Calathea rufibarba grow and care – leaf plant of the genus Calathea also known as Furry feather calathea or Velvet Calathea, Calathea rufibarba perennial evergreen used as ornamental plant mostly for the leaves and purify the air, grow in tropics, mediterranean, subtropical climate or indoor as houseplant and grow in hardiness zone 11b+ and in the right care in hardiness zone 11a+.
Rain water or clean water, rich soil, moist soil, humidity, better more than 15C but can survive 10C, optimal temperature 18-25C.
How to care: Put fertilizer 3-4 times a year, add organic matter, mulch the plant to keep moist
What is the best way to start growing? Plant / Seed / Vegetative reproduction
How to propagate: Propagation by daughter plants mostly need to take care when pull it from the ground you take all the roots, uncover the roots, dig around the plant and better to use air blower machine or wash it with stream, after reveal the roots need to disconnect them from the mother and wait, when the daughter plant can live by itself possible to take it out of the soil, also another option just to pull the plant from the soil less but less good.
Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction? No, but easier to start with daughter plants than to start from seeds
Difficulties or problems when growing: Sensitive to hard water
Planting season: All year, in hardiness zone 11a better to plant it in the spring to early summer
Pests and diseases: Aphids, spider mites
Pruning season: All year
How to prune: Dead leaves
Size of the plant: 30-60 cm, 12-24 inches
Growth speed in optimal condition: Medium growing / Slow growing
Water requirement: Average amount of water / Big amount of water (don’t let it dry and don’t over water and let them to sit in puddle)
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Full Shade
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? Yes, grow well indoor
How to care indoor as houseplant: Need to check that the plant not affect by dry air of warming and cooling machines, light, need to keep the soil moist and humidity, also to fertilize at least once a year
Growing is also possible in a pot / planter /flowerpot / containers: Yes, start with container that bigger than the plant at least 30-50%, pot size 10-15L (2.6-4 gallons), need to switch the soil once in a few years by new soil, better to do in the winter, wash the soil from the roots and cut the root and prune the plant, use potting mix or peat soil with perlite and mix it with hummus and organic matter, use chopped mulch to keep the soil moist, let the bottom of the pot fill in water but dry in the same day.
Blooming information
Bloom season: Most of the year
General information about the flower Yellow or orange flowers grow on stem in inflorescence the flower look like beehive the petals merge in the bottom
