The tropical plant Calathea Ornata sometimes called Calathea Pinstripe, or simply Pinstripe Plant is a wonderful option for an eye-catching houseplant because of its stunning pink striped leaves, which are almost like paintings!
Today we will discuss the watering requirements, the ideal location to store your brand-new Calathea, and what container to use for your new houseplant. All the information you require to welcome a healthy Calathea into your home and to know more, have a look at yardsurfer.com.
Between Spring and Autumn, one can use fertilizers monthly. Check out our all-natural and organic houseplant care tubes. Misting is necessary to maintain the health of your Calathea, as we already discussed. Use our well-liked green watering cans to directly water plants or mist them with a spray bottle.
Before putting the plant inside your house, we suggest you thoroughly inspect it for any potential damage and sickness. Even though your Calathea Ornata is healthy, we advise keeping the new plant separate from your other indoor plants.
Apart from these, there are several other factors that one needs to focus on to take care of them better.
Table of Contents
7 Essential Tips to Care for Your Pinstripe Calathea
Here is how you can take care of your Calathea plant.
- Prefer a Suitable Location
Since Calathea plants are tropical, they do best in settings with constant, bright indirect sunlight. Excellent locations are near east or west windows because they receive little direct sunshine, which would cause the color of the leaves to fade.
Keep your Calathea away from radiators and other sources of heat that produce dry surroundings. We also advise avoiding unexpected temperature fluctuations and chilly draughts because your Calathea won’t enjoy them.
- Ensure it Receives Appropriate Light
Like all Calatheas, the Pinstripe Calathea benefits from a powerful indirect light. However, neither excessive lighting nor insufficient lighting will do. It would be best if you struck a fine balance to ensure it remains healthy.
A north-facing window, particularly a large one, would be beneficial if you reside in the northern hemisphere, as this exposure does not receive direct sunlight.
A window with an eastern exposure is the best place for this plant. This exposure provides a kinder morning sun.
Avoid areas with excessive direct sunlight, especially during the middle of the day when it can be excessively powerful.
If all you have are very bright windows, move your plant further away from the window or use sheer curtains or partially drawn shutters to absorb the light.
Here’s our light recommendations:
- Water it Accordingly
Ensure to rinse the soil before it gets to this point where it begins to dry up because they don’t like it when it is dry. Similarly, you do not want to overwater it as well. The roots may decay if there is too much water or left in water for too long.
We advise periodically spraying your Calathea because they enjoy humidity. Although all Calathea plants require well-draining potting soil, they also prefer soil that retains moisture.
Although Calathes require frequent watering and misting, you should try to prevent standing water from collecting at the base of your plant. As a result, we typically advise keeping your plants in a plastic nursery pot. You can later place it inside a lovely and more ornamental stoneware pot or use the other option.
An essential part of maintaining the health of your Ornata is paying careful attention to the soil moisture and water quality.
It is crucial to monitor your soil moisture because these plants do not like to dry out. Therefore, your plant will benefit significantly from maintaining equally moist soil (while only allowing the soil surface to dry out completely).
- Ensure Proper Soil Quality and Moisture
You can pick potting soil available to you. Take three portions of a quality all-purpose blend, such as Espoma organic, plus either one portion of pumice or perlite. The advantage of pumice over perlite is that it doesn’t float to the top.
The Tilth Soil House mix is an excellent organic potting mix ready to use right out of the bag. Peat and sand must be in a 3:1 ratio.
Although achieving wilderness humidity levels in the typical home is unrealistic, some attention to raising humidity is crucial.
Increasing humidity during this time is crucial if you use forced heat and reside in a region with harsh winters since the air might dry.
If you can, aim for a humidity of 50 to 60 percent (and provide some air circulation as well, with a ceiling fan or small fan gently moving the air in your plant area).
- Check for Pests Timely
Spider mites, fungus gnats, and other pests may get attracted to Calathea. Maintaining more humid settings can deter spider mites. Conversely, dry air is ideal for spider mite growth.
You can give your plant a little rinse once a week in your shower or sink as a preventative measure to help manage and avoid spider mites.
This additional measure can stop the spread of undetected pests by your new Calathea. Two weeks will be plenty for the quarantine period; if everything appears to be in order after that time, relocate the Calathea Ornata to its permanent location.
- Remove the Yellow leaves
Extreme soil moisture levels are the leading cause of yellow foliage. Calathea will immediately protest in parched soil, and older leaves typically start to yellow first. Yellow leaves, on the other hand, may indicate root disease.
Similarly, you can witness curling leaves caused by cold weather, draughts, and, frequently, by the soil of your plant drying out too much. Again, it can be because your plant’s roots have begun to rot due to your soil becoming wet for an extended period.
- Proper Maintenance is Essential
You can remove the leaves using pruning shears or your fingers. However, the issue must be considered and treated with care if you see frequent leaf discoloration.
The Calathea will benefit from occasional showers to clean its huge leaves and help it absorb more moisture. A wet cloth should also be used to clean the leaves. Since Pink-Strip Calathea is a native of rainforests, it will also benefit from the occasional downpour.
The beautiful Calathea Ornata 🪴 #HouseplantHour pic.twitter.com/BL1mGld2OL
— JamsNature (@JamsNature) October 12, 2021
FAQs
Q. Why is my Calathea Ornata not growing?
Light is the most crucial element in growth. Of course, you’ll still need to pay care to things like temperature and proper watering. In all these cases, you want to ensure that you both provide sufficient resources and in excess.
Q. How much light is required for a Calathea Ornata?
Bright indirect light is necessary for the Calathea Ornata. The location next to a south-facing window, where it receives indirect light, is ideal. Avoid placing the Calathea in direct sunlight if you don’t want the lovely foliage to start fading.
Q. How do I get rid of pests on the Calathea Ornata?
Wash the leaves on both sides with soapy water to eliminate insects like spider mites. The spider mites will drown as a result and perish.
Q. What sort of soil is best for my Calathea Ornata?
Make sure to purchase soil that retains water exceptionally well because Calathea Ornata prefers damp soil. Aim to prevent the soil from being overly compacted. The roots must still be accessible to air.
Q. Does a Calathea Ornata require misting?
It’s a fantastic idea to mist your Calathea Ornata to maintain enough moisture levels for the plant’s continued health. As frequently as you can, try to do this.
Conclusion
It is possible to witness one or two leaves turning yellow and brown in hue, but it is nothing to worry about. Rarely do leaves die from aging; occasionally, leaves degrade naturally. Simply remove the plant’s stained leaves with a pruning shear.
Calathea Pinstripe does not require frequent trimming, but if you find any discolored leaves, you should remove them. Pruning dead leaves will direct more nutrients toward the healthy leaves, causing the plant to grow more vigorously.