Maranta maranta - varieties, care and cultivation, main problems

Marant family. Homeland - tropics of Central and South America, West Indies. Maranta is notable for the spectacular color of the leaves, on which brightly colored veins or spots stand out. Basically, marants are stunted rhizome plants, which sometimes, growing, take a semi-ampel form. Marant leaves have the ability to change their direction: leaf blades under favorable conditions are located almost horizontally, and with a lack of lighting or under other unfavorable conditions, they rise up and fold together.

Among all the variety of marant species at home, white-veined maranta are usually found in various varieties. Sometimes you can see a maranta called bicolor, but in fact, this species is officially called Maranta comb Maranta cristata. The species is quite rare, usually available in collections of professional florists. Often marant bicolor is called Kerkhoven marant variety - confusion arose due to the fact that this variety was originally described in botanical reference books as a variation of maranta bicolor var. kerhowena, moreover, Kerhoven really has only two colors on the leaves - green and brown-green. The real Maranta comb (obsolete maranta bicolor) - in fact, there are three shades of green in the leaf drawing:

Maranta cristata is a rhizome plant with a short, creeping rhizome over time. The roots are succulent, forming fusiform thickenings. The shrub averages 35-40 cm tall. The leaves are oblong or broadly elliptic in shape, on average 10-15 cm long, and 6-10 cm wide, with slightly wavy edges. Petiole short, 4-5 cm long, green-reddish. The color of the leaf is special, if you look closely, you will see a difference from the marant of the white-veined variety 'Kerkhoven' - the background of the leaf is medium green, along the central vein is a light lime crest - it is always continuous (look at the outlines of the crest, where it is highlighted in red), wide strokes of dark green color depart from the crest and usually they merge into a continuous line, almost uninterrupted by dark border. The tips of the ridge sharpen smoothly, and do not turn into narrow contrasting stripes, as, for example, in the marant of the white-veined variety 'Massange'.

Maranta white-veined Maranta leuconeura is a perennial rhizome plant that forms a compact bush; over time, the shoots grow and the plant takes a semi-ampel form. Previously, the white-veined maranta was distinguished by several variations, today there are none, there are a number of varieties that differ mainly only in the color of the leaves. The leaves are oblong or broadly elliptical in shape, averaging 10-15 cm long and 7-10 wide, arranged at an acute angle on the petiole. In maranta, white-veined roots are juicy light brown, well developed, over time they form oval tubers, like potato, only small.

Maranta tricolor Maranta leuconeura 'Erythrophylla'

Maranta leuconeura 'Kerchoveana'

Maranta leuconeura 'Kerchovean'

Maranta Massanga Maranta leuconeura 'Massangeana'

Maranta Emerald Beauty Maranta leuconeura 'Emerald Beauty'

Maranta Beauty Kim Maranta leuconeura 'Beauty Kim'

Maranta white-veined (species) Maranta leuconeura

Maranta varieties

Kerchoven cultivar Maranta leuconeura 'Kerchoveana' is the best known cultivar and the most common. In fact, the leaf pattern is almost two-tone: the common fot is medium green, symmetrical dark spots on both sides of the central vein - in young leaves they are dark green, brown with age. In shape, spots like brush prints or wide strokes never merge into a solid line. Longitudinal veins are weakly expressed, protrude above the surface of the leaf, but not too much.
Massange variety Maranta leuconeura 'Massangeana' is a more refined pattern, it is sometimes called black maranta. The main medium-green background of the leaf blade, characteristic of the original species of white-veined maranta, remains only at the edge, on both sides of the central vein, the light (light green, sometimes almost white) stripes of the longitudinal veins protruding with an edge are pronounced, and between them are wide strokes of dark green or greenish-brown color.
Marisella variety Maranta leuconeura 'Marisela' is very similar to Massange, the difference is that the main background of the leaves is saturated dark green and only along the central vein there is a wide serrated strip of light lime color and the same light embossed longitudinal veins.
Variety Tricolor (red-veined) Maranta leuconeura 'Erythrophylla' - it is often called simply Maranta tricolor. The main background is dark green, often with a brownish tint, possibly lighter towards the edges of the leaves. Along the central vein there is a light-green stripe, the transverse veins are acute, colored with red of varying intensity (from pink to purple). Its leaves clearly show lateral red veins. This variety is especially characterized by the direction of the stems as if along a broken line. This variety is found under the name maranta Fascinator 'Fascinator'.
Beauty Kim variety Maranta leuconeura 'Beauty Kim' - this variety has viral variegation. The leaves are medium green in color, against this background there are dark green or brownish spots symmetrical relative to the central vein, like Kerkhoven, and at the same time yellow-green specks and stripes throughout the sheet from small strokes to large stripes, all of them are oriented (directed) along the transverse veins of the leaf. In some cases, the white stripes on the leaves are very wide, taking up a quarter or half of the leaf.
The Emeral Beauty variety Maranta leuconeura 'Emerald Beauty' is also similar to the Massange variety, but differs in a wider, almost half-leaf light strip along the central vein and it has no dark spots - the transition from one color to another is smooth.

Maranta care

So the maranta lifts and turns the leaves when it gets dark.

Temperature

Moderate, in summer, marants do not tolerate heat above 28 ° C, especially on the sunny side. In winter, a cool content is desirable, optimally 18-20 ° С, but not lower than + 14 ° С. In general, the maranta is not demanding in care, grows under normal room conditions, but does not tolerate cold drafts and sharp temperature drops. If you put pots on the balcony in spring, make sure that the night temperature does not drop below 14 ° C, in the fall you need to bring them into the house in September.

Lighting

Partial shade, in bright light and in a too dark place, the color of the maranta leaves pales. Direct sunlight should be avoided between 12 noon and 5 p.m. In winter, lighting is very good, especially if the house is warm. East and northwest windows, not shaded from the street, are best for the Marantes. Make sure that the leaves of the plant on the windowsill do not come into contact with cold window glass in winter.

Watering

Abundant in summer, but when the top layer of soil in the pot dries well. In winter, watering is moderate, wait 3-4 days, after the top layer of soil dries. It is advisable to water only with soft water, even better filtered - maranta are very sensitive to chlorine and excess fluoride in water (this makes brown spots appear on the leaves at the edges of the leaves).

Fertilizer

From April to August, marants are fed with liquid complex fertilizer for ornamental and deciduous plants every two weeks. The plant is sensitive to excess or overfeeding with fertilizers. Read more about fertilizers and other care issues in the section Growing marants at home

Air humidity

Marants love moist air, optimally about 70%. Regular leaf spraying is necessary during the heating season and on dry hot days in the summer. The easiest way to increase the humidity of the air around the plants is to put the pot on a wide tray of water. At the same time, water should not flow into the pot to the roots.

Flight connections

Annually in spring into well-drained light soil, consisting of 2-3 parts of leaf, 1 part of humus, 1 part of coniferous land with an admixture of sand. Pieces of charcoal are added to the soil mixture. Maranta does not tolerate lime content in the soil. The capacity for these plants should not be deep. At the bottom of the pot, you need to expand the holes or pour a high layer of drainage. What type of pot to choose does not matter, maranta grows well in both clay and plastic. It grows poorly in fibrous store peat.

Maranta cultivation reviews

Oksana Peregodina: I was convinced from many years of experience that a maranta can be a very problematic plant. Firstly, the maranta loves not just loose soil, it needs land - the leaf litter of their forest. It is best to collect clean land under beeches or birches growing on dark soil in an environmentally friendly place. Humus from already rotted beech leaves is just perfect. On two parts of the leaf land, I take 1 part of the universal soil from the store or 1 part of the garden land from the cucumber beds, on which humus was applied last year. The whole earth must be sterilized, better in the oven in an hour and a half. There is no need to add sand. Poorly marants grow on heavy clay soils, on pure chernozem. Secondly, it is important for marant not to fill the soil, but to maintain high air humidity. Therefore, do not try to keep the soil constantly moist, it is better to put the pot on a wide cat tray with water.

V. Lyubimova: I agree completely, the marant on the roots of the nodule has a water-storing organ, in nature they tolerate dry periods well, but in the rainforest it is always humid air, so it is more important to create good humidity, and not strive to water more often. It is also very important not to overfeed with fertilizers, especially after transplantation or in winter.

NiKiTa: It was a revelation to me that maranta doesn't like tap water, but it's a fact! Found when moving. I always poured the flowers with standing water (we have it is not hard) from the tap, heated to room temperature, but the maranta was slowly covered with spots. By all indications of potassium starvation. I transplanted it once a year, did not feed or fill it, that's for sure. When I moved to another city, tap water turned out to be extremely lousy, and at first I poured distilled water into which I added 1/2 of the fertilizer for orchids. A miracle happened - there were no more new spots, over time the maranta overgrown, the old leaves were cut off and a gorgeous bush turned out. Subsequently, I began to drain water from the aquarium, she also likes it.

Maranta reproduction

Maranta multiplies not with a leaf, but with a handle - a leaf with a heel, part of the stem, knot.

You can get another copy of this beautiful houseplant by division during transplantation or cuttings. It is advisable to do this in the spring, but in principle, maranta easily reproduces at any time of the year, if it is light and warm enough .

From a large bush, you can cut off two or three shoots with a small part of the roots and plant in a small pot. To make the plant better fit, never plant a marant on hot days, and after transplantation, you can place the pot in a plastic bag - straighten the edges, but not tie it. Cuttings take root quite easily in water. Water needs to be changed if it loses transparency. You can put in a pot when the roots grow 3-4 cm long.

Growing problems

The ends of the leaves are brown and dry, stunted growth is a possible reason: too dry air or the plant is dry. Another reason is the quality of water (many salts, chlorine, fluorine, hardness). Also check if the plant is affected by a spider mite. Remove dead leaves, maintain humidity above 50%.
The ends of the leaves are yellow-brown - with an excess or lack of nutrients in the soil. Do not get carried away with fertilizers, especially if you have good quality soil. At the same time, exhausted plants have pale small leaves, and not feeding is required, but transplantation.
The leaves curl, the lower leaves turn yellow - a possible reason: insufficient watering. The soil should not dry out too much, especially if the temperature is above 26 ° C.
Sluggish stems, drooping shoots - if it is too cold and/or long raw soil.
The leaves lose color, pale, discolor and dry out - in too intense sunlight, when the afternoon sun hits the leaves, or when attacked by ticks.

Marant pests

Scale insects: Sometimes they damage the leaves of the maranta, sucking the juice from the leaves. They can be found if sticky drops appear on the leaves, not on the tips, but on the leaf blades themselves, at the same time yellow spots on the leaves, along the veins and petioles, small brown umbilicals, some translucent, others hard, brown, if pressed, a wet spot remains.

Control measures. First you need to wash the plant from pests with a sponge and soap solution. Then dilute the Aktara solution, spill the soil with it and spray the leaves. Repeat in 5-7 days.

Spider mites: also harm marants, especially if you have roses on the windowsill nearby. Damaged plants are distinguished by a pale yellow or light color of the leaves. If you place the sheet against the light, prominent punctures of ticks, as if the sheet was poked with a needle.

Control measures. You can get rid of ticks on marants with a hot shower. Turn on water at a temperature of 50-55 ° C, turn the pot upside down, holding the plant so that it does not fall out (you can tie it with a bag) and pour from the shower so that under pressure you wash the leaves from the back. Then put the pot in the bathroom, and pour the entire bush on top, including soaking the soil. After that, you can water only after high-quality drying of the earth. If you repeat the procedure every 5-7 days, in 3-4 times you can get rid of ticks without chemistry. But it should be borne in mind that if the earth dries badly, watering must be canceled and the soil loosened. If you doubt the effectiveness of this procedure or are afraid to do something wrong, you can apply acaricide spraying against ticks - these are drugs apollo, phytoverm, derris, fufanon, actellic .

Read more about indoor plant pests in the pest section

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