A big shout out for all the Anthurium plants decorating our homes and gardens. More than a thousand flowering species are proud members of the largest genus of the Aroid family. You may know them by different names including the Flamingo flowers, lace-leafs, and tail-flowers. The majority of these plants produce prominent, waxy heart-shaped flowers. In reality, these flowers are modified leaves coming in different colors like pink, red, yellow, and white. Attractive, hardy, and easy to grow, these American natives are famous for indoor decorative plantations. Moreover, you can grow them outdoors in warm zones and with proper care. Thinking about getting some Anthuriums? Let us help you in growing your favorite plants with a precise guide about Anthurium Care.
Anthurium Care
The majority of these plants are easy to grow. You can go ahead and get some for your surroundings without needing a green thumb. The Care for Anthurium houseplant includes indirect sunlight, warm temperatures, and regular watering. Let us have a deeper look into the basic aspects of Anthurium Plant Care.
Water Requirements
The amount of water required is variable. It depends upon features like weather, temperature, humidity, and sunlight. The basic strategy is to water generously and let it drain. Wait for the upper 2 inches of the soil to get dry before you water again. You can check the soil by a moisture meter or simply your finger. Understand the watering strategy and drying routine to make a watering schedule.
In summer, water the plant about once to thrice a week, depending upon the drying pattern. Alternatively, once in ten to twenty days is enough for the plant in fall and winter. In lower temperatures, the plant gets dormant, so it does not need much water. Proper watering is an important part of Anthurium Care. Avoid over-watering as it may cause issues like fungus and root rot.
Light Requirements
These plants tend to survive in a variety of light levels. You can keep them in bright to low indirect sunlight. However, bright indirect light makes them flourish and bloom to their maximum capacity. On the other hand, a longer duration of low light may make the foliage look leggy and unhealthy.
The amount of sunlight required also depends upon the season. The plant in the growing season prefers to be in bright light. Alternatively, the dormant plant can stay alive and happy even in low light conditions. The delicate foliage can not tolerate direct exposure to sunlight. So, make sure you keep them safe from the fierce sun.
Soil Requirements
The soil of Anthuriums should be quick draining with the ability to hold moisture at the same time. There are many options for growing mixes for indoor plantations. You can mix equally mix potting soil and orchid mix. Moreover, an equal mixture of potting soil and perlite is also beneficial for these plants. Another option is an aerating mixture of potting soil, mulch, moss, charcoal, gravel, perlite, and sphagnum moss.
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Temperature Requirement
Ideally, Anthuriums stay happy in warm temperatures. A temperature between 65 to 80 °F is perfect to keep the plant healthy. For nights, you can consider a temperature decrease of 10 degrees. These Flamingo Flowers plants have poor tolerance for colder days. A temperature below 55 °F can freeze and even kill the plant. So, the plants in colder regions need to be moved indoors to some warm spot before the fall.
Make sure you keep the plant away from windows and air drafts. Moreover, direct exposure to air-conditioners and heaters can destroy the foliage.
Humidity Requirement
Anthuriums are the dwellers of tropical environments. Thus, love for humidity is natural. The higher the moisture in the air, the happier your plant will be. On dry days, you need to make efforts for providing adequate moisture. This is another important part of Anthurium houseplant Care;
Grouping the plants help increase the moisture level around them. Secondly, you can use a pebble-water tray under the pot. Just fill a tray with water and put some pebbles in the tray and place the pot on them. Make sure the water does not reach the soil. This will enhance the moisture of the plant.
Using a room humidifier is another nice option. Besides, you can also mist the foliage but make sure the plant stands in a well-ventilated place. Any standing water at the foliage is a perfect invitation to issues like fungus, root rot, and pest attacks.
Fertilizer Requirements
The plants show good results for additional nutrition in the growing season. Use a diluted form of houseplant fertilizer preferably in liquid form. The Anthuriums go dormant in fall and winter with minimal nutritional needs. So avoid fertilizing after the fall.
Pot Requirements
The suitable size for an Anthurium plant indoor is a 1-gallon pot with drainage holes at the base.
Repotting Requirements
Anthuriums generally like to stay root-bound. Howbeit, an annual repotting is an essential part of Anthurium Care. You simply need to select a pot slightly or about 5cm bigger in size. Place the plant higher, keeping the crown high above the soil line.
Pruning Requirements
Cut the older and damaged leaves. In addition, remove the dead flowers immediately from the plant. This will enhance the health and appearance of the plant.
Grooming Requirements
Weekly cleaning of leaves is good to avoid dust build-up. You can take a wet sponge or soft cloth and wipe off the leaves softly.
Growth Zones
The USDA growth zones 10 and higher make these plants hardy. You can even grow them outdoors throughout the year in containers or even in the ground.
Dormancy
In winters, your Anthuriums may shed their leaves and show poor growth. Many people get worried and try to do ‘over-care. Instead of panicking, just let the plant take some rest. Just water it about once or twice a month.
It is better to give the plant at least 6 weeks of rest. Let it stay at a slightly lower temperature, low light, and dry soil. Just wait for the spring and your Flamingo Flower plant will bloom to please you again. Make sure you are not letting the plant stay at a temperature lower than 55 F°.
Toxicity
Toxicity is the legacy of the Anthuriums. High levels of Calcium Oxalate in the foliage make them poisonous for us and other animals. The reaction may include skin allergies. On the other hand, ingesting the foliage may lead to serious health issues like nausea and vomiting. It is better to use gloves while repotting, pruning, and another handling. Moreover, don’t let kids and pets mingle with the foliage. In case of a reaction, don’t forget to take immediate medical help.
Anthurium Care Outdoors
The basic requirements of the plant remain the same. Howbeit, we need to highlight a few points to help you grow them well in your gardens and yards.
Watering:
Make sure you water the soil thoroughly to soak the root zone. People may find difficulty doing it for plants growing in partially shady areas and soggy soils. To enhance the aeration and drainage, you can add peat or Spanish moss around the base of the plant. Make sure the soil and mulches never cover the crown of your Anthurium plant.
Growing Pots
In the regions where the temperature falls below 60 F, you need to bring them indoors before fall. In zones lower than 10, it is better to grow the Anthuriums in containers. This will help you to easily move them indoors before the fall.
Soil and Fertilizer
These plants should be grown in organically rich soil. Secondly, expect these plants to absorb the necessary nutrients from the soil. In case you decide to fertilize, add Phosphorus rich fertilizer alternate months in the growing season. Make sure you never over-fertilize.
Anthurium Problems
Let us get a basic introduction to common plant problems and learn to combat them.
Leggy foliage and fewer flowers
If you notice long and thin stems with lesser blooms, low light is the possible culprit. The plants tend to ‘stretch’ towards the light, to get adequate light. Consider placing your plant at a spot with longer exposure to bright indirect light.
Yellow Leaf tips
Leaf tips getting yellow in Anthuriums indicate over-watering. Immediately reduce the watering frequency and place the plant in brighter light. This will reduce and normalize the initial side effects of over-watering.
Brown Leaf tips
You can notice browning on the tips of the leaves as an initial sigh of dryness. Reconsider the watering routine and other factors like light, weather, and temperature. Adjust and rectify the schedule accordingly.
Diseases
Anthuriums are susceptible to fungus and rotting due to their love of warmth and humidity. To avoid this, keep the plant in a well-ventilated place. Additionally, don’t let the foliage stay wet for long.
Pests
Common pests like Aphids, Scales, Spider mites, Mealybugs, and Thrips may attack in unhealthy conditions. Keep a look at the younger and more vulnerable foliage. Besides, give bimonthly thorough tests to all your plants. This will help you to detect any issue or pest attack at an early stage and control it easily.
You can follow different measures according to the type of pest. Common measures include wiping off the pests or using synthetic anti-pesticides. Neem oil is a popular organic remedy against these nasty creatures.
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Summary
Anthurium is the largest genus of the Aroid family comprising more than a thousand species and their hybrid cultivars. These green-leafed plants are popular for indoor decorative plantation. The most prominent feature includes the colorful flowers which are modified leaves in reality.
These easy-to-grow plants are suitable for both indoor and outdoor plantations. They have tolerance for different levels of indirect light. Howbeit, bright indirect light is what they love. Anthurium Care includes high humidity, warmth, and water right after the upper layer of soil gets dry. Last but not the least, these peeps are toxic. So, make sure you are not keeping them in the range of kids and pets.
