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Calathea Fasciata is a widely popular house plant, and you have probably seen it in numerous spots and corners. If you are a plant enthusiast, you are likely in possession of one yourself or are heavily considering adding it to your plant collection.
This enchanting plant attracts both hardcore plant lovers and people who are not so committed to gardening but just want a nice one for their living room. One of the reasons for such immense popularity is its big, shiny leaves, easily recognizable by their dark and light green stripes.
There are many variations in the Calathea plant family, but in this article, we’ll dive deep into details about Calathea Fasciata.
Here’s what we’ll be going through in this article:
- Exploring various types of Calathea
- How to water it adequately?
- What are the light and temperature requirements?
- Which type of soil does it prefer?
- How often do you need to fertilize it?
- Instruction manual on pruning
- How to propagate it properly?
- Important tips on repotting
- Common issues and how to solve them
- FAQ
Without further ado, let’s get down to learning!
Exploring Various Types of Calathea
Even if you’re not the biggest plant enthusiast, you’ve probably heard about the zebra plant, peacock plant, rattlesnake plant, or cathedral widow during a conversation, or while reading a home decor article.
These are just some of many, many different plants in the huge Calathea family.
They are native to the tropical parts of America, but many species are very popular as house pot plants. The Calathea family consists of over a dozen species, and more than 300 cultivates.
Even though there are a lot of different types of Calathea, they are all pretty similar not only regarding the appearance (big, decorative beautiful leaves) but maintenance as well- they’re pretty non-demanding plants.
Some of the species even grow big colorful leaves!
The most common types are the following:
- Calathea Rufibarba
- Calathea Zebrina
- Calathea Lancifolia
- Calathea Beauty Star
- Calathea Vittata
- Calathea Leitzei
- Calathea Medallion
- Calathea Musaica
- Calathea Makoyana
- Calathea Roseopicta
- Calathea Ornata
- Calathea Orbifolia
But, my main focus here will be Calathea Fasciata. Let’s see what are the main details you need to know about this species before you decide to decorate your working or living space with one!
Related: Calathea Guide – How to Care for Calathea Plants
How to Water It Adequately?
Since the Fasciata is originally from the tropical climate and therefore adapted to be surrounded with rain regularly, it prefers having a regular but moderate water supply even as a potted house plant.
Generally speaking, it prefers a moist environment. You will know that it’s time for watering when there are 5-10 centimeters of the soil that are dry. Also, you will want to make sure the soil is not overwatered because it can cause numerous problems.
Overall, what you need to do with your Fasciata is to find the perfect balance of wetness and watering.
Expert tip: The reason why you should be careful with overwatering is to avoid attracting different types of fungus and molds. Avoid getting the foliage wet!
What Are the Light and Temperature Requirements?
Both aspects should be a reflection of the plant’s native habitat.
Considering the light requirements, it requires bright, yet not direct sunlight. Another solution for it to do well could also be keeping it in a partial shade. This is one of the reasons why people love to keep it as a houseplant- it can tolerate being in spaces with low lighting.
What can happen if you leave it long in direct sunlight?
Well, if you happen to leave it for a time too long in direct sunlight, the foliage might get burned.
If you, however, make the accidental mistake and leave your Fasciata exposed to bright light, you should know that the most common reactions to be expected are brown or even burnt leaves.
So, if that’s something you notice on your plant, it is the sign to reconsider its placement.
When it comes to the temperature in general, the best environment for this kind of house plant is a medium warm temperature. You will want your surroundings to be anywhere between 10 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Another important environmental requirement that you should have in mind when keeping this plant is humidity. Fasciata is a plant coming from a tropical climate, so you should be having higher humidity levels in your home.
Expert tip: If you notice low humidity levels in your home, start misting it more often but not excessively, put a pebble tray under the pot or invest in a good humidifier.
Which Type of Soil Does It Prefer?
The perfect solution for Calathea Fasciata is to be in porous soil. The more the pores, the better the air and water flow, which is what this beauty needs.
Any commercial mix for indoor plants does the job here. For example, you can use African violet soil.
How Often Do You Need to Fertilize It?
When it comes to fertilizing, the requirements change depending on the time of the year.
In the wintertime, you can put just a little fertilizer not more frequently than once in two months. However, in summer, you should up the feeding to two times a month.
There are many different fertilizers on the market, and many of them can work well for this plant as well. Since we’re talking about an indoor plant, you can expect fertilizers that are slow releasing to work well. Also, a balanced domestic liquid plant fertilizer will bring good results.
Instruction Manual on Pruning
Like most common indoor plants, Calathea Fasciata as well requires frequent pruning.
Mostly, you should do this if you want to keep your plant in the size and shape that you desire to have. The foliage should also be trimmed, as it adds to the neat and tidy look of the plant.
With pruning, you will reduce the demand that the Fasciata has for developing a larger root system, which is especially important with roots being in a confined space.
How to Propagate It Properly?
When it comes to propagation, the species from the Calathea family won’t give you lots of trouble. The most common propagating method for this family and the Calathea Fasciata itself is the division of rhizomes.
What you need is a healthy mother plant to make it work. Here are a couple of useful hints for you:
- Keep the newly divided segments warm and moist. To achieve this, you can even take some type of thin plastic sheet and then cover the pot with it.
- Avoid having the baby plants in high sun-exposed areas, until they are in their active growing stage.
- Propagate your plant during either spring or summer months.
Important Tips on Repotting
When you purchase your Calathea plant, if the pot is too small, you should repot it as soon as possible, so it has the place to grow adequately.
After that, you should repot it every 2 to 3 years in a pot that is slightly larger. The best time to do it is in the spring, during its active growing season. You should water it thoroughly the day before repotting.
Among the main reasons why you should repot your Fasciata is to help prevent root rot and other fungal diseases.
Common Issues and How to Solve Them
Leaves are turning brown on the edges?
Some of the reasons why the leaves of your Fasciata or any other Calathea plant are turning brown on the edges can be water quality, low humidity, dry soil. Also, maybe it’s close to some drafty areas, or even in a chilly environment overall.
This is how you can fix it:
- Remove entire brown leaves using sharp gardening tools. You need to remove those as they will not turn green again.
- Between each snip, wipe the blades of your tools with rubbing alcohol.
- Trim the plant in stages. It’s not recommended to remove more than 20% of your plant at once – it could be a shock for Calathea.
Leaves of the plant are curling?
The reason for this could be either lack of water or low humidity. You should probably work on getting more water to it.
If you think that maybe the temperature is a bit off, then move it to some shadier but not too dark spot. Mind the temperature, make sure it’s moderate.
Rots are rooting?
The reason behind this problem is probably excessive watering. That’s what makes the soil too damp. To solve this problem, pot it in an adequate container. The one that has proper drainage.
There is gray mold on the stems – what is that?
This problem comes from the plant’s environment being too humid. You need to find the perfect balance. What you can do to fix it, and prevent it in the future, is to make sure that the room is ventilated. Of course, without drought.
Patterns on the leaves are fading and disappearing – what went wrong?
If you expose your plant to too much sunlight, there will be more chlorophyll made. That will make the leaves just overall greener, and less patterned. To prevent this, keep your plant in a shadier, but not too dark place.
FAQ
Should I mist Calathea Fasciata?
Yes, you should. But you have to make sure that you are not misting foliage or making it soggy, as it might lead to some other problems. To give your plant some extra boost of humidity, you can put it in your bathroom.
Is it okay for Calathea to be root-bound?
No, not at all. The roots need space to grow comfortably, they need to be able to breathe. So, if there are several rosettes at the plant’s base, that means that it’s time to divide them and repot the plant.
Is this plant poisonous to people and animals?
You can be completely at ease since it’s not poisonous at all. But, you should keep it out of reach from pets and little kids. Both are prone to eating soil or picking at leaves of indoor plants, and that’s not the wisest (and the healthiest) thing to do. Plus, you don’t want your plant to be picked at and hurt in the process!
Is this an invasive plant?
This plant is not known to be invasive at all. Chances for it to overgrow are almost non-existent.
How to recognize root rotting?
Firstly, there are obvious indicators, such as the plant being sad, weakened and wilted, and the foliage dying and dropping. But, another important thing to do is to sniff the soil. If it has an unpleasant smell that can trigger you to even vomit, then that’s a sure sign that the roots are rotting.
As for the look of roots themselves, when they’re rotting they usually have a soft, brown, and slimy look to them. Roots looking like that should be removed if you want your plant to have any chance to be saved.
Final Thoughts
I truly hope my guide on Calathea Fasciata brought you some valuable insights. As you can see, there’s nothing overly complicated about it. I’d say well-balanced humidity is the crucial thing to make it thrive.
Which tools do you use to prune your Calathea Fasciata? Share your experience with me, I can’t wait to hear from you!
