Calathea 'Black Heart' Plant Care: Water, Light, Nutrients

Calathea 'Black Heart'

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Goeppertia Black Heart

Genus

Goeppertia

Family

Marantaceae

Order

Zingiberales

How to care for Calathea 'Black Heart'

💦 Water

How often to water your Calathea 'Black Heart'

Calathea 'Black Heart' needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Calathea 'Black Heart' in your home

Calathea 'Black Heart' may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Calathea 'Black Heart' in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Calathea 'Black Heart'

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Calathea 'Black Heart': repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Calathea 'Black Heart' after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

What is wrong with my Jungle Velvet Calathea?? Any tips/suggestions would be so appreciated :( I’ve had this jungle velvet for almost a year now and it’s been quite the struggle to keep her alive and healthy. She has had a ton of new growth but her leaves have been steadily turning yellow over the last few months. In the last pic you can see there’s two different spots of new growth. So I’m just not sure what is going on with her or what I’m doing wrong. I have a humidifier that keeps the area at about 70% humidity (never lower than 60%). I have a moisture meter that I use to keep track of when to water and I don’t water until the meter shows that the soil is dry. Sometimes I wait a day after the meter says dry. I made the potting soil mixture myself - the base is FoxFarm happy frog potting soil with added orchid bark and perlite. I haven’t repotted since I made the soil mixture 10 or so months ago because she’s been struggling and I didn’t want to kill her. She sits in a north facing window so I think she’s getting enough sunlight. I used to use a little grow light but I stopped about a month ago because I thought she was getting too much light with that plus the sunlight. I haven’t noticed much of a difference since taking away the grow light. The issues she has been having include yellowing leaves and leaves curling upwards from the edges. The yellowing came first a few months ago. Recently I noticed some of the bigger leaves are curling upwards. I thought it could be watering related so I bought a gallon of distilled water to use instead of tap water. I usually use tap water that I have left out overnight because I read that gets rid of some of the harsher elements? I’m not sure if that’s even accurate but I have now switched to distilled water. Anyways sorry for the very long post but I’m so desperate at this point and I wanted to give as much detail as possible. I feel like since I’ve gotten this plant it’s been constant phases of trial and error and her condition is just not improving so I need help :( #JungleVelvet #Calathea #CalatheaCrew #helpneeded #help

💡 FAQs

💦 Water Needs

Calathea 'Black Heart' prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Calathea 'Black Heart' may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Greg does not have confirmed data on this plant’s toxicity. If you, a family member, or a pet consumes plant material of unknown toxicity, it’s always best to consult a medical professional.

If you or someone else ingested this plant, call Poison Control at US (800) 222-1222. If a pet consumed this plant, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA at US (888) 426-4435.

💨 Humidity

Calathea 'Black Heart' prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.

🪴 Soil

Calathea 'Black Heart' is very sensitive to dry soil, so choose a potting soil that retains moisture. A good soil will still drain well and contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir or sphagnum moss.

💩 Fertilizer

Calathea 'Black Heart' should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

🌎 Native Region

Calathea 'Black Heart' is native to Tropical Americas.

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.