It is actually simple to grow Calathea Dottie. You can start in either early spring or late summer by planting seeds.
If you don’t have seeds, don’t worry! You can grow Calathea Dottie through propagation instead of starting her from scratch. Remind you, you should do the method in spring when you will be repotting.
Calathea Roseopicta Dottie Care and Growing
To help your Dottie plant flourish, you will want to keep it in a consistently warm environment with bright indirect light.
Keep average any room temperature around 60 – 80 degrees. It will not tolerate cooler environments of less than 55 degrees.
Water the soil evenly moist (not soaking wet) at all times, throughout spring to autumn.
Your care routine would involve watering about once a week since potting soil dry up 2 inches deep, or when the moisture measuring meter reads between.
The moisture meter can just be a daily check in twice a week if needed, until you get the hang of its watering schedule.
You should also be mindful to always water using distilled water or rainwater. The Dottie is sensitive to chemicals in tap water, so distilled or rainwater is preferred.
Repotting the plant once every 1-2 years in early spring in a pot that is 1-2 inches larger than the original is a good idea.
| Origin | Tropical Americas |
| Scientific Name | Calathea Roseopicta Dottie |
| Common Name | Calathea Dottie, Rose-painted Prayer Plant Dottie. Rose Painted Calathea Dottie. |
| Soil | Likes light, airy, well-draining mix. |
| Light | Medium to bright (but indirect) light. |
| Humidity | Ideal humidity is between 50% to 60% levels. |
| Watering | Whenever the top 2 inches of soil has dried up |
| Propagation | By division |
| Pruning | Prun all old and dying leaves |
| Fertilizer | Balanced diluted solution every 2 weeks. |
| Repotting | Every 1 to 2 years in spring |
| Favorable climate | Tropical climate |
| Height and growth rate | Moderately fast growing plant, ultimately reaching heights of 40cm-60cm |
Positioning
Dottie is a plant that can be grown both inside and outside – it all depends on the temperature and environment.
If you want to grow it outside, you’ll need to live in a climate that stays above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and below 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
You’ll also need that area to have a humidity level of at least 50%. This is because the plant is from a tropical environment.
If you plan on growing the plant inside, put the plant in front of a bright window, but with indirect light exposure, and preferably western or eastern exposure.
Growing Options Seed
The Calathea Dottie thrives in an airy mix with good drainage.
The combination of ingredients allows the roots to receive ample oxygen and moisture, and allows excess liquid to drain away from over-watering and to prevent water-logging.
Works Well- A mix of 50% potting soil, 20% orchid bark, 20% charcoal and 10% perlite works well.
Fill a seed starter tray 3/4 full of potting soil. Gently tamp the soil surface down.
Thinly spread your seeds on the packed soil with a 1/4 thick layer of soil on top of the seeds. Mist but do not saturate the soil.
Propagating
There are several ways to propagate Calathea Dottie.
The most straightforward way is by division during repotting.
Once you remove the plant from its pot to repot, you will see a natural separation of the root pattern, as well as new growth popping up.
Look for thickened tubers with two leaves attached. Very gently pull the root ball apart, you’ll find that it begins pulling apart with a clump from each side naturally pulling away from each other.
Some of the root system should remain intact with each clump, once separated, place that division into a pot and plant it several inches deep into well drained soil.
Keep the area warm and slightly moist to encourage growth. Once you see growth you can resume your normal watering cycle.
Humidity
Humidity is another factor of Calathea Dottie that needs to be addressed.
The ideal humidity for it (50 -60% range) is higher than most households (30-50%).
Keeping these specifications in mind will also be helpful if you want to grow this plant outside.
You can use a hygrometer to check the room temperature and humidity near the plant.
If your Calathea Dottie has brown crispy tips or edges, it’s likely that the humidity is too low for it.
Misting it on a daily basis is an easy way to increase humidity. The downside to frequent misting is that the leaves can become breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi.
Have you noticed? If the leaves have viral or bacterial spots on them, your humidity is likely too high. This may also point to unhealthy roots, so try and reduce humidity while monitoring the watering.
Watering
Calathea Dottie does not like being overwatered or underwatered, so you must consider its watering schedule. They like to be kept in moist soil, not soggy.
Generally, you should give it one inch of water per week or whenever the top two inches are dry, or when your soil meter says it is between 1 to 3.
In the dormant winter months, decrease your watering frequency to once every two weeks and water it when your soil meter reads barely dry. The first signs of being underwatered for a Calathea Dottie is droopy and curling leaves.
If left to dry longer, the leaves may turn yellow or crispy brown at the tips and edges of the leaves. Water your plant until there is water coming out of the drainage holes.
If your plant is overwatered, it will quickly develop yellow leaves. The stem of the leaf may droop, and the top of the soil may develop mold or fungus, allowing for root rot over time.
Remove all dead roots and old soil and repot with new potting soil.
Light
When caring for your Calathea, keep in mind that they do require the right amount of light to flourish.
This little house plant loves medium to bright (but indirect) light. Ideally, it should receive at least 8 to 10 hours of bright light each day with 8 hours in the dark.
These little plants will be happy with this light and dark cycle.
However, if this plant receives direct sunlight, it will turn yellow and brown and the plant will eventually suffer.
Instead: Place it in a medium-light area that is shaded from the sun. Therefore, a west-facing or east-facing room would be a great option.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer can assist Calathea Dottie, but it isn’t needed all year round.
All of its active growing will be during that spring and summer, and by effect, you can fertilize in early fall.
Beyond that, I’d steer clear of fertilizer in the winter since there’s little or no growth from your plant, and frankly, it won’t need those extra nutrients.
You can use either organic or inorganic.
But remember, if you use a synthetic fertilizer, remember that the roots of Dottie are super sensitive, so each time you use one, dilute it to half or a quarter of the amount you’d normally use.
This will help to keep a salt build-up in the soil from getting out of hand.
If you like the idea of using something natural, then you can consider an organic fertilizer from natural resources, like blood meal, worm castings, or fish emulsion to help build up fertility without the synthetic approach.
Generally, these are considered safe to use and start dirt well.
Remember, only fertilize when the plant is ready to use that nutrition in the growing season. If you are to fertilize in fall or winter, it can lead to a millionaire of toxins in the soil using the unspent formula.
Common Pests and Diseases
The soil and high humidity needs of this plant create excellent conditions for many pests.
While thrips are the most common pest, this plant can be attacked by other insects such as spider mites, aphids, scales and whiteflies.
Plus fungus and nematodes, which can possibly cause your plant to wilt or die, may all threaten the plant.
Spraying neem oil onto the plant’s leaves, spraying the leaves and soil with a mixture of dish soap and water, and watering your plants from the bottom are all effective ways to combat these pests.
Leaf Care
To ensure your Calathea Dottie receives maximum care, you should occasionally give the leaves a wash with Neem oil leaf shine and water (once per month).
This keeps the stomata (the pores) open for respiration of the plant. Healthy, clean leaves are the best defense against pest infestations.
Also – it gives you an opportunity to check for pests while you’re close to inspect. This is also when you can see any watering problems and how you are feeding your plant.
Pruning
From time to time, your Calathea Dottie may have some leaves that turn brown or yellow at the edges; that doesn’t mean that the plant is dying.
If you want to encourage growth by your plant, you will need to cut some of these dead leaves.
Depending on what you want to do with your plant, you can do many things.
Removing the Leaves Completely
If some of the leaves are badly damaged, you may be better off removing the entire leaf so the plant can focus on producing new healthy leaves.
Using sterilized pruning scissors, trim the leaf or use a sharp knife to cut it near the stem. Then discard the damaged leaf.
Removing Only Damage Leaves
If you noticed the issue at the first signs of trouble there is no need to remove the leaf completely.
If you notice that the edges of the leaves are crispy brown and are turning color, cut off the fried edges of the leaves with your shears.
This way the entire leaf does not die and you do not cause additional damage to the leaf and it is not more stressed for being a leaf trying to draw nutrients and sustenance from the plant.
Repotting
As a tip: due to its fairly fast growth, repotting should be done about every 1 to 2 years, in spring.
This is usually done when the plant is in active growth, which would be around May or June, depending on where you live, and if it’s grown large enough, you will most likely see roots coming out of the drainage holes.
This process is relatively simple, however, it can only be done correctly by utilizing a Calathea potting mix/soil and the correct planter, both of which will reduce root rot and fungal infections.
Here is the process:
- Inspect your plant thoroughly to determine if it is essentially healthy. Brown leaf edges or yellow leaves is okay, but if your plant condition is questionable, find out why and fix it before repotting.
- To help alleviate the stress on the plant, water it the day before you repot.
- Choose a plastic or glazed ceramic pot that has at least 2 drainage holes at the bottom. The new pot should be 1 to 2 inches wider than the previous pot.
- If using a plastic pot, grip the sides of the pot gently to release soil from side of the pot. Check if roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, loosen those roots as necessary to allow the plant to be removed from the pot.
- In the small container, add ⅓ of your potting mix. Sprinkle a little water on the soil and mix it around to dampen the soil a little. Then move that into the bottom of the pot and level it out. Don’t compact the soil, just let it settle in.
- Take the plant out of the pot it’s in. Hold on to the stems just above the soil, using gravity, turn the pot upside down to loosen the root ball and then gently shake. If the plant does not come out easily, tap the base of the pot a few times. Pull the plant out of the pot gingerly, don’t pull on the stems or the leaves.
- Check the roots for infection or fertilizer burn. Rotten roots look dark brown to black or grey and have a mushy slimy feel to them. Roots that are dehydrated because of fertilizer salts will feel crispy and shriveled and brown. Remove any rotten roots.
- Position the plant in the new pot so that the roots are just below the soil surface and the base of the stems are below the pot’s edge. Soak the roots and the rest of the potting mixture until it is lightly moistened, do not pack the soil firmly, still allow the soil the opportunity to settle in. Lightly water the pot, then move it back to its original position.
Final Thoughts
The Calathea Dottie plant is an easy plant to take care of both indoors and outdoors.
Ensure that the plant has wet and well-drained soil, and receives a lot of light in order to grow healthy and strong.
You can feed your Calathea Dottie with either organic or inorganic fertilizer during their peak growth periods in spring, summer, and early fall.