Philodendron Indoor plants Care Tips and Guidance
For generations, philodendrons have served as a mainstay in indoor plant gardens. Philodendron care and maintenance is easy because if you watch for the signals, the plant will tell you exactly what it needs. Even non-experienced houseplant owners will have no trouble growing philodendron plants because the plants adapt readily to conditions inside the home. This makes learning how to care for a philodendron quite simple.
Philodendron indoor plants thrive indoors year round without complaint, but they enjoy an occasional stay outdoors in a shady spot when the weather permits. Taking the philodendrons plant outdoors also gives you a chance to flush the soil with plenty of fresh water and clean the leaves. Unlike most houseplants, philodendron plants don’t experience as much stress when moving from indoor to outdoor settings.
How to Proceed with Philodendron Plant Care
Philodendron plant care contains three basic needs: sunlight, water and fertilizer.
Proper Sunlight – Set the plant in a location with indirect, bright sunlight. Find a position where the sun’s rays never actually touch the foliage. While it is normal for older leaves to yellow, if this happens to several leaves at the same time, the plant may be getting too much light. If the stems are long and leggy with several inches between leaves, the plant probably isn’t getting enough light.
Required Watering – When growing philodendron flower plants, allow the top inch of about 2.5 cm of soil to dry out between waterings. The length of your index finger to the first knuckle is about an inch of about 2.5 cm. Inserting your finger into the soil is a good way to check the moisture level. Droopy leaves can mean that the plant is getting too much moisture. But the leaves recover rapidly when you correct the watering schedule.
Limited Fertilizer – Feed philodendron indoor plants with a balanced liquid foliage houseplant fertilizer that contains macronutrients. Watering the plant with the limited fertilizer monthly in spring and summer and every six to eight weeks in fall and winter. Poor growth and small leaf size is the plant’s way of telling you that it isn’t getting enough fertilizer. Pale new leaves usually indicate the plant calcium deficiency and magnesium, which are essential micronutrients for philodendrons.
Philodendron Plant Varieties
The two main types of philodendron indoor plants are vining and non-climbing varieties.
Vining philodendron plants need a post or other supporting structure to climb on. These include blushing philodendron plants and heart leaf philodendrons.
Non-climbing philodendron plants, such as lacy tree philodendrons and bird’s nest philodendron plants, have an upright, spreading growth habit. The width of non-climbers can be as much as double their height, so give them plenty of elbow room.
Think Is My Plant a Pothos or a Philodendron?
Indoor philodendron plants are often confused with pothos plants. While the leaves of these two plants are similar in shape, the stems of pothos plants are grooved, while those of philodendron plants are not. New philodendron leaves emerge surrounded by a leaf sheath, which eventually falls off or dries . Philodendron plant leaves don't contain this sheath. Pothos also need brighter light and warmer temperatures, and are frequently purchased in pots.
Leave a comment