maranta leuconeuraalso known as tricolor maranta or prayer plant, it is classified as a houseplant outside of its natural habitat. It belongs to the Marantáceas family and is native to the tropical forests of South America, specifically Brazil. It is widely used as decoration indoors and outdoors. Many people wonder what is the care of the Maranta tricolor.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you about the care of the tricolor Maranta, its characteristics and some aspects that you must take into account so that you want it to develop correctly.
Contents
main Features
Maranta tricolor is a perennial that, as you might guess from its origin, prefers moist, frost-free conditions. the tricolor maranta It is a slow-growing plant that does not require much care and has a very particular aesthetic. It is also known as a prayer plant precisely because it shows the ability to slightly close its leaves at night.
Its main visual appeal is its leaves. These are oval and have a strong color contrast. In the beams, its texture is strongly marked in red, which contrasts with the surrounding greens in different shades. At its base, purple tones dominate.
They are usually sold in hanging pots, although it is also an ideal plant to combine with other plants to recreate very interesting decorative pieces. It has a creeping habit, so it is used as a hanging houseplant or needs a stake to grow vertically.
Tricolor Maranta Care
From the point of view of caring for a tricolor maranta, our first consideration is precisely its natural habitat. So we know it needs fairly high temperatures, humidity and when growing under tropical trees it does so in partial shade.
Thus the tricolor Maranta is a plant that will be appreciated as an indoor plant. Only when the prevailing climate is subtropical can we plant it in the garden, it will be in the shade and you should even know that it is ideal for covering the ground under the tree.
That is, we will place our tricolor Maranta in a well-lit place so that the color of its foliage is clearly visible, but not in direct sunlight. The ideal temperature range for its development is between 20 and 28ºC. It grows without difficulty despite temperatures between 17 and 35ºC. It does not support temperatures close to 0°C. The location inside the house will be in partial shade, away from direct sunlight.
Ambient humidity is one of the considerations for this plant. It must be tall, so its leaves should be sprinkled with water several times a day during the hottest months of the year. In winter, we will solve the problem of heating, because they will increase the temperature, but they will significantly reduce the humidity of the environment. A large container of water will help increase humidity.
Maintenance of the tricolor maranta
Summer watering should be sufficient, we will reduce watering in autumn and winter. Since it requires a peat substrate, waterlogging should be avoided in any case. If you put a plate as a base, you remove the excess water as soon as it runs out.
We will fertilize every 10 or 15 days with a liquid or crystalline soluble fertilizer. They must be fertilized more frequently between March and October, with fertilizers that are not too nitrogenous to avoid green leaves and greater exposure to pests and diseases.
The tricolor maranta must be transplanted annually to promote the renewal of its root system. The best date to make this change is spring, although if we can’t do it before, we can do it before the fall.
The substrate should be peat and it likes constant humidity, especially in the warmer months, without being flooded. It propagates easily by cuttings in spring and autumn. The best substrate for planting or even cutting is the type of substrate for indoor plants.
It requires the acidic pH typical of tropical soils. A maximum between 5.5 and 6.5. An ideal value is close to 6. We need well-nourished, well-drained soil. To do this, we can make the following mix:
- Place rocks or gravel in the bottom of the pot to ensure that water escapes through the holes in the bottom of the pot and avoid standing water.
- 2/4 peat (brings a lot of organic matter)
- 1/2 sand and perlite (to improve drainage).
- 1/2 general substrate or even something more lumpy or clayey.
If you want your plants to grow faster, you may need to fertilize them. Not recommended if the media is new. Wait at least a year to start fertilizing. You can use a liquid fertilizer for indoor green plants dissolved in the irrigation water. In general, it is recommended to reduce the rate to avoid excessive combustion of fertilizer. It should be applied every two weeks in spring and summer.
Spread and diseases
This can be done by dividing plants and cuttings in spring and fall. If it is by cuttings, the stem is cut just below the petiole of the leaf and immersed in water. It is best to use a rooting hormone to stimulate root expulsion. The water should be changed every two to three days. When it took root, It’s time to transplant it and ensure the conditions of humidity and temperature.
If propagated by division, simply separate the plant and roots carefully. The roots may have nodules. Each branch must have several stems and many roots to ensure its rooting. When propagated by division, the plant often experiences stress that it must deal with. The condition for it to take root is to keep the ambient temperature and humidity above normal. They can be placed in a seedbed or germinated in a shaped seedbed. This way it can grow properly if propagated by division.
With regard to possible attacks by pests, the red spider mite is more dangerous when the temperature is very high and the ambient humidity is very low. Aphids can also appear on new growth. Treated with acaricides and systemic insecticides respectively, they are easy to control.
If the temperature drops a lot and the humidity is high, the most common disease is botrytis. Preventing this with good ventilation is the best solution. Although it is said to be a houseplant, it can also be appreciated as a garden plant if the prevailing climate is subtropical. In this case, it grows well in the shade and is even perfect as a ground cover under trees.
Hopefully, with this information, you can learn more about tricolor Maranta care and its characteristics.