Maranta Leuconeura “Silver Band” is a darling of native Brazilian forest and valued by plant lovers because of its broad silver band leave’s pattern along with the midrib. Adding to the galore are lime green veins arching up to the end of the leaf margins showing ribbed texture. Furthermore, light and dark green shades between these veins make the silver band of leaf more enchanting. Like all Marantas, Silver band also fold the leaves at night.
Prominent Family Members: Maranta Arundinacea, Maranta Kerchoveana, Maranta Leuconeura Red Stripe, Maranta Lemon Lime
Essential Products:
How to take care of the Maranta Silver Band?
Please provide moist and well-draining soil with hot and humid surroundings to make sure Maranta Silver grows tremendously indoors. Furthermore, please keep it in a sufficient diffused bright light and water it with a monitored routine to lift its growth. Here briefly, we will provide you a guideline about the plant’s requirements, what kind of potting soil you will use, and when to repot and propagate your plant.
Bringing Plant Home
When you receive this beauty, don’t be eager to put it as a showpiece in your house, it might be carrying a pest or disease.
Inspect your plant thoroughly, especially leave’s backside for pests as they make colonies there. We recommend quarantining the new plant for two weeks in a separate room to save your other plants from any pest or disease attack.
Beautiful foliage of the Maranta Silver Band
If no sign of pets and disease appears, please be free to put it anywhere as a showpiece.
Maranta Silver Band Light Requirement
They require Medium/Bright Indirect Light to thrive indoors as they aboriginally grow under the filtered light of the dense Brazilian forest.
Please don’t keep it in a spot directly in the range of Sunrays. I always prefer to keep it in few feet away from a light-receiving window.
Too much bright light or direct sun rays discolor the leaves’ bright color and burn the leaves.
Humidity & Temperature for Maranta Silver Band
Maranta Silver Band are native to the Brazilian rainforest, where a high humid atmosphere is present due to frequent rail falls. Indoors, keep the surrounding around the plant highly moist with the help of a humidifier, or keep your plant with other indoor plants if you see tips or dry edges of the leaves.
Another easy option for providing humidity is a homemade humidifier with the help of a tray and a water-filled deep tray. Place your pot on the stones, and don’t let the pot base in contact with tray water.
Maranta Leuconeura Silver Band flourishes perfectly between 50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Below 50 degrees, they will start wilting and folding their leaves; Silver Band plants are sensitive to cold drafts, so keep them away from ACs vents and windows.
Maranta Silver Band Watering Requirement
Maranta Silver Band care requires a scheduled watering to keep the soil moist all the time.
Before watering it again, make sure that the upper two-inch potting soil layer is dry by hand feel, or you can use the moisture meter to know whether your soil is dry or wet. Avoid overwatering as it will make the soil saturated, and plants roots hate to live in soggy soil.
Maranta Leuconeura Soil Requirement
Maranta Leuconeura plant requires moist soil all the time to grow well. Well-drainage soil will not hold the water in the pot and let excessive water pass from the drainage hole. African violet mix soil is readily available from the gardening store, suitable for Maranta Silver Band.
You can also make the soil mix at home by mixing one part of potting mix, two parts of Peat moss, and two parts of perlite.
Cleaning and Pruning of Silver Band Plant
Please frequently clean the leaves with a clean, soft cloth to periodically remove the leaves’ dust. The cleaning will keep the plant fresh and its foliage pattern prominent. Furthermore, it will also reduce the chances of pests attacks.
In addition, to maintain its shape and size, prune away the damaged, yellow, brown, and infected leaves with a sterilized sharp tool.
Fertilizer Requirements for Silver Band Plant
In the growing season, extra nutrients are required to boost the growth. Fertilize your plant from early spring to late summer every month.
Furthermore, there is no need to fertilize the plant in winter as it is in the dormancy period, and extra nutrients will burn the leaves.
Please follow the package instruction strictly for making dilute solutions as overfertilization can deeply harm the plant. We recommend using a balanced 2-2-2 houseplant fertilizer. You may use a slow-release fertilizer or the liquid form.
Please do not forget to water your plant before fertilizing.
Repotting of Maranta Leuconeura
Repotting is necessary every two to three years or If the plant’s roots come out from the drain hole or start emerging from the soil.
To repot the Silver Band Maranta;
Propagation of Maranta Leuconeura Silver Band
Maranta Leuconeura plant can easily be propagated through water, soil, and root division.
For propagation through water and soil, cut a stem with one or two leaves and an internode. Snip the stem below the internode and dip the internode in water for four weeks. Cover the water jar with a plastic bag. Roots will grow, and then plant the rooted stem in the pot.
Propagation through the soil is the same procedure as water propagation, but instead of water medium, the growing medium will be moist soil. The use of growth hormones will be beneficial in achieving rapid growth.
Propagation through root division requires selecting a healthy root with at least one leaf from the mother plant. Please cut the section with a sharp, sterilized tool, and plant it in a new two-inch pot with moist soil. Please place the baby plant in a shaded, humid place until new growth appears.
Maranta Silver Band can be propagated through seed unlike other Marantas such as Maranta Arundinacea and Maranta Fascinator Tricolor; however, the success rate is low.
Is Maranta Silver Band Toxic?
Research has proved that the Maranta Silver Band plant is non-toxic to pets and humans; therefore, it is a perfect choice for a home with kids and pets.
Pests and Diseases of Silver Band
The common pests found on Silver Band plants are spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids. These all are parasites and feed on leaf sap and can easily be controlled when the infection is mild through Neem oil.
Apply neem oil after washing the infected leaf, and if the infection is uncontrollable, then prune the infected leaves and spray the plant with insecticide.