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Calathea Louisae – 7 Caring and 6 Propagating Tips!

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Calathea Louisae is famous for brightening offices, indoor decorations, and meeting rooms with their exceptional foliage. They are also known as Thai beauty or prayer-plants.

These plants are very easy to care for and can adjust to many different environmental conditions, so do not worry if you have limited space at your room corner to place a plant because calathea can easily adjust itself to brighten your day in your room.

These plants can easily be grown in any indoor environment where minimal sun and water requirements are met. They have unique characteristics that set them apart from other indoor plants.

Some of these characteristics are listed below to give our users a better understanding of how these plants can fill your empty room with beautiful colors.

Calathea Louisae
Calathea Louisae – via Etsy

Characteristics of Calathea louisae

Foliage

These plants have one of the most attractive foliage that consists of dark green leaves with yellow stripes in the middle.

They provide a perfect balance of different colors to light up the whole environment of your room. The plant’s leaves have a ribs-like pattern that keeps on improving its beauty as the plant moves towards its mature age.

Hardiness zones

The hardiness zones of these plants are 8 or above, which shows that they prefer to grow under warmer climate conditions. Make sure that you place them inside your house if you live in a zone lower than 8 with freezing winters.

Height and width

These plants can grow up to 2-3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide. They have medium-sized leaves that can grow around 8 inches tall and 4 inches wide, so make sure that you provide these plants with an ideal space to grow into their mature size with ease.

Toxicity

These plants are pet friendly. They can be placed anywhere in your house without worrying about your children or pets getting any harm from It. We advise you to still keep your plant safe from pets because they can damage the beautiful leaves of your precious plant.

Origin

They grow in Brazilian rainforests under a high level of temperature and humidity. Please ensure that you keep them indoors in the winter season and make the environment as similar as possible to their origin.

These plants do quite well under normal household conditions but grow exceptionally well if you increase temperature and humidity by taking certain measures discussed later in this article.

Prayer plant

They are also known as prayer plants because of the movement of their leaves. After reaching its mature age, the leaves of the plant bows down in a way that is quite similar to the praying position.

They are loved even more for their unique behavior, making them one of the most fan-favorite plants in recent times.

Pest and other diseases

One of the most common problems for these prayer-plants are fungi and spider mites, so make sure that you repot your plant as soon as you detect any pest or disease infecting your plant.

If you notice a leave heavily infected by pests, remove the leave and quarantine the plant. Keep an eye on other leaves, and make sure that they are clear from pests.

Calathea Louisae
Calathea Louisae – via Etsy

Caring tips for Calathea Louisae

Sunlight

These plants require bright indirect sunlight for ideal growth. They grow under the shade of large trees in the rainforests of Brazil, so make sure that you provide them with enough sunlight that does not directly hit the sensitive foliage.

Harsh rays coming directly from the sun can burn the leaves of your plant, so keep them under partial shade to protect them.

Water

Water your prayer plant every two to three days, depending on the dryness of the soil. These plants prefer moist soil all the time, so water the plant to keep the moisture level up without flooding the pot. Increase the watering in the winter season, but reduce the amount of water.

We recommend you use filtered or rainwater instead of tap water as it can negatively affect your plant’s foliage.

Humidity

A high humidity level above 80 percent is preferable; however, these plants do quite well under average household humidity levels between 50 and 60.

We advise you to increase the humidity level by misting the plant regularly but make sure that you don’t leave too much water standing on the plant’s leaves.

Temperature

The ideal temperature range for these plants is between 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. A warmer environment allows them to grow at a better pace and health. In winters, place the plant where the temperature does not fall enough to stun the plant’s growth completely.

Soil

Prepare a good soil mix with the help of compost, perlite, and coco peat. Keep the pH level at 6.5, and fill the soil in a pot with a good drainage system.

Fertilizer

We advise you not to fertilize these plants because of their fast-growing nature; however, if you still want to boost your plant’s growth, fertilize them only between March and September. Please do not feed your plant with any fertilizer if you notice the damaging or sickening of the leaves.

Repotting

These new plantings need to be repotted every year for the first 4 years of their growth.

Propagating Calathea louisae

Calathea Louisae can be propagated with the help of the division method. A few tips to ensure proper propagation of your plant are as follows

  • Prayer plants spread to produce clumps on their sides.
  • Remove the clumps with the help of a knife or scissors.
  • Make sure that the clumps have roots attached to them.
  • At least two leaves must be attached to the removed clump.
  • Separate the roots carefully.
  • Plant them in the new pot and keep them hydrated for healthy growth.

Conclusion

Calathea Louisase is a complete solution for a beautiful indoor plant for your home or office requirements. You can easily ensure its proper care with the help of the tips provided in this guide, so make sure that you follow all the steps carefully to ensure a long and healthy life for your prayer plant.