Rattlesnake plant ( Goeppertia insignis ) is a tropical evergreen perennial indigene to Brazil , unremarkably maturate as an indoor houseplant . It can be hard to take caution of and is n’t the best houseplant for beginners because it needs specific measure of light , heat , and water .
If you take the time to care for it , though , you will be rewarded with beautiful leaves that are crinkly along the edges and get in many shades of honey oil . Even the bottom of the leaf are middle - get with their beautiful purplish - bolshie whole tone .
The rattlesnake plant grows course in Hawaii , Florida , and California . In previous outpouring , it has small yellow blossom . But as a houseplant , it is only grown for its foresightful , beautiful folio because it does n’t bloom much inside .
Plants typically grow to about 20 inches tall when grown as houseplants in nursery or terrariums . Indoors , rattlesnake plants grow at a moderate rate . However , if they are in bad conditions , they will slow down or stop mature .
The calathea insignis , also known as the rattlesnake plant , is a popular houseplant known for its striking green and white stripy foliage . With its coloured leaves and tropical vibration , it ’s easy to see why this plant is a ducky for many plant parent However , give care for a calathea insignis requires a turn more effort than your ordinary houseplant . This picky plant has specific needs when it comes to water , humidness , and abstemious . Read on to learn the bakshish and conjuring trick to keeping your calathea insignis healthy and thriving .
All About the Calathea Insignis
Native to the tropic forests of Brazil , the calathea insignis is qualify by its recollective , oval - regulate parting with white stripes following the midvein . The stripes resemble the radiation pattern of a rattler , giving this flora its common name . The calathea insignis has a clumping growth habit , meaning it grows in bunches . It can reach top of up to 3 foot tall and unfold 2 feet wide when given proper care .
This tropic plant flourish in humid environments with filtered sunlight and moist dirt Indoors , it makes an excellent tabletop or floor plant to tot up visual interest and a pop of colour Outdoors , the calathea insignis can be uprise in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11 as long as it ’s kept in a shaded point .
Watering Your Calathea Insignis
When it comes to water calathea insignis works , consistence is key . These plants favour evenly moist soil at all times without becoming waterlogged . Here are some tips for water this fussy industrial plant :
Water your calathea insignis whenever the top 1 - 2 inch of soil feels juiceless . Check by sticking your finger in the soil to gauge moisture .
It ’s better to piss thinly but frequently rather than hit it up the grease completely . drive for about 1 cup of water 2 - 3 time per week .
Always weewee until it runs from the drainage jam at the bottom of the pot . Allow any excess weewee to debilitate to the full .
Use distilled water , filtered water , or rainwater rather than dab water which take mineral that can build up in the land .
In the bound and summer growing time of year , more frequent tearing is needed . Reduce watering frequency in fall and winter when growing slows down .
If the leave start to curl or brown along the edges , this is a signaling your flora needs more water .
Providing the Right Humidity
Calathea insignis plant boom in humid condition between 60 - 70 % relative humidity . Replicating tropic humidity helps these plants grow lavish and intelligent . Here are some tips to increase humidity around your calathea :
Use a humidifier or pebble tray filled with urine near your plant .
Mist the leaves frequently using a spray feeding bottle filled with distilled water .
Place the locoweed on a fuddled pebble tray to increase ambient moisture around the plant .
Group other houseplants nearby to make a microclimate .
Move your calathea forth from heating release which can dry out the tune .
Avoid stale drafts from window and doors which can shock the plant .
melt down a dehumidifier if humidity level exceed 70 % to foreclose fungous diseases .
supervise with a hygrometer and make adjustment as needed to keep ideal humidness .
Choosing the Best Light Conditions
Place your calathea near an east or W - facing windowpane where it will incur patrician morning or evening Sunday .
Provide bright , collateral light for 4 - 6 hours daily . deflect spicy afternoon Dominicus from due south - face windows .
Filter sunlight with semi - gauze-like mantle to keep leaf burn . Move the plant back from the windowpane if leaves appear washed out .
Supplement with a grow spark if natural luminance is deficient . lead full spectrum bulbs work best .
Rotate the pot regularly so all side have equal lightsome vulnerability . This further even ontogenesis .
Watch for signs of too much light like bleaching , scorching , or yellowed leaves .
Maintaining Ideal Temperatures
Keep daytime temperature around 70 - 80 ° F and above 60 ° F at dark .
Move the plant away from cold drafty window and avoid setting it by air conditioning vents .
Use a infinite fastball or produce lights to maintain warmth if your home get cool than idealistic .
Move the calathea out of doors only after all peril of hoar has passed . acclimatise it gradually .
Bring the works back indoors before nighttime temperatures drop below 60 ° F in surrender .
A rapid temperature change of 10 ° fluorine or more can shock the plant . Make adjustments gradually over several days .
Providing the Right Potting Mix
Calathea insignis require a well - draining potting mix to prevent soggy soil . Here is an ideal potting mix recipe :
2 parts peat moss or coconut coir for moisture keeping
1 part perlite for aeration and drainage
1 part bark or charcoal to soften land pH
A handful of worm casting or compost for nutrients
Mix ingredients together thoroughly in a orotund container until equally blended .
Repot young industrial plant each year in the spring to provide novel commixture . sure-enough plant can be repot every 2 - 3 years .
Always use container with drain holes and discus to fling excess body of water .
Fertilizing Your Plant
utilise a balanced swimming houseplant plant food diluted to one-half long suit every 2 - 4 weeks during spring and summer . trim fertilizing to monthly in crepuscule and wintertime when growth slows . depend for a plant food with an NPK proportion like 20 - 20 - 20 . forfend over - fertilizing which can burn the roots .
If the lower leaves begin yellow , this is a sign the plant needs fertiliser . Leach the soil with water monthly to foreclose table salt buildup .
Pruning Your Calathea
Prune off any dead , dying , discolored , or damaged leaves and stems to ameliorate the appearance and health of your plant . Use desexualize shears and make cuts just above the node . Avoid over - crop healthy new growth.propagate . you may circularise a calathea insignis by :
class – Carefully separate the Tuber and re - pot to make new starter plant .
root word cuttings – Take 3 - 4 inch cuttings and root them in piddle or moist potting mixture .
seed ( modern ) – Plant semen reap from prime 1⁄4 inch deep . keep fond , humid atmospheric condition .
Common Problems and Solutions
Here are some common event you may encounter while caring for a calathea insignis and how to secure them :
Brown crispy edges – Increase humidity and urine more frequently
yellow leaves – Usually a mansion of over or under - lacrimation . Adjust as needed .
wilt , swag leaves – Water more often and chink for etymon rot .
Few flowers / no blooms – Increase wakeful exposure and fertilize regularly .
Brown spots on leaves – Can indicate a fungal or bacterial transmission . Improve flow of air and reduce lachrymation .
Webbing or insects – Wipe leave down with neem oil or insecticidal soap . Isolate plant life and cover repeatedly .
Displaying Your Calathea Insignis
The eye - trip up striped foliage of the calathea insignis get to it a beautiful display plant life . Here are some tips for read it off :
Situate in an entryway , support way , or kitchen where it will get noticed .
Complement the grade insignia with a colourful crapper .
permit the leafage to spread instead of cluster them together .
rate your calathea near other tropic industrial plant with shining foliage .
go around the pot weekly so all side get illumination and produce evenly .
cut back off frightful leaves and stems to maintain an attractive coming into court .
Show off the whimsical leaves by photograph your plant for Instagram !
Caring for Your Calathea Insignis
Caring for the fussy calathea insignis call for some workplace but it ’s worth it for this uncommon tropic plant . To keep your rattler plant calculate its best , remember to :
water supply several times per hebdomad so the soil stay evenly moist . expend distilled or rain water .
haze over frequently to keep 60 - 70 % humidness around the plant .
Situate in vivid , indirect sun 4 - 6 hours per twenty-four hours .
Keep daytime temperatures between 70 ° -85 ° F and above 60 ° F at Nox .
Repot per year in a well - draining potting mix
Fertilizer
eat your rattler plant every month during the spring and summer develop time of year . Use a balanced liquid fertilizer to promote healthy foliage development , and travel along the mathematical product label instructions .
Water
irrigate your rattler plant oftentimes in the summer to keep the filth moist . During the winter season , reserve the top layer of land to dry out before watering again .
If the leaves start to turn scandalmongering , you may be overwatering . Conversely , if the leaves begin to curl unattractively they are nt receiving enough water .
If you water the plant too much , it will deluge the bottom . Just the proper amount of piss will dribble out of the holes in the bottom . Do not let the works sit down in excess water supply .
10 Rattlesnake Plant Mistakes To Avoid (Calathea Lancifolia/Goeppertia Insignis)
FAQ
How do you worry for Calathea insignis indoors ?
How often should I water calathea insignis ?
Should I cut the dark-brown crown off my Calathea ?
How do you care for a Calathea ?
One method acting is to place your calathea on a humidness tray . you’re able to make your own humidity tray by filling a dish with pebble and water system , and allowing the houseplant to sit on the pebble , above the water level – just be careful to avoid let the plant life wick up water through its pot .
How do you care for a Calathea rattlesnake plant ?
The calathea rattlesnake plant life like mellow humidity but not waterlogged condition . pee the plant consistently to keep it evenly moist during the grow phase , and in the wintertime let the top of the soil to dry out before watering . Water in minuscule amounts often rather than watering deeply , and do not allow the plant to sit in standing water .
Is Calathea lancifolia hard to take aid of ?
When provided with the correct arise conditions ( 60 % humidity , temperatures from 65 to 75ºF ) , Calathea lancifolia is not backbreaking to take care of . The tricky nature of these requirements makes them more suited to moderately - experienced plant owners .
How often should you repot Calathea lancifolia ?
Calathea lancifolia grow at a decent upper , so repotting is a must when own these plants . Once every year or two , upgrade the plant to a pot one size larger than the old one . To forfend accent the plant out too much , do this in the spring .
Do Calatheas need direct sunlight ?
Calatheas ( Goeppertias ) thrive in bright , indirect twinkle . They are understory industrial plant that get filtered sunlight from above through the Tree in their native environment . stave off put your plant in a window with direct good afternoon sun , or its frail leaves will burn .
Is a rattler Calathea a low - maintenance plant ?
While rattler calathea is n’t exactly a low-toned - maintenance plant , it ’s not hard to keep it felicitous if you leave it with its basic care requirements : The first measure to winner in your calathea growing escapade is to choose a healthy specimen . forfend wilting plants or those with yellow or brownish leaf .
