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The Calathea Makoyana, otherwise known as the peacock plant, is one of the most popular Calathea plants. Similar to the Calathea Ornata and the Calathea Lancifolia, the Calathea Makoyana is a medium-sized houseplant with showstopping green foliage.
Picking the right houseplant or Calathea for you isn’t easy. Every plant has its own unique appearance and personality. Before you buy a potted plant, you need to know you’re making the right investment.
By the end of this post, you’ll know if the Calathea Makoyana is the right potted plant for you and your lifestyle. We’ll be sharing everything from the beauty of this plant to how to grow it from seed and how to care for it correctly.
How to Identify Calathea Makoyana (Peacock Plant)
Similar to other Calathea plants, the Calathea Makoyana’s most distinctive features are its leaf markings. The Calathea Makoyana has large oval leaves with dark green feathered markings stemming from the center of the plant to the edges.
The peacock plant can grow up to two feet when maintained correctly!
How to Grow Calathea Makoyana From Seed
Not many people choose to grow their Calathea Makoyana from seed, but those who do generally attain a deeper appreciation for their plant.
- Purchase a small pot or propagation tray
- Mix 1:1 ratio of peat and coarse sand
- Moisten the soil in your tray or pot
- Put the Calathea Makoyana seeds 0.5-1 cm deep in the soil
- Cover the tray or pot under plastic wrap or a propagation cover
- Place the pot or tray in indirect sunlight
- Make sure the soil remains moist
- Repot the seedlings in individual pots when they reach 3-4 cm
How to Propagate Calathea Makoyana
Calathea seeds are notoriously hard to come by! If you’re struggling to find Calathea Makoyana seeds, you can propagate a mature Calathea Makoyana.
- Once the mature Calathea Makoyana is large enough to cut away clumps of root and stem, you can begin propagation.
- Gently cut a clump of root and stem from the original Calathea using a sharp knife.
- Position the mature Calathea Makoyana back in its pot, moistening the soil before returning it to its optimum growing location
- Carefully repot the clumps of root and stem into fresh soil
- Cover the new plants under a polythene cover or propagation tray cover to ensure they stay warm and humid
- Eventually, your new Calathea Makoyana will grow just as big as your original mature plant!
Calathea Makoyana Growing Conditions
The Calathea Makoyana has very specific growing conditions. Due to its native tropical environment, the Calathea Makoyana might require different care compared to your other potted plants.
How to Plant Calathea Makoyana
Planting the Calathea Makoyana isn’t too dissimilar to how you’d plant other potted plants. Make sure the plant pot is big enough for your plant and its root. Ensure you have well-draining soil. And, most importantly, be gentle with your plant.
Calathea Makoyana Potting & Soil
A well-draining soil for tropical and indoor plants is best suited to the Calathea Makoyana. To make sure your plant doesn’t have any problems with draining, purchase a pot with drainage holes in it.
Calathea Makoyana Water Requirements
The Calathea Makoyana is a thirsty plant! Its native tropical environment provides Calathea with lots of water. To keep your plant happy, you need to replicate this exposure to water. The Calathea Makoyana will need watering every week to every ten days.
It’s crucial the Calathea Makoyana soil remains moist at all times. Before watering your plant, feel the soil to see how moist it is. Despite loving a lot of water, there is a danger of overwatering your Calathea, so make sure you’re not watering your plant unnecessarily.
Calathea Makoyana Light Requirements
Whilst the Calathea Makoyana enjoys exposure to heat and bright light; you need to monitor this to suit the Calathea’s needs. The Calathea Makoyana enjoys bright indirect sunlight exposure for much of the day.
Too much time spent in the sun can cause sunburned leaves, so make sure your Calathea doesn’t enjoy those direct sun rays for too long!
Best Calathea Makoyana Fertilizer
The Calathea Makoyana Makoyana requires fertilizing. However, some plant owners choose to fertilize their Calathea Majoyanas during the growing season in the spring and summer. Fertilizing during these months can help promote growth. If you decide to fertilize your Calathea Makoyana, you can use an indoor plant fertilizer.
Best Calathea Makoyana Companion Plantings
If you live in a tropical climate, you can grow the Calathea Makoyana outside. If you’re growing the Calathea Makoyana outside with other plants, make sure these plants are other Calathea or native tropical plants.
If you’re growing the Calathea Makoyana indoors as a potted plant, your Calathea Makoyana will have its own pot, so you can surround it with other varieties of potted plants.
Calathea Makoyana Diseases and Common Problems
Limp Stem
A limp stem indicates your Calathea Makoyana is too cold. Try moving your Calathea to a warmer spot with more sunlight exposure.
Falling Leaves
Falling or drooping leaves suggest your plant is dehydrated. To rehydrate your Calathea, you need to remove your Calathea Makoya from its pot and submerge it in water before letting it dry naturally. Repeat this twice before repotting your Calathea in fresh soil.
Pests
Pests are common among all houseplants. The first step is to move your potted plant away from any other plants you have.
To remove pests naturally, dribble a stream of water over your plant, washing away the pests. If this method doesn’t work, you can purchase a chemical pest remover to use on your Calathea. If you’re using a chemical remover, be careful not to burn your plant.
Discolored Leaves
Discolored leaves indicate your Calathea isn’t getting the right nutrients. Filtering your water before watering the Calathea Makoyana will improve your plant’s health and coloring.
Calathea Makoyana Treatments and Maintenance
If you live in a climate with low humidity, you’ll want to invest in a humidifier or mister for your Calathea. Misting your plants every few days will keep them healthy and hydrated.
Where to Buy Calathea Makoyana Seeds Online
As we mentioned previously, Calathea Makoyana seeds are hard to come across. If you’re enthusiastic about growing your Calathea Makoyana from seed, you can purchase these from one of these websites:
- Ebay
- Green Seed Garden (mixed Calathea seeds)
- eBay (mixed Calathea seeds)
Where to Mature Buy Calathea Makoyana Online
Most potted plant owners choose to purchase their plants mature. If you’re ready to invite a new plant into your home, sit back, relax and order from one of these websites:
FAQs
Question: Is the Calathea Makoyana easy to look after?
Answer: Once you understand the requirements of the Calathea Makoyana, it’s relatively easy to care for. As long as you understand the tropical nature of this plant means it has very specific maintenance requirements, and you provide these, there’s no reason why you can’t grow a happy and healthy Calathea Makoyana!
Question: Do I need to mist my Calathea Makoyana?
Answer: If you live in a cold environment with low levels of humidity, you need to mist your Calathea Makoyana to keep its leaves hydrated.
Question: When should I re-pot the Calathea Makoyana?
Answer: Repot your Calathea Makoyana when the body and roots of the plant are too large for the pot. Spring and summer are the optimum time to re-pot your Calathea Makoyana. Failure to repot your plant could stunt its growth and damage the plant.