Say hello to another beautiful plant from the famous Philodendron collection, the Philodendron mayoi. This Brazilian native tropical plant is commonly grown for its foliage.
The dark green frond-like lobed leaves make it an attractive plant to keep around. This nice peep is surely a good addition to your indoor plant collection. Moreover, it grows equally well outdoors.
Easy enough for beginners and lazy folks; indirect light and frequent watering are all that it needs. A little care and you will see this active grower smiling around you. Still with us? Please keep reading to learn more about the care and maintenance of the Philo Mayoi Plant.
Philodendron mayoi Classification
Family: Araceae.
Genus: Philodendron.
Species: Mayoi.
Genus Philodendron
The second-largest genus of the family consists of about 400 to 700 species. This was officially introduced by Charles Plumier in the middle of the 16th century. However, they always attained a part in the fields of art, folk, and medicine.
Philos is divided into two forms depending upon their growing habit. This division consists of the climbers(vines) and the non-climbers. The majority of these plants are popularly known for their large and showy leaves.
The attractive appearance and easy-to-care nature make them a part of both indoor and outdoor plantations. Growers have performed various experiments to create a large number of hybrids Philos.
Features of the Philodendron mayoi Plant
Size:
The plant grows more than 4 feet in open space. However, indoor ones remain shorter due to the lesser space and close environment.
Leaves:
The perforated frond-like leaves get about 7 to 10 inches on maturity. The younger leaves have smaller perforations which grow with the age of the leaves.
Toxicity:
Toxicity runs in the foliage of all the Philodendrons. The high levels of calcium oxalate crystals make it unsafe for both humans and animals. Ingestion can lead to issues like nausea, dhiroha, and vomiting. So, place the Mayoi Philodendron plant out of the reach of kids and pets. Additionally, contact emergency medical aid in case of ingestion.
Philodendron mayoi Care
Mayoi Philodendron is another Philo with easy-to-care nature. In proper care, this fast grower will flourish in no time to add splendour around you.
Quick Guide:
Water: Occasional (after the soil gets dry)
Sunlight: The bright indirect sun.
Humidity: Average.
Fertilizer: Mild doses in spring and summer only.
Let us have a detailed look into the maintenance of the plant.
Water Requirements
Water the philodendron mayoi plant according to the typical Philodendron principle. Soak the water thoroughly and let it drain from the base. Water again after the upper 3 inches get dry. Before watering makes sure the soil at least at the level of 3 inches deep is dry and not only the top crust.
These plants don’t like frequent watering. About twice a week is enough in spring and summer. On the other hand, the watering requirement of Philos decreases with the fall in temperature. The plants get dormant with minimal requirement of water and nutrition. So, don’t water it more than once in two to three weeks.
Over-watering is quite harmful to the plant. It makes the soil get soggy, which can cause root rot and even the death of the plant if goes unnoticed. Hence, avoid it at all costs to keep your plant happy.
Light Requirements
The bright indirect sun is ideal for these Mayoi Plants. Make sure the plant gets about 6 to 8 hours of good indirect sun. However, direct sun is harmful to the foliage. It can not only scorch out the foliage but can kill it as well.
You can place them indoors near a well-lit window where it can get plenty of indirect sun. Many people keep the trailers in a way that the foliage keeps on hanging in front of the window. In this situation, make sure there is some net or sheet to shield the plant from direct sun. For outdoor plantation, a shade with indirect light under a wall or a tree is a good option.
Soil/Substrate Requirements
A quick draining growing mixture is what you need to grow the Philodendrons. This enables the plant to avoid any standing water at the base of the plant. You can use a graded growing mix suitable for these plants. Peat and bark are known to enhance the draining quality of the soil.
You can also add a little perlite to your soil to help the plant. This will make it get its required moisture while not letting the soil go damp and soggy.
Humidity Requirements
The foliage loves to be in high humidity. However, these peeps are not much fussy and adjust well in medium levels also. A general estimate of about 60% moisture is essential to keep the plant in good shape.
On dry days, you can follow different measures to enhance the moisture level around the plant. For instance, you can group a few plants to increase the overall humidity around. Secondly, you can use a pebble-water tray under the pot or add a humidifier in the surroundings.
Temperature Requirements
Just like other Philodendrons, the Mayoi plants like to stay at a moderately warm temperature. A range of 18 to 30 C proves to be ideal.
These peeps have poor tolerance for cold and frost. So, make sure you transfer them to some warm indoor spot before it gets cold in winter. This is especially important for people living in colder zones.
Fertilizer Requirements
Monthly doses of suitable good quality fertilizer show good results in terms of the plant’s health. You can use a balanced houseplant fertilizer once a month in spring and summer.
Over-fertilizing is quite harmful. It can not only scorch out the plant but can only kill the plant.
So, you should avoid it at all costs. It is always recommended to follow a mild dose, preferably half of the one stated on the pack. Moreover, stop fertilizing right after the end of the summer.
This will save you from adding unwanted nutrition to a dormant (sleeping) plant in winter.
Pruning Requirements
This quick grower needs to have a regular cut. This will help you to make your plant look healthy and maintain a shape. Besides, older and unhealthy leaves are nothing except a burden on the plant body.
Repotting Requirements
It is an observation that these plants do not mind being a little root-bound. So, you can keep them in the same pot for a year or more. However, refreshing the soil(without needing a bigger pot) every year proves good for the health of the plant.
Once you see the plant filling all the pot and/or the roots protruding out from the drainage holes, it is time to repot. Select a pot not larger than two inches from the previous one. As much larger pots will result in space which can cause nothing but root rot.
Philodendron mayoi Propagation
It would not be wrong to say the Mayoi plants are among the easiest to propagate. Planting stem cuttings is a popular method.
Propagation by Stem-Cutting:
- Prepare a small pot with a mixture of graded potting mix and perlite.
- Just select a healthy plant and cut a few sections right under the nodes.
- Simply plant the cuttings in the potting mixture about 3 inches deeper. Press the soil around the cuttings with the help of your fingertips to make them get stable.
- Mist the soil to provide the moisture. Just make sure it’s a mild mist and not heavy watering as you don’t want to wash the cutting away.
- Place the setup in bright indirect sun and let them bask there to get about 6 to 8 hours.
- Don’t forget to water mildly, right after the upper 3 inches get dry.
- Three to four weeks and baby roots will develop. This will be followed by the baby shoot in a matter of about 5 weeks or more. You can finally plant these cuttings in your desired place.
- In the initial months, it is always better to water mildly. After about three to four months, you can simply follow the care as mentioned in the previous section.
Propagation in water:
- These cuttings root pretty well in water. Just take a small jar and fill it with water.
- Dip the cuttings in water about 3 inches deep. Make sure the lower nodes are completely immersed in water.
- Place the setup in indirect sun.
- Don’t forget to change the water every week. This will help you to combat the chances of fungus and mucking.
- You will be happy to see the development of baby roots and shoot in 4 to 6 weeks.
- These plantlets will stay well in water. Also, you can shift them to soil or some suitable growing mixture to help your new Philo Mayoi plants flourish there.
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Summary
Philodendron Mayoi is a Brazilian native tropical plant. The attractive foliage makes it popular for both indoor and outdoor plantations. The large, dark-green fern-like fringed leaves make it a classy peep to be around.
This low-maintenance plant is suitable for all including beginners and lazy peeps. Bright indirect light and watering after the soil gets dry is all that it needs to stay happy. Just like other Philos, this one too is toxic for us and animals. So, make sure to keep kids and pets away from the plant. Additionally, don’t avoid contacting emergency medical help in case of ingestion.
