color change or slow growth.
- Spider mites are tiny eight-legged spiders that suck on the sap of leaves and stems, leaving behind webby leftovers.
Common signs that your plant has been bugged by any of these pests include leaves turning yellow or drooping, color change or spots on the leaves, sticky sugary goo on the plant, and slow growth.
If you spot any signs of bugs, it’s important to act quick. Common fixes for bug problems include bug-killing soaps, neem oil, and plant oils.
It’s also important to keep your plant clean and check the bottom of leaves often for signs of bugs. Regularly cutting off any affected leaves can help stop the bugs from spreading.
Also, make sure to keep your plant somewhere with lots of air moving around because bugs love to hang out in warm and humid spots. Doing all this can help make sure your Calathea Vittata stays happy and bug-free.
Common Problems
Fav indoor plants like Calathea vittata are known for their unique leaf designs and easy upkeep. Calathea vittata, like any houseplants, could run into problems if not taken care of properly, though. Here’s a few typical issues that you could run into when taking care of Calathea vittata:
- Overwatering: One of the most common problems with Calathea vittata is overwatering. These plants like a moist setting as far as it is not soggy. Root rot and other problems can happen by overwatering or leaving the plant in standing water.
- Underwatering: This can also be an issue, on the other hand. The leaves of Calathea vittata can droop and wilt if the soil is allowed to totally dry out since it likes to be kept continually moist.
- Leaf damage: The delicate leaves of the Calathea vittata are readily harmed by rough touch, direct sun, or cold breezes. To stop it spreading any bugs, damaged leaves should be removed.
- Fertilizer burn: It can happen from over-fertilizing Calathea vittata and show up as brown or yellow leaf tips. The fertilizer should be cut down to half strength and used based on a regular feed plan.
Wilting and curling of leaves
Underwatering or too much light can make leaves curl. The leaves try to curl while saving water. If you see any of these signs, check the soil right away, and if it feels dry, give the plant a nice drink so that the water comes out from the bottom holes.
If the plant is in an area that gets too much light, try moving it. To shield it from dry and warm weather, move it to a cooler, shadier area. When it gets too hot, leaves often curl up and droop.
Conclusion
While it’s tough to grow at first, once you get used to it your Calathea Vittata will be an easy-care and lovely addition to your home. With their bright leaves and skill at cleaning the air, these plants make for an ideal indoor plant for any plant fan. Follow the FamiPlants guide and you’ll be well on track to having a healthy and good-looking Calathea Vittata of your own. Thanks for checking out Calathea Vittata care and happy gardening!
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