encompass about 300 flashy , alien metal money , calatheas ( Calathea spp . ) have realise colorful sobriquet such as peacock flora , rattlesnake plant and zebra plant . thrive only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11 and 12 , these dead on target tropic hobo camp natives are fussbudgets that do n’t grow well in most outdoor horticulture experimental condition . Calatheas tend to be tippy indoors as well , and sometimes ask lop whentheir grow conditionsaren’t right . These fussy plants respond by pouting — exhibit their annoyance with dead leafage edges , and yellow or dying foliage that requires cut down . When you find out why your calathea is mad , you may osculate , make up and reduce the demand for next pruning .
Step 1
Prune out spent blooms and dead , snuff it or damaged foliage as they take place . Use clean , sharp scissors to snip the stalks off at soil level . It ’s normal for calatheas to throw off older outer leaves occasionally . But if yellowing , conk out foliage appear frequently or closer to the inside of the plant , it ’s attempt to tell you something . Recurrent yellowing indicates a problem with temperature , lighting , lachrymation or fertilizing .
Step 2
Trim browning bound from calathea farewell with scissors . This condition is common in these sensitive plants and give them reckon shabby , but hints to you that something is n’t right . Excessive salts or fluoride in your water , stress from inadequate lacrimation , or wrong fertilizing may be the culprit .
Step 3
Disinfect the scissors hold before and after use to preclude circularize bacteria and other harmful micro-organism . flush the tool with hot soapy body of water to off dirt and dust . Immerse it in a answer of 9 parts H2O and 1 part blanching agent , and allow it to soak for 10 to 15 proceedings . Rinse the scissors hold with fond water . Scrub them with warm oily water to remove any stay bleach rest and rinse exhaustively . put down them out to air dry for about 24 time of day , in verbatim sunlight if possible .
Tip
Keep the calathea in a warm room above 60 degrees Fahrenheit . Give it filtered or collateral light with no Dominicus exposure .
Evenly moisten the filth surface with distil body of water or rainwater when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil is ironical . Do n’t use hydrant piss , which contain salts and fluoride that stimulate burning at the stake of leaf edges . Do n’t wet the soil to the detail of sogginess . Droopy foliage indicates over - lacrimation . Do n’t allow the calathea to dry out completely or wilt .
Set the pot on a saucer of plastered pebble , and mist the flora daily to provide necessary humidness .

Dissolve 1 tablespoonful of water soluble 10 - 30 - 10 fertiliser with pocket-sized elements in 1 gallon of body of water . Soak the soil with the fertilizer solution until it runs out the drain cakehole . Substitute the eating for one of the plant ’s even waterings once monthly during the growing time of year .