Calathea Dottie

Calathea Dottie (Marantaceae): Which Are the Best Conditions for This Plant?

The Calathea Dottie is a popular houseplant. This beautiful tropical plant has bright, distinctive features that make it the perfect attraction in any home. If you’re interested in learning more about the Calathea Dottie and how to look after this popular plant, you’re in the right place.

In this blog post, we’re sharing everything there is to know about the Calathea Dottie. You’ll learn how to care for this plant, both inside the home and out, what makes it so distinctive, and whether this plant is the perfect plant to add to your collection.

How to Identify Calathea Dottie

Calathea Dottie plant

The Calathea Dottie isn’t hard to recognize. This plant’s unique coloring and beautiful big leaves make sure it stands out.

The most identifiable feature is its color. All Calathea are dark, rich green with pink/burgundy hues. Their leaves are large ovals with a noticeable ribbed texture. Many Calathea Dottie plants attain unique patterns and textures, with different shades of greens, whites, and pinks on their leaves.

This plant is sure to stand out against any other houseplant!

How to Propagate Calathea Dottie

The Calathea plant can be difficult to propagate. Unlike other plants, Calathea can not be propagated from cuttings. To successfully propagate the Dottie, you need to source from the root. When new shoots start appearing in the soil, remove your plant from its pot.

Gently pull the new sections apart, taking extra care not to damage the root. Once you’ve successfully removed the new shoot, you can re-pot your old plant and plant the new section in a separate pot.

Calathea Dottie Growing Conditions

The Calathea Dottie has a reputation for being rather fussy. To grow a healthy and happy Calathea, you need to pay attention to its growing conditions.

If you want your plant to grow to its full potential, position your plant in an area with bright indirect sunlight. Due to being a tropical plant, the Calathea Dottie enjoys high humidity levels. If you live in a low-humidity climate, you may need to mist it every few days to avoid it drying out.

The Calathea Dottie needs frequent watering. Make sure the soil your plant is potted in remains damp at all times. Water your soil when one-quarter of the soil is dry. As the Calathea is a tropical plant, it enjoys warm weather. Whilst it will tolerate colder climates, make sure your plant isn’t in a freezing cold climate or anywhere that is particularly draughty.

How to Plant The Calathea Dottie

Calathea Dottie Potting & Soil

Miracle-Gro

A well-draining soil is crucial. The soil needs to remain moist but not soggy. To help drainage, the Calathea Dottie needs a pot with drainage holes on the bottom.

Calathea Dottie Water Requirements

The Calathea Dottie is a tropical plant, meaning it requires a lot of water. Water your plant every one to two weeks, checking the soil remains damp between watering. Although Calathea likes its soil to be damp at all times, make sure your plant isn’t sitting in old water. After watering, make sure excess water is draining from the drainage holes and dispose of this water accordingly.

Calathea Dottie Light Requirements

Being tropical, the Calathea Dottie enjoys exposure to sunlight. Bright, indirect sunlight is ideal, although they will tolerate lower light. As is the same with many plants, direct sunlight will burn and damage the leaves. Position your Calathea Dottie on a windowsill that gets partial sunlight exposure, or remember to move it after extended periods in the sun.

Best Calathea Dottie Fertilizer

Indoor Plant Food

The Calathea Dottie does the majority of its growth in the warmer months. During this period, you’ll need to fertilize the calathea with a general houseplant fertilizer. Growth is slower during the winter, and so, the plant doesn’t require frequent fertilizing during these months.

Best Calathea Dottie Companion Plantings

The Calathea Dottie enjoys being alone in a pot or planter when in the home. If you’re growing it outside, you need to be in a location with a warm climate. When outside, the Calathea Dottie enjoys the company of its own kind. You can plant several of them together or with other tropical plants that enjoy the warm shade.

Calathea Dottie Diseases and Common Problems

You’re most likely to encounter problems if you’re not in its ideal climate. However, there are ways to resolve these problems and keep your plant happy and healthy.

Curling Or Drooping Leaves

If the leaves on your Calathea Dottie are beginning to curl or droop, this suggests your Calathea Dottie is dehydrated. To resolve this issue, make sure you’re watering your plant enough and frequently misting it.

Limp/Lifeless Stem

The Calathea Dottie can develop a limp stem in cold environments. Make sure you keep your Calathea in a warm climate.

Browning Leaves

Water Filter

Browning leaves is an indication that your plant isn’t enjoying the nutrients you’re feeding it. Try using a water filter to remove the salts, chlorine, minerals, and fluoride your plant doesn’t like. For extra nutrients, fertilize your Calathea Dottie with regular plant fertilizer. Make sure to prune your plant, removing any brown leaves.

Calathea Dottie Treatments and Maintenance

The Calathea Dottie is classed as a medium to high maintenance plant. This plant isn’t ideal for the plant novice or someone who can’t give the Calathea Dottie the time and attention it needs. If you have a habit of neglecting your houseplants, forgetting to water them, or if you travel a lot, the Calathea Dottie isn’t for you.

If you’re looking for a plant, you can dedicate your time, love, and care to and watch it grow. The Calathea is your perfect companion.

Where to Buy Calathea Dottie Seeds Online

Calathea Dottie seeds are notoriously hard to come by. Whilst the Calathea Dottie is a popular mature plant, and not many choose to grow this plant from seed.

Try looking on your local garden centers website or using the links below to find Calathea Dottie seeds, but we warned, it might take a bit of dedicated searching before you discover Calathea Dottie seeds for sale!

Where to Buy Mature Calathea Dottie Online

Full Bloom Nursery Store

If you’re already convinced that this Calathea is the plant for you and your home, you’re probably wondering where you can purchase this one-of-a-kind plant. Here are a few places you can buy a mature Calathea Dottie online.

All you have to do is make space for it in your plant collection and wait for it to arrive on your doorstep:

FAQs

Question: Can Calathea Dottie go outside?

Answer: Yes! The Calathea Dottie can live and grow outside, but only in warm climates. While the Calathea Dottie is a popular houseplant in colder areas, it will not survive outside in these locations.

Question: Should I have a watering schedule for my Calathea Dottie?

Answer: A watering schedule can be a good idea if you’re struggling to remember to water your Calathea Dottie. Just remember, the Calathea can be fussy, and you must feel its soil to check it needs watering before doing so. The Dottie will not thank you for being overwatered.

Question: My planter doesn’t have drainage holes, does this matter?

Answer: Yes. The Calathea Dottie demands a lot of water, and its excess water needs to be able to drain from its pot to protect the root of the plant. Having a drainage pot and well-draining soil makes your life a lot easier when it comes to draining your Calathea Dottie of any excess water.

Question: Should I cut the dead or decaying leaves off of my Calathea Dottie?

Answer: Pruning your Calathea Dottie of any dead leaves not only makes your plant look healthier and more vibrant it also helps with growing. If you’re noticing a few of the leaves on your Calathea Dottie are looking worse-for-wear, gently cut these from the plant, being careful not to damage the stem or any healthy-looking leaves.

Research:

https://osera.org/houseplants/calathea-dottie-care/

https://smartgardenguide.com/how-to-propagate-calathea-plants/

https://bloomscape.com/plant-care-guide/calathea/#:~:text=Feed%20your%20Calathea%20Dottie%20with,when%20plant%20growth%20naturally%20slows.&text=Your%20Calathea%20Dottie%20is%20non%2Dtoxic%20and%20pet%2Dfriendly.

https://plantophiles.com/plant-care/calathea-roseopicta/

https://www.epicgardening.com/calathea/

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