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Calathea makoyana, also called Goeppertia makoyana, the peacock plant, and Cathedral Windows, is sought after by many for its flashy, green-striped foliage. Learn all about Peacock plant care and propagation in this post!
Where can I buy a peacock plant?
You can easily find a peacock plant for sale on Etsy. Check out this gorgeous peacock plant from one of my favorite Etsy shops!
Is Calathea Makoyana easy?
Calathea Makoyana is a relatively easy calathea to care for, although calatheas, in general, are tricky. They’re not great plants for beginners, but this is the perfect plant for someone who has moved beyond the ease of a pothos and wants to try their hand at a moderately difficult plant.
How do you take care of a peacock plant?
Peacock plant care is similar to the care of other calatheas. They are finicky, but manageable, plants. Here are the basic requirements:
- Bright, indirect light
- A well-draining potting mix
- Keep the potting mix consistently moist – If possible, use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water because Calatheas are sensitive to the chemicals in tap water and might develop crispy edges
- Keep the humidity high – Again, if possible, use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water instead of tap water
Read on for more peacock plant care secrets!
Does Calathea makoyana need sunlight?
Calathea makoyana needs bright, indirect light to grow successfully. This does not necessarily have to be sunlight, though. You can use grow lights to supplement—or totally replace—natural light.
At the moment, I keep nearly all of my plants under grow lights because they’re just that effective! Check out these grow lights below—they are my current favorites!
And, note that you should never put your plant in direct sunlight or it can scorch the leaves.
How often do you water a peacock plant?
The peacock plant likes to remain consistently moist, so water it when the top inch of the soil is dry.
How often this is will depend on the climate and the amount of light the plant gets, so be sure to feel the soil with your finger first to help determine when it’s time to water your plant and to avoid over or underwatering.
Calatheas are known to be finicky with water. If possible, it’s best to use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water instead of tap water. (This goes for providing humidity, too!)
What kind of soil does the peacock plant need?
Although the peacock plant likes to remain moist, it will still need a well-draining potting mix to prevent it from becoming too waterlogged and causing root rot.
A regular houseplant potting mix with a few handfuls of perlite mixed in for additional drainage will work well for this.
Should I mist my peacock plant?
Calatheas prefer high humidity, and misting them every other day or so is one way to provide this. Personally, misting is not my favorite method—I prefer to use a humidifier. I find it easier and more foolproof.
Check out this awesome humidifier—it’s one of my favorite humidifiers because it can run for almost a full day.
Calathea Makoyana Fertilizer
To fertilize your Calathea Makoyana, you can use a balanced fertilizer, diluted by half, once a month during the growing season (spring and summer).
Temperature
Being native to Brazil, Calathea Makoyana prefers warmer temperatures. Although it should be fine growing in normal household temperatures, don’t let it get below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (around 18 degrees Celcius), or it won’t be happy.
When should you repot a peacock plant?
You should repot your Calathea Makoyana when it becomes rootbound. This will likely be every other year, but you can confirm if your plant is rootbound by:
- Checking for roots coming out of the drainage holes
- Slipping the plant out of its pot and checking if the roots are coiled around the outside of the soil
When repotting, use a pot the next size up from its current one, and make sure it has drainage holes. If possible, repot during the growing season (spring and summer).
How to prune your Calathea Makoyana
Remove any dead or dying leaves once they can be gently plucked away from the plant, or use a clean pair of scissors to cut them away if they can’t be pulled off.
Note that if your Calathea Makoyana has brown tips, but most of the leaf is still healthy, you don’t have to remove the entire leaf. Just trim off the damaged edges using a clean pair of scissors.
Cleaning the Leaves
Plants with bigger leaves tend to collect dust, so every now and then wipe off your peacock plant’s leaves with a damp cloth, supporting the underside of the leaf while you’re doing it.
Removing dust and grime will help your plant photosynthesize better.
Peacock plant flowers and foliage
The peacock plant has large, oval-shaped leaves. They are light-and-dark-green striped with dark green around the edges. The undersides of the leaves are a maroonish-pink color. These flashy leaves, which are reminiscent of a peacock’s tail, are what give it the name “peacock plant.”
Occasionally, a mature plant will bloom small, white flowers, but this doesn’t always happen.
Problems, Diseases, and Pests
Common Problems
- My Calathea makoyana’s leaves are curly – Your Calathea is likely too dry. Feel the soil with your finger first to confirm, and then give it a good watering.
- Yellow leaves – This can be caused by a variety of issues, but the most common causes are overwatering or underwatering. To confirm the problem, stick the finger down into the soil to feel the moisture level.
- Crispy leaf tips – This usually indicates a lack of humidity—something that Calatheas are known to by finicky about. Try increasing the humidity by using a humidifier or another method to create humidity. It could also be caused by chemicals in your tap water, so try using filtered, distilled, or rainwater to water and humidify your plant.
Potential Diseases
- Pseudomonas leaf spot – A bacterial disease caused by wet foliage. Try to avoid watering all over the top of your plant, aim for the soil only. If you get some of the foliage wet, just gently wipe it away with a cloth.
- A copper bactericide may aid in disease control but is not a complete cure. Ultimately, you might want to just throw your plant away. (I got this info from the University of Florida.)
- Root rot – Caused by constantly overwatering. Soggy soil will eventually suffocate the roots leading to plant death. However, avoiding this can be tricky for plants that like to remain somewhat moist.
- To help avoid this, always check the moisture level of the soil first with your finger before watering. If you catch root rot early enough, you have a better chance of saving your plant. My post on root rot will help you with treatment.
Potential Pests
- Potential pests for Calathea makoyana include spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, and scale.
- For pest prevention, I really like Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control.
- For general pest control, I like using a gentle insecticidal soap.
How to propagate Calathea makoyana
Propagating Calathea makoyana is done by division—dividing the main plant into two or more parts.
If possible, try to do this while you’re repotting the plant. It’ll minimize stress on the plant, plus, it’s just easier to get it all done at the same time!
- To propagate your Calathea makoyana, gently remove it from its pot.
- Locate a section with its own root system and at least one healthy leaf, more if possible.
- Being careful with the roots, separate the section from the rest of the plant and repot it into an appropriately sized pot.
- If you can’t untangle the roots, use a pair of clean, sharp scissors to cut them away from each other. But try to keep them as intact as possible.
- Keep this newly potted plant’s potting mix moist and be careful not to overwater it. Place it in medium, indirect light.
- Provide it with humidity by putting a clear plastic bag over the top, using a humidifier, or another method of your choice.
- If you use the plastic bag method, make sure to remove it for a little every other day or so to let in fresh air.
Now, just give your plant some time to adjust and start growing again. It may take over a month, so be patient! Then, you can increase the light level to bright, indirect light.
In addition to division, you can propagate your peacock plant by growing it from seeds—if you’re very talented and have a lot of patience!
Additional Information
Is the peacock plant toxic?
The peacock plant is non-toxic, however, it’s always best to keep all plants out of reach from pets and children.
How big does a peacock plant get?
In optimal conditions, the peacock plant’s leaves can grow up to a foot long, while the plant itself can reach two feet in height.
Other Types of Calathea
There are many popular species of calathea, including the pinstripe calathea, Calathea orbifolia, Calathea roseopicta, Calathea zebrina, Goeppertia insignis, and Calathea warscewiczii.
You might see Calathea makoyana referred to as Goeppertia makoyana instead. They are the same plant. Calathea makoyana, in addition to around 250 other Calathea species, were reclassified under the genus Goeppertia about a decade ago.
Most are still usually called calatheas even though they are not actually calatheas!
Are calathea plants prayer plants?
“Calathea” and “Maranta” are sometimes used interchangeably, and often the nickname “prayer plant” is used for calatheas. However, Calatheas and Marantas are not the same plants.
“Prayer plant” is another name for Marantas—not Calatheas. Calatheas and Marantas are in two separate genera, but they are both a part of the Marantaceae family.
Care Summary
- Bright, indirect light
- A well-draining potting mix
- Keep the potting mix consistently moist – If possible, use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water because Calatheas are sensitive to the chemicals in tap water and might develop crispy edges
- Keep the humidity high – Again, if possible, use rainwater, distilled water, or filtered water instead of tap water
- Prefers warmer temperatures. Keep above 65 degrees Fahrenheit (around 18 degrees Celcius)
- Repot when rootbound
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