Calathea Musaica
Welcome to our guide to calathea musaica care and propagation. It is a fairly easy to care for houseplant, just make sure you up it’s humidity levels.
Calathea Musaica Summary
| Light needs: | Medium to bright indirect sunlight. |
| Watering needs: | Check once a week and water if top 40% of soil is dry. |
| Fertilizer: | A well diluted balanced fertilizer in spring and summer. |
| Soil: | A well draining potting compost. |
| Humidity: | 50-70%. |
| Temperature: | 18-27°C (65-80°F). |
| Where to buy: | Try one of these Rare Plant Shops. |
| Common issues: | Pests on leaves. |
Introduction
Goeppertia kegeljanii aka calathea musaica aka Calathea network, is originally from Brazil and is known for it’s square patterning on it’s leaves. It can be classified as a calathea and has been changed to goeppertia, and so is still sold under both names.
See also: Calathea Dottie, Calathea Medallion Care, Calathea Orbifolia, Calathea White Fusion, Calathea Setosa (Ctenanthe Setosa).
Tip: we recommend Etsy for buying plants. Look for the best rated seller you can, and try to buy as close to your home as possible so the plant does not travel too far.
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Calathea Musaica Light Needs
Medium to bright indirect sunlight is ideal. They’ll be just fine in a bit less though. Do not give them direct sun.
How Often to Water
Check it once a week and water if the top 40% of soil is dry. They like to be moist but not wet or dry. Tip out excess water from the base of the plant after watering to avoid soggy soil as this can lead to root rot.
Tip: Use filtered water that has been left to stand over night, they can be fussy in this regard.
Fertilizer
Use a very well diluted balanced fertilizer in spring and summer. Dilute it well. I use filtered tap water on all my calatheas as they can be fussy to ‘hard’ water.
Calathea Musaica Soil
A well draining potting compost. The plant likes to stay moist but not sit in water. A normal potting compost with 20% added perlite will be adequate.
When To Repot
They do not grow especially fast, but pot them up a size in spring every couple of years, or if the roots grow through the bottom of the pot. Its good practice to check the roots about Easter time so you can pot them up to a bigger size f they need it, in time for the growing season.
Humidity
50-70% humidity is ideal, which is above most households so give them a pebble tray with water in under the pot, or mist them regularly.
Tip: Keep it humid by keeping it with different plants, or a pebble tray under it. You don’t want those leaves to crisp up.
Calathea Musaica Temperature
The optimal temperature range for calathea musaica is 18-27°C (65-80°F) during the day. Aim for a minimum of 10°C (50°F).
How To Propagate Calathea Musaica
We run down all you need to know about calathea network propagation…
They are best propagated by dividing off the smaller plants at the base. Follow these steps:
- You’ll need a plant that already has smaller plants developing and growing around it’s base.
- Remove the plant from it’s current container.
- Separate the plants out as best you can, make sure each plant comes away with it’s own root system as well as stems and leaves. Be really careful you damage the roots as little as possible.
- Then you can pot up the plants in their own pots and the original plant back in it’s container too.
- Give them water and you’re done.
Calathea Musaica USDA Zone
Zones 9-11.
Where To Buy
Support your local plant stores when you can, if not try Etsy or one of these Rare Plant Shops.
Other Names
Goeppertia kegeljanii network, calathea network. I would love to tell you how to pronounce goeppertia kegeljanii network, but I think we can all agree it is unpronounceable!
FAQs and Common Problems
They can get crispy and even brown leaves from a lack of humidity, so make sure you maintain a decent humidity level with a misting or a pebble bath.
Be careful of houseplant pests on these leaves, as they can be quite prone to it.
Also make sure they don’t get too cold in winter and keep them out of the way of draughts.
Calathea Musaica Leaves Curling
Curling leaves are typically due to a lack of moisture in the laves, so make sure the plants is humid and watered well.
How Big Do Calathea Musaica Get?
They can grow 50 centimeters (20 inches) to a meter (3 feet) in height and a similar width to their height, taking between 2 and 5 years to achieve this maturity.
Why Is My Calathea Musaica Turning Yellow?
Yellow leaves can occur when the plant is stressed, normally due to over watering. Make sure you have a proper watering schedule and check for pests at watering time too to avoid an infestation taking hold.
Brown Leaf Tips
They can get brown leaf tips when there is something in the water they don’t like, they can be fussy with hard water so make sure you use filtered tap water. It can also be due to fertilizer burn, so use a much more diluted dose.
Is It Patented?
It is patented, you can find out the patent info here.
Is Calathea Musaica Toxic To Cats?
Calathea is not toxic to cats (source).
Calathea Musaica Vs Network
Update: when this article was first published, and I said that the two plants are the same “Calathea musaica and calathea network are the same plant, they are just different names for it.” However since then I’ve seen that Costa Farms have different information from this. They are selling the Network as a slightly different plant, as they describe “Network differs from Goeppertia kegeljanii (aka Calathea musaica) in that it’s more compact and bushier, with smaller leaf stems. It also offers more pronounced variegation.” See their page on the Network here.
Additional Resources
Links:
Buy At Amazon (affiliate links):
- Humidity meter (a cheap way to monitor humidity and temperature levels)
- Humidifier (to maintain humidity levels)
- Compost / potting mix (Miracle Grow)
- Perlite (to add drainage to soil mixes)
- Moss pole
- Plant Pots
- How Not to Kill Your Houseplant (book)
Other Articles You Might Like
You might also like our other guides here: Water Propagation, Monstera Standleyana, Calathea Lancifolia Care.
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