The plant of kalatea is appreciated mainly for the beauty of variegated leaves, which have a variety of patterns depending on the variety. In nature there are about 150 varieties of these ornamental-deciduous plants, but only a few of them can be seen on our windowsills.
Florists note that kalatea behaves in a domestic environment is rather capricious, and not everyone can choose the right approach to it. If this motley beauty receives less than what it needs, then the leaves begin to dry, stretch and lose their bright, attractive appearance. Therefore, to admire this plant at home, you need to know about its characteristics and try to create the right conditions.
Features of care
The central point of care for kalatei at home is high humidity and sufficient temperature. Kalatea feels great when in summer heat the air temperature in the room is not lower than 25-28 ° С. If the temperature regime is exceeded, then the humidity should be increased. In winter, when most of the indoor flowers last for a rest period, the kalatea prefers a temperature of at least 18 ° C.
The earth in the pot with this plant should be moderately moist at all times. In order to reduce evaporation from the surface of the soil, it can be covered with a layer of moss. Water for irrigation is taken only from the standstill and necessarily at room temperature (it can be a little warmer), and even better - thawed.
Daily spraying several times a day will only benefit the kalatee - foliage will be a saturated green color, and a healthy view of the whole plant will please the eye. For spraying, take the same water as for irrigation. In hot months, when regular irrigation is not enough, a pallet with wet pebbles, in which a pot of kalatei is placed, will be an excellent option for moistening the air and keeping the soil moist.
The best place for kalatei in the house is the south or south-western windows. In this most sultry hours, you need to shade. On the eastern and northern windows, the leaves will begin to stretch, and the plant will lose its attractive shape.
If the kalatei dry the tips
It happens that all conditions seem to be observed, the owner has carefully studied the question of how to properly care for the flower kalatei, and the leaves for some reason dry, curl up into a tube, and then completely covered with ugly heels. What is the reason for this and how to save the plant?
The case may be in the poor care of the plant in the store. After all, where a lot of different colors are concentrated on a small area, it is difficult to observe ideal conditions for each of them.
After the purchase, if there is such a problem as the dried ends of the leaves, the plant must be transplanted into fresh soil and covered with a kind of greenhouse - a transparent cellophane package. This is explained by the fact that kalatea in the wild grows near water bodies, and high humidity is the best that can be saved.
Another reason that kalateya dries, there may be a cold sill on which it stands. After all, even if the apartment is hot and normal humidity, then the roots still may not have enough heat, which immediately affects the flower.
Primer for indoor plant kalateia
The earth in the pot must necessarily be changed once a year, preferably before activating the growth of the plant, that is, in the spring. The fact is that the roots of kalatei secrete in the soil throughout the life cycle harmful substances for it, and this adversely affects the development of new leaves. Soil should be selected weakly acid.
Care of the flower kalateya at home is an interesting activity. The first plant with which you can make friends, can be the beginning of a whole collection of these wonderful South American flowers.