Calathea Musaica Care | Top Tips!

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Calathea Musaica come from the Calathea family of plants which are notoriously difficult to care for but luckily for you people seem to have a bit more luck with the Musaica. Let’s take a look at the Calathea Musaica care guide.

Calathea Musaica Light Requirements

Calathea Musaica are used to growing underneath a canopy of other leaves and plants so are used to dappled light. If they are exposed to direct sunlight it can scorch and damage their leaves. With this in mind we would recommend providing this plant with medium to bright indirect sunlight. A north or east facing windowsill can be a good place for this plant or if you want to place it near a south or west facing window that can work too, you just may need to pull the plant back from the window or add a sheer curtain to protect it.

Calathea Musaica Watering Needs

Like many other types of Calathea they prefer being moist to being left to dry out. If they are left to dry out they might suffer so it’s better to water them regularly. Once a week could be a good amount of time for your plant but don’t be afraid to stick your finger in the soil and test the moisture level for yourself. Although they like being moist they don’t need to be watered every day or anything that often as you don’t want to plant sitting in soggy soil. We would recommend watering your Calathea Musaica with filtered or distilled water, if you use tap water for prolonged period of time you may find the tips of their leaves starting to brown.

Musaica Humidity Requirements

As Calathea Musaica come from the tropics it should come as no surprise that they prefer to live in environments with high humidity. They can tolerate moderate humidity but if you keep then in a dry environment you may notice browning on the tips.

Soil Type

Although a Calathea Musaica wants to be kept moist it’s also important that you use well draining soil that your plant isn’t sitting in water. We would recommend you use a well balanced well draining potting mix. We love this Espoma organic potting mix that you can find on Amazon.

Temperature

As Calathea Musaica are originally from the tropics they prefer to be in slightly warmer conditions. They can take quite warm temperatures as long as the air doesn’t become too dry as a result but if the temperature drops too much you might find your plant suffers. Try to keep your plant in conditions above 16°C 60.8°F. In addition to this they also don’t like being near a radiator or a draft as both can harm the plant.

Fertiliser

You can feed your Musaica with plant feed but make sure you dilute it as if the fertiliser is too strong it can cause burning on the leaves. Only fertilise during the growing season and you can limit it to once a fortnight or once a month.

Repotting

You won’t need to repot your Calathea Musaica very often as they are not fast growing plants, nor do they mind being a little root bound. In fact, Calathea prefer being in quite snug pots. Check the bottom of your pots for signs of roots poking out the bottom but you shouldn’t need to repot your plant more than every one or two years. And even then, you’ll probably only need to go up one pot size.

So to summarise, best Calathea Musaica care practices include:

• Bright indirect light
• Regular waterings
• High humidity
• Well draining soil
• Warm conditions
• Diluted fertiliser

Calathea Musaica FAQ

These frequently asked questions about Calathea Musaica care should help to fill in any of the gaps that we might have missed in our care guide and you might find that they address some of the issues or questions you have regarding your Calathea Musaica.

How do you propagate Calathea Musaica?

The best way to propagate your Calathea Musaica is by root division. This plant will not propagate through a cutting. The best way to do this is to wait for new shoots to grow up out of the soil that are slightly away from the main part of the plant. When this happens take your plant out of its plant and gently need the soil while pulling the segments away from each other. Be careful not to break any of the major roots as this can harm the plant. Once you have your separate segments repot these and water as usual. Make sure you propagate your plant at the start of spring so it has the whole growing season ahead of it.

How do you care for Calathea Musaica?

Basically to care for a Calathea Musaica you need to provide it with warmth and humidity, water it regularly and find a bright spot for it out of direct sunlight. If you want even more specialised care then filter the water you use to water it with and dilute houseplant feed to fertilise your plant once a fortnight or once a month.

Why are leaves on my Calathea turning brown?

There could be several reasons for this. The first being that you are either underwatering your Calathea or it’s not receiving enough humidity. The second main reason could be if you’re using tap water. Using filtered water can help prevent brown spots from appearing on your Calathea’s leaves. The other possible reason is that the fertiliser you’re using is too strong for the plant.

Should I mist my Calathea?

If you live in an area with low humidity or you don’t have a humidifier already set up then you should definitely be misting your Calathea. Calathea are plants that benefit from high levels of humidity and without them their leaves can suffer and they may develop brown spots and crispy tips. Misting your plants doesn’t take long but if you don’t have time then please consider investing in a humidifier.

We hope this Calathea Musaica care guide has been useful to you. If you have any other questions regarding the care of this beautiful but fussy little plants then please let us know in the comments below.