Calathea Ornata Care Tips and How to Propagate - WITH UPDATES!

In todays episode I share the care and propagation of the calathea ornata. This is a stunning calathea (though its not the easiest) that really thrive in low light and above average humidity. They can be propagated by rhizome division, or by cutting up the rhizomes like a ginger. Watch how I do it, and reward yourself with an update at the end of the video. (Spoiler: I misplaced many pots during the move and lost a few cuttings)
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[@emmajanepohlman6233]

Awesome video! I love the 4 month update. Thank you.

[@LeadingTheCheer]

Love the updates! My ornata and I got a really rough start, but this helps, thanks!

[@nessamoreno9446]

So thankful when you do calathea! More please and thank you 😊

[@fharyana]

What a beautiful leaves.. all beautiful.

[@pomminnie]

the way you giggle at root mealy bugs...those bugs are probably falling in love.

[@ArkitektoHardinero]

Wow what a collection! I like the pinstripe it's very tough! Mine is with me for a decade now i think.

[@epiwhittaker5617]

Thanks Sean, that gives me ideas to propagate my calathea.

[@victoriagrapsidou3474]

I enjoyed your video very much!! My caletheas are finally stable and acclimate it took me 7 months to understand their needs, My Orbifollia , White fusion, Triostar, White Star, Roseopicta Crimson , and last but not least my Pinstripe are doing fine. Not exactly thriving but I got hold of their watering routine and potting mix ! Now they give me new levels eventhough it's November and temperatures dropped to 17-12 °C. Outside. They all live indoors ofcourse.! 😄

[@christybeasleychannel7055]

Wow beautiful collection I have few varieties of calathea plants I love this plant

[@marciagarcia8486]

You are such an inspiration. Your plants seem so happy. You cultivate simple ones like they were rare. I respect all of them just as you. 🌱 and never miss an opportunity to propagate them lol . Enough is never enough when it comes to repairing the man made mess in nature ! Let’s fix what we can

[@onlyplants]

Yess!! Thank you for this

[@anitakrstevska263]

A new subscriber from Toronto Canada, hands down you have the best content, keep up the wonderful work that you’re doing with the plants, You are the best

[@onlyplants]

Thank youu ❤️

[@GUPPYMOMCHANNEL]

Caladea seems to be a tricky plant. Leaves dry easily and wounds easily. Thank you for your kind explanation.^^

[@nd575]

Thank you so much for your video! I love your channel! Please please keep going!

[@onlyplants]

Thank youu ❤️

[@captainjacksparrow127]

When what i want suddenly you upload that😊

[@olgaobserver2125]

Фасциата и Хелен просто шикарные!!!

[@foliagecove355]

Omg they are so pretty 😍

[@curryisgood6103]

I am actually planning to open up my own plant channel here and as someone living in europe with less humidity making a video about calathea care as well :) I own around 18 of them and made interesting experiences while caring for them. Also I actually prefer most of them all in plastic now (started with t cotta) but it really depends on many factors on what works better for you.

[@onlyplants]

Theres high demand for calathea (and other plants) care tips in low humidity 😀

[@Crypto2638]

Hi, updates? It would be interesting for Europeans

[@vaxthobbyilagenhetmarlenek3617]

Thanks Lovely plants Good info 😊🙏❣

[@the.world.or.nothing]

such a lovely video, thank you so much! ❤

[@onlyplants]

🥰🥰

[@fortlauderdalegirl]

Thanks for sharing these root propagation techniques. I have always wondered how the process might go, I have some calatheas and will probably try this method. I live in south Florida so there is plenty of humidity. I feel bad for your plants and mealy bugs, I have had the same problem in the past and it’s really frustrating, good luck in getting rid of them. 😊

[@onlyplants]

Thank youu

[@potsandpetals51]

Nicely explained ❤.

[@onlyplants]

Thank you ❤️

[@jomassey4207]

Very helpful video. I'm water propagating 2 cut offs of the slim leaved vittata. I've got 2 new leaves and the roots are growing well. I'm going to pot them into my jungle mix soil soon and put them in a low light situation as you do. I'll give you an update in a few weeks. Cross fingers. Thanks Sean, Jo (New Zealand)

[@onlyplants]

Yayeee

[@margaritaocana2446]

❤😊

[@margaritaocana2446]

Eubb

[@vlong7112]

I love the look of Ornatas 😍 but mine is struggling and I'm really close to cutting it all back and seeing if the rhizomes will push out new growth 🤞🏽

[@lynnburns7663]

I enjoyed your video but I do mist my prayer plant and it loves it. I also have it on pepple tray. Apex, Nc.

[@stephaniefraser177]

“I don’t know what i was on when I filmed this”😂😂 thanks for sharing. I love that your videos have updates after a few months.

[@onlyplants]

Thank youu

[@th_phuc1175]

Thanks❤❤❤

[@onlyplants]

❤️❤️

[@alexfavareto733]

thank you so much, never taught I would care for plants, had to reach my 50s to fall in love with calatheas. basically I was killing my calathea, everything im doing is the opposite of what you do, so thank you thank you thank you!!!

[@onlyplants]

Whoaaa good luck. Calathea care is different depending on where we live 😀 but the theory should be similar

[@alexfavareto733]

@@onlyplants London, long months of darkness and cold weather. anyway, thank you for your reply, I need to check any videos regarding soil for reporting and any tips would be great, I have decided to repot my Calladium and I think I Killed her (I had a look and there was no roots and the pulps were in a very bad shape. felt terrible with myself.

[@cathyspooner7093]

Good information

[@onlyplants]

😀

[@UtukushiDAE2007]

I am not sure where i picked it up. I thought to share. Alcohol mist could probably help . This was when i had bought a succulent with white cobweb looking mat blanketing its stems, also in between nodes and under leaves. So as suggested i sprayed mine with ethyl alcohol using an atomizer. Instantly it disappeared. I do it in the morning or before bedtime when they are not subjected to direct or bright sun light. It took i think 2-3 sprays for bigger plants. So i tried it with my other non succulents were stems had white spots or dots of black and they were easier to wipe off without scratching the leaves. Bec i was scared to scorch the leaves in case sunlight caught up to it, i doused it immediately with water. I havent done it in awhile. I just now give my folliage a full bath like you did in one video. I just hope i can get my hands on the neem soap you are using. The neem spray i got seemed to have been diluted as dirt patches still appear after it dries.

[@quionario2559]

I Love that I also have and i place them under my banana plant and they like it much infact they became bushy.

[@pearltaylor1179]

Thanks for sharing.Now I won’t have to throw out my calethea

[@KiAsBaliCHANNEL]

Nice..... Vidio

[@onlyplants]

Thank youi

[@michelle7461]

I misted my calathea rufibarba with tap water and she did not like that! Just don’t do it. She died back so I repeat DO NOT use tap water on calatheas 😫😭

[@cassieberg3058]

Did she come back after??? Mine is so sad after I did that. Leaves are sooo curled

[@Daisy.florina]

THey have come back to life because you have added old dead leaves, bark, debris lots, as mulch. I have done the same to a sick plant , and it was resurrected almost immediately, I did it on purpose, to '' trick it it was on the forest'' and even the odor or ground Earth permeate when is wet , is always wet I sprayed it .

[@marciagarcia8486]

Oh 😮 I have That plant all over my backyard . I live on the mountains of Rio de Janeiro Brazil 🇧🇷 and am blessed to have some remains of Atlantic tropical forest as backyard. I confess I never knew it was such a great plant 🌱 always treated it like an ordinary one. Loved your channel ❤greetings from Rio de Janeiro

[@onlyplants]

Thank you.

[@kendravoracek3636]

💚💚

[@countrygirl4422]

WOW Your Calathea look amazing! What is the plant in the lower left of the screen? 🦋

[@onlyplants]

That is a kaempferia 😀

[@ignaodd]

@@onlyplants do you know for sure, what is the difference to the calathea "helen kennedy"? I would love to have one anyway, happen to know a supplier?

[@mikolajwiezowski2874]

Hi! You have so many beautiful plants. What is the name of the one that is in the bottom left corner at the beginning of the video?

[@onlyplants]

That is a kaempferia. Many people ask about it 😀 its a cousin of the calathea and grows much faster and easily!

[@TheOriginalWheatLoaf]

"They're actually very inexpensive here in Indonesia." Meanwhile in my country: A local floral shop asking for almost 40€ for Calathea. I've bought a (cheaper) C. zebrina yesterday. A few years ago in my previous flat I've successfully killed a C. ornata (low humidity, bright light and shitty watering schedule). I have better conditions in my current flat (yet still low humidity) so I hope this one will adapt quickly.

[@onlyplants]

Maybe they were sold as a single baby plant here but usually they sell in full pots there?

[@TheOriginalWheatLoaf]

@@onlyplants maybe. I've never seen Calathea baby plants here, only full grown.

[@anthonyjohnbernal5973]

hi shawn i was heartbroken when my succulent died... luckily my other plants survived and one of them is my baby ornata. it was a single leaf when i got it and it was sharing a pot with a baby zz.now it has its own plant and looked happy with new leaves

[@onlyplants]

Whoaaa interesting that it can live with a ZZ they have much different requirement. Im assuming you must be living in the tropicsb

[@ceciliaciuta]

Romănă

[@ceciliaciuta]

Nu înțeleg limba traduceți în Romănă

[@Chasingjanedoe]

Hi Sean, do you happen to have a warscewiczii? They're definitely my favourite type of Calathea! I've had mine for almost a year and it was doing great until 5 months ago when it started struggling really badly so I chopped it back. If you have one, do you think you can share some care and propagation tips for them? 😊

[@onlyplants]

I do and Im struggling with them hard too I kept killing mine but bringing it back to life. Its the size of a golfball now still after 2 years of having it lol. They reaaaaaally hate water and can rot easily. They have really thick main trunk you see…

[@aingealtara1479]

.. Oh Sean, how could you?? 😳😥 Ook, you're forgiven ☺️🤗 I still got mine and the 20 + something other Calatheas.. The velvet is really not very difficult to keep.. Just don't give her sunlight, don't giver her showers, keep her in low light, and water when close to dry dry.. Since I'm living in Scandinavia both weather and humidity here is very different and can be a challenge for sensitive plants like Calatheas, but they are so much worth it.. Maybe I should open my channel to calathea care and the other hundred plants in my life 🤔

[@_earthvisitor333]

I had also a big one and i killed it 😂

[@erinjoy5625]

Mine did great then I moved it once and it never forgave me , I finnally had to throw it and she was hands down my absolute fav plant , rip !

[@ashura_7777]

TIPS 🌿 : Any plants that has darker undersides (in this topic, PP, they mostly have dark/er purple tone) are 'forgiving' if they reach very low light. Imagine their natural habitat - grown under big trees - to make you understand. If you give them too much light, even if in the bright, indirect light, the purple undersides will looks like stripe-y. They are telling you that they are quite unhappy with that location. SOLUTION : Pull them 1-2m away inside. Morning sun must be okay (as it gives a 'mild' heat) & if it's range from 1-2 hours. Just my small mindful reminder for who are Prayer Planters! 😉

[@onlyplants]

Yayyy

[@olgaobserver2125]

Вау!!! Красотки калатеички!!! Хочу к вам в гости😂

[@onlyplants]

🥰

[@MsMcLovinnn]

Omg what is the one all the way to left? It’s beautiful!

[@ignaodd]

Calathea Helen Kennedy, super hard to find

[@MsMcLovinnn]

@@ignaodd thank you!

[@SerafimGuigo]

Hey Sean! My calathea started to get brown, crispy, wrinkled, curly edges lately. There’s no yellow, it’s actually brown and greyish, with a weird texture, very wrinkly and dry to the touch. I thought it could be low humidity but they live next to a humidifier, so I really don’t know what to do. Do you have any idea what I might be doing wrong?

[@onlyplants]

Was it recently repotted? Maybe the roots did not fully adhere to media yet. Or maybe could be underwatering. Could also be mineral heavy in tap water

[@teresarichardson9431]

I enjoy you so much!!! 🌱🌿but so disappointed about the "purple stuff."

[@onlyplants]

Haha Im not proud of it too! For everyone who have a more manageable sized collection I recommend more natural means!

[@MrSchiz]

What’s that calathea on the bottom left? It has really cool foliage

[@onlyplants]

Its actually a kaempferia, a relative to the calathea. Much easier to grow and faster growing too.

[@jerseylife8701]

When I lived in a dark north facing apartment with only a sliding door for a window, and had it in WAY too big of a pot… this plant was the happiest. I always forgot to water it and it had about 14 leaves. After moving to a 3 bedroom south facing house with lots of windows and giving it lots of attention, this plant is almost dead. I have two leaves left after pruning the burnt and rotting leaves. it’s been overwatered, over sunned, and underwatered. Is there a way to save it?

[@onlyplants]

They like to be forgotten actually haha. They can be brought back from a completely bare rhizome. Dont give up. But do treat for spider mites just in case. The mites will prevent it from coming back to life if you have an infestation you didnt know about. These guys are very prone

[@popbuff]

Hi Sean! What’s the name of the plant with the gorgeous leaf design on the bottom left corner? 🤩

[@onlyplants]

Its a kaempferia, one of my most requested plant ID! 🙂

[@popbuff]

@@onlyplants I can see why! Thank you Sean! Before this I didn’t even know about this plant 🌱

[@LorenaMiranda-Realty]

What plant is the checkered one in the left corner? @onlyplants

[@onlyplants]

Its a kaempferia elegans or pulchra. Distant relatives to the Calathea but far easier to

[@Daisy.florina]

Do you recommend Terra Cotta pots for these plants?

[@onlyplants]

In my climate, yes. Because they need to dry out quickly between watering. But in a lower humidity area or when you dont water then daily, then a plastic pot is better.

[@scent_of_life]

Can u please share which powder u used for fungus?

[@onlyplants]

Its brand is antracol or dithane.

[@sonamchoudrie3371]

What is the pink-leaved plant sitting towards the lower right corner at the beginning of the video?

[@onlyplants]

Its the stromanthe triostar 😀

[@sonamchoudrie3371]

@@onlyplants Thank you! Great video!

[@Daisy.florina]

Please help my Calethea Peackock it was doing so well, and suddenly the tips are yellow and brown, and curling up I have added rain water it hasn't help what do you think

[@onlyplants]

It seems to me like overwatering, if the tips are yellow and brown. Medium indirect light, good airflow, and let them dry out some but not too much. Between watering

[@Daisy.florina]

@@onlyplants Thank you , yes !! I found out it was overwatered. I let it dry out and it survived. Please tell me how do you keep healthy the plant with light green edges and dark in the centre toward the front of left side?

[@breaoakes334]

I did this last night and split into 3 plants.. they look shriveled and curling today and I think they have shock now… any coming back from this? What should I do from here?

[@onlyplants]

They can come back from nothing. As long as their main rhizome is doing ok. Keep it lightly moist and wait for new leaves 😀

[@adarshtv7807]

Would like to know how to keep stromanthe triostar alive. My third one going...

[@onlyplants]

Wooo they are a harder one. But the care is very similar. They respond a lot to light, more light means more white variegation. They can tolerate all sorts of lighting condition but really require airy potting mix that dries out between watering but not for long

[@victoriagrapsidou3474]

After killing one , I finally got it right! My Triostar is potted in a well draining airy and chunky potting mix, next to a south facing window she loves afternoon sunlight specialy now that winter is approaching and days are shorter. Lots of holes at the bottom of the pot I water it when my moisture meter reaches red area (dry). I live in Northern Greece.

[@CampingforCool41]

What is the name of the calathea on the far left corner?! I’ve never seen one like that

[@onlyplants]

That is a kaempferia 😀 a distant relative of the calathea

[@leanawong6744]

Help meeeee my ornata has had like 3 leaves shrivel up and die. They stay moist and don’t have a yellow line when they shrivel. I changed the soil so a forest floor soil, and just put it next to the humidifier. The leaves do look a little better, but I just saw one start to shrivel again 😭 do you have any more tips ?? I’m inside. It gets medium light and my home is usually 50-60% humidity . Is it not humid enough? Does it need less light?

[@leanawong6744]

I have a lot of prayer plants but the ornata is giving me grief :( it did have spider mites and I’ve been treating it often. Haven’t seen one in awhile

[@onlyplants]

I was gona ask to check for spider mites haha. It might be humidity issue but I actually guess it might be watering. They take 4-6 months to show improvement if you change your care so maybe it needs more time. Give it consistent care… balancing watering to let it almost dry out completely but not for long. I water very lightly but frequently

[@leanawong6744]

@@onlyplants i did see significant change after I treated the spidermites and put it next to the humidifier so maybe I just need to stay consistent with my care. I will try watering lightly but frequently! Thank you so much for your response!

[@trollhummer]

What is the cool plant bottom left in the beginning of the video?

[@onlyplants]

Its the most asked plant haha. Kaempferia elegans or pulchra

[@trollhummer]

Thank you!!

[@LULUWILSON]

what is the one in the far-left bottom corner?

[@onlyplants]

Ooh a lot of people ask about it. Its a kaempferia, a cousin of calathea in the same genus. Far easier to grow and way faster growth too.

[@okdubunf]

woah woah wait, someone's gotta share with me the name of the mostly pink and green plant towards the bottom right!

[@onlyplants]

Stromanthe triostar I think 😀

[@lychelbutler629]

What is that plants that looks like checkered green leaves?

[@onlyplants]

Its a kaempferia, a cousin of the calathea. Far easier to care for and fast growing too!

[@Daisy.florina]

do you grow any in water?

[@onlyplants]

I dont, I havent seen them grown in water in fact…

[@pearltaylor1179]

Some say it is a good indoor plant others say it is not.Well I don’t know what to do with them.Here they are not cheap..won’t buy anymore but might throw these out.They give too much stress.

[@renadabdullah4916]

I can put it in lace

[@onlyplants]

I have a feeling you meant leca? Interesting choice of media for calathea

[@liebert109]

How I take care my calatheas. Soil: Lose Watering: 5 times or more per day and once at night How to water: Like raining Exposure: No, no to sun Environment: preferably outside shaded area.

[@sassyspells]

If I don’t mist mine indoors they get very mad at me 😂 It’s very dry in Southern California

[@onlyplants]

Whoaaaa in that case, best mist away 😀😀😀

[@instakillgaming]

uhhhhh the thing in the bottom left????? what on earth?

[@instakillgaming]

checkerboard calathea???

[@onlyplants]

Its actually a kaempferia. Either the elegans or pulchera variety 😀

[@instakillgaming]

alright I found it, Calathea Merak