Ctenanthe
Family - Marantaceae
Ctenanthe is grown mostly for it's unusual foliage. Please note the yellow
patches through the green leaves on the picture. They are produced only on the
bright light. If ctenanthe doesn't get enough light - you will get just green
leaves.
Close relative to the prayer plant ctenanthe like high humidity and warm
temperatures too. They would enjoy frequent misting with warm water and
wouldn't tolerate the temperature lower than 55F. You can also put the pot with
ctenanthe on a tray with pebbels and water in it.
The most commonly grown ctenanthe is the one called Ctenanthe Lubbersiana. They
can grow pretty high producing long stalks which grow into a fork.
Use tropical soil for potting and add a little bit of leaves mold. Water it
frequently enough to keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.
As ctenanthe grows older it produces new offsets which create bushy clumps. You
can propagate ctenanthes by dividing those clumps. Just carefully detach one
offset, put it into a small plastic pot with the same soil mixture as for older
ctenanthes and water it. Another way to propagate ctenanthes - by stem
cuttings. You may put the cuttings into the water to root, or just dip it into
the rooting hormone and pot right into the soil. Both ways are working pretty
good.
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