If you have just obtained a brand new Calathea Orbifolia and wondering how to care for it, then you’re in the right place.
This sleek pattered plant will certainly look great as a houseplant, provided that you know what to do when growing and how to properly maintain it.
Also it could go well with an outdoor garden if you live in a tropical like environment similar to this plants native location.
So here we go.
Light requirements for Calathea Orbifolia
Thankfully Calathea Orbifolia thrives in bright indirect light which makes this all that much easier to grow as you just have to provide enough light with shade compared to full sun all day.
You really want to avoid direct light for the most part as this type of light can burn the leaves if too intense or left outdoors for too long during these conditions.
A little bit of direct light or full sun will be fine but the primary means should be partial sunlight for the duration of the day.
This will ensure your plant will stay happy and healthy and continue to grow quite well.
To provide this type of light you can just place your Calathea in a spot outdoors that has great shade or you can place this plant a few feet away from just about any window that gets light.
I say a few feet away because if the plant sits too close, direct light may be able to scorch the plant, even indoors.
It just depends on your windows though.
How to water Calathea Orbifolia
Watering Orbifolia can be a bit more tricky then providing light as this plant needs good drainage while still being able to retain moisture at the same time.
You don’t want this plant to completely dry out but you also don’t want standing water that can cause yellow leaves, root rot and other issues.
You want that middle ground which can only be done by watering at the right time and using certain types of soil mix.
In general, you will want to water your Orbifolia once the top inch or so of soil has dried out which will mean the lower soil will still be moist.
This could take a week or two in the warmer seasons or it could take much longer during the cooler months.
Also it will vary depending on how dry your climate is or isn’t as this plant needs high humidity to thrive and dry conditions will mean more frequent watering or a change in location.
This is why I always say you shouldn’t water on a schedule but rather go by how the soil is currently drying as this can prevent all sorts of problems.
So just water the soil fully and allow the water to flow freely through the drainage holes which you should be using and then wait until the top inch has completely dried out before watering again.
Soil for Calathea Orbifolia
As mentioned before, your Calathea Orbifolia will require soil that not only drains well but can hold at least a slight amount of moisture to grow well.
A great mixture for this will be some peat moss and perlite to keep it simple yet super effective.
You can start with 2/3 peat and 1/3 perlite and go from there adding or removing amounts to get to the desired level of drainage and or moisture retention.
Just be sure to not add anything that’s going to clump up the soil and cause poor drainage in the long run.
Just keep it simple and you will be good to go.
Temperature requirements
One thing you should know about Calatheas in general is that they certainly require warmer temperatures than your average plant to grow well.
They can’t stand the cold, literally.
Anything in the mid 50’s and below will start to cause issues with growth and much lower your plant will not survive.
The ideal growing range will be somewhere between 65 degrees and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
So if you live somewhere with good humidity and warm temperatures then you can be one of the few that can consistently grow Calathea Orbifolia outdoors.
Keep in mind, if the temperature drops down drastically at night then you will want to bring your plant indoors which can be a pain.
This is why most people will keep this plant as strictly a houseplant instead.
Plus you can keep temperatures super consistent indoors and in the ideal growing range at the same time.
The only problem you may face is humidity levels indoors.
Humidity
Calatheas require a good amount of humidity to maintain their exotic appearance and this plant is no exception.
You will want bare minimum 50% to 60% humidity levels for the best growth with the latter being more ideal.
If you feel that the levels are lacking indoors then there are a few ways you can increase levels, even if only for the room you’re using to grow.
First you can try leaving out a container of water nearby the plant as this water will slowly evaporate, thus increasing local humidity.
Plus you can use this water to water the plant when the time comes as most people will leave water sitting out before giving the plant a drink.
Next you can try grouping plants together to also increase local humidity levels further than you would if all your plants were far apart.
Another way will be to grow this plant in rooms with water sources nearby such as kitchens, bathrooms, etc.
Lastly you could just get a good humidifier to increase levels whenever you want.
I’ve always loved these things.
How to repot Calathea Orbifolia
Thankfully Calathea’s don’t require frequent repotting and you should only really do this if your plant is outgrowing the current container or if you’re looking to propagate.
That being said, the best time to repot will be during the active growing season so sometime in the spring or summer will be the best time.
To start you want to carefully remove the plant from the soil, keeping the rhizome intact which is the tube that contains the roots.
Next select a new container with the fresh soil mentioned before and fill it about a third of the way up, or just enough to where when you plant, the calathea will be how it was before height wise.
Now fill in around the plant with the remaining soil and add perlite as needed.
Go a bit easier on the watering just like you would when propagating plants.
Make sure this plant is still in partial light and you will be good to go.
Also be sure to only go up one pot size at a time to prevent the container from being too large and making root rot more of a risk as water won’t be able to drain as well.
Other than that, enjoy your repotting.
How to propagate Calathea Orbifolia
Propagating this calathea will be a bit different than other plants as the main way to propagate is by rhizome division compared to other methods.
To do this you will once again need to remove the plant from the soil while keeping everything intact.
Next you should check the roots and trim back any roots that look unhealthy if any as you will want healthy ones for the best chance of success.
Now cut the rhizome with some clean gardening shears or scissors in 2 to 4 inch segments which each should contain roots.
Next place one or two max per container in some fresh soil with each rhizome only being buried about half the depth as their width.
Keep the soil slightly moist but not as much water as you normally would to give the roots a chance to grow.
That’s really all there is to it.
How much should I fertilize?
You can certainly fertilize a Calathea Orbifolia but you will only want to do so every month or two at most, even during the active growing season.
You will also want to only use about 1/4 the strength that’s usually recommended as houseplants don’t need as much.
The reason you don’t want to use too much fertilizer or too often is because you can run into fertilizer burn if enough salts accumulate in the soil over time, damaging the roots in the process.
Flushing the soil every so often can take care of these salts though.
Just bring your plant to a sink and let water go through the soil for about 5 mins or so, giving the soil a chance to get rid of the salts.
How to deal with pests
If you suspect you’re having a pest issue such as mealybugs, aphids, mites or other types of pests then I would just use some neem oil to combat them and help keep them away.
Just remember to only use the neem at night to give it a chance to dry before letting sunlight shine on your Calathea.