Gardeners love all different species of Anthurium plants because of their mesmerizing beauty and unique looks. There are many Anthurium varieties, like velvet cardboard anthurium, flamingo, or black anthurium.
Even though this is a plant native to tropical surroundings, with a little bit of care, it can grow beautifully in your home garden, living room, or kitchen only if you follow these pieces of advice.
If you want to know more about Anthurium care, keep reading this article where I will talk about everything you need to know. Let’s begin!
Light Requirements
Being a tropical species, Anthurium needs a large amount of light in order to survive, but it should not be exposed to direct light since it can harm her foliage.
This is a plant that usually grows in the shade of bigger trees or plants, which means it should be kept somewhere where it gets enough sunlight but is still in partial shade.
If you have enough time to take care of your plant, you can place it in the sun in the early morning when the sun is not too harmful and then move it later in the afternoon to a place where it will be in total or partial shade.
Anthurium needs to be exposed to sunlight for at least 15 to 16 hours a day in order to bloom healthily.
If you live in a very cold city, I recommend growing it under the grow lights since it will probably grow extremely slow If you keep cultivating it outside.
In case your Anthurium isn’t getting at least 10 hours of sunlight exposure per day, it will probably start rotting.
Anthurium Temperature Requirements
All tropical species love very warm temperatures, and Anthurium is no exception to that.
This is a species that needs medium to high temperatures at all times in order to develop healthily, so in case you don’t have grow lights in your garden, or you live in a place with long and cold winters, I recommend avoiding this species.
The optimal temperatures for steady and balanced growth are anywhere between 70 to 80 Fahrenheit or 19 to 26 Celsius.
During the winter season, you should always continue cultivating it indoors since once the temperatures drop below these levels, your plant will freeze, and its growth will slowly stop.
Humidity Levels for Anthurium Care
In Central and South America, where this species originates from, extremely high humidity levels make the normal environment needed for the successful growth of all plants.
Ideal humidity levels range anywhere between 70 and 80 percent, so make sure your garden, whether it is indoor or outdoor, can provide your plant with constant humidity.
My tip is to grow your Anthurium near the kitchen counter and your cooker, where it will be exposed to humidity all the time.
You can also place it in your bathroom, but make sure there is some kind of a window that will provide your plant with enough natural sunlight.
Watering Anthurium Plants
Adequate watering is probably the most important thing for the growth of any plant species, especially with tropical ones like Anthurium.
You need to be very careful and try to mimic its natural environment and make sure it is always provided with enough water.
However, you need to be extremely careful with Anthurium because too much water can be as bad as dehydration.
The roots of Anthurium always need to get enough air in order to dry out successfully; otherwise, overwatered roots can rot very easily, which will lead to plants’ death.
Always use well-drained soil to prevent situations like this.
You need to follow the growth of your Anthurium and take care of the amount of water present in its soil.
Tropical plants usually need a bit of extra care than others because their soil and roots can easily get overwatered, so make sure you take enough time to inspect your plant and its needs thoroughly.
In summers, it is suggested to water the plant 2 or 3 times in a week, while in winter, once in 10 days or two weeks will be enough for your Anthurium.
Soil Requirements
Anthurium often grows in treetops or terrestrially, which means it can be grown in soils of different types and components or may even grow itself without any soil present.
The Anthurium needs well-drained soil that will still retain water very well, especially if you are growing it in a very warm place.
So, what are the perfect components for Anthuriums soil?
Since this is a plant that grows in tropical places and does not need any specific materials to prosper, your perfect soil will consist of compost and basically anything organic you can find.
You can buy the prepared compost found in supermarkets, but you can also prepare one yourself from food scraps or garden waste.
I used to add anything organic I could find in my house, like shells of almonds, pistachios, or walnuts, but also some peat moss and perlite.
To make soil that will allow your plant to breathe and air out often, I recommend adding some charcoal.
It will form many air pockets, which will allow the roots of your plant to breathe undisturbed.
Terracotta pots are the best pots for your Anthurium since they will allow its roots to air out well and improve the drainage of the soil.
Anthurium Propagation
The propagation of Anthurium is pretty easy, even for beginner gardeners, but its results may vary a lot.
The best and the easiest method to propagate your Anthurium is root separation.
This is a propagation process that should be done only when you are 100% sure your plant and its roots are strong enough and won’t break during the process.
Once you see new roots appearing in your plant, remove them right away.
New plants can also be grown from Anthurium seeds, but you will probably need a perfect environment, almost the same as their natural one, in order for them to develop properly.
You can try propagating your Anthurium with stem cuttings too, but this is the method that sometimes used to work for me perfectly, while at other times, it was unsuccessful.
When you propagate your plant, you need to start taking extra care of it since it needs almost a perfect environment in order to grow healthily.
Always be extremely careful when preparing the soil for propagated Anthuriums since only one small mistake can stop your plant from growing.
How to propagate by root separation?
- Make sure your plant and its roots are strong enough. In case they are still very new, postpone the propagation for a month or two.
- Carefully remove the soil until you are close enough to the thick root, which is usually at the center.
- Get close to all the roots that are coming out of the thickest one, and make sure to divide your root into two parts – the top one with leaves and the bottom one with remaining roots. Both parts should have their own roots, so be very careful when dissecting the plant.
- Plant these two parts in two different pots. I always recommend using terracotta pots.
- Keep the soil of the propagated part very wet and humid, and make sure it gets enough warmth.
- After a day or two, you can add some organic or chemical fertilizer in order for your plant to start growing faster.
- You can feed the plant with fertilizers every week until your plant finally starts growing. Then you should start using it once or twice a month.
Fertilizing Anthurium Plants
Just like most of the plants you are cultivating in your home garden, Anthurium will also need some fertilizer from time to time.
You can add some organic components to your soil or a balanced fertilizer that will improve its growth.
However, If you already added many organic components to your soil mixture, I recommend using a fertilizer that is not too strong since that can mess up your plants’ growth.
While I always recommend using natural, organic fertilizer, I believe that sometimes a well-balanced chemical fertilizer can be a better option, especially for tropical species like this.
For a natural fertilizer, you can use any of the garden leftovers, crushed shells, pieces of wood – all of them have the same effect on the plant.
In case you choose a chemical fertilizer, I recommend choosing it very carefully since fertilizers that are too harsh will do more damage than good to your Anthurium.
Make sure your chemical fertilizer is well-balanced and that you don’t put too much of it in the soil mixture.
Chemical fertilizers should not be used more than twice a month, and I always recommend picking up a slow-release fertilizer.
Always start by using it once a month, and in case you see your plant is developing very slowly, make a plan to add it twice a month, but make sure there is a 10 or 15-day interval between the days.
When using chemical fertilizer, make sure to check your plants’ soil very often, since the salt from these fertilizers can build up a lot and potentially destroy your plant.
To prevent this from happening, water your plant regularly and make sure the roots get enough water too.
Potting Anthurium
Just like propagation, this is a very simple and easy process when it comes to Anthurium.
I always recommend potting your Anthurium in a terracotta pot since it will allow its roots to breathe properly and prevent the plant from rotting.
You should layer your terracotta top with an organic soil mixture, place the plant in it properly and then layer it with a chunky mixture of charcoal, for example, to stimulate its growth and mimic its natural environment,
This is an easy process for all gardeners, making Anthurium a beautiful addition to your garden that is very easy to take care of at the same time.
Some gardeners decide not to repot their Anthurium and rather leave it growing completely root-bound.
If you want, you can do this too and repot the plant in a year or two when you realize this pot is too small for its roots.
This is also a very simple process, but you need to be careful when removing its roots from one pot to another.
Also, always make sure there is a great organic base for your plant.
Common Problems of Anthurium care
Like all of the houseplants, Anthurium will also experience some potential difficulties, but it is nothing you can’t solve easily.
Wilting, burn marks, lesions are just some of the things your Anthurium may be experiencing while growing, but there is some simple advice to solve them.
1. Burn marks
Burn marks or leaf spots are common problems for many plants, especially those that need to be exposed to a lot of light in order to grow.
They can appear as a consequence of constant exposure to very harsh light, and sometimes they appear when the plant is constantly overwatered, and its soil is not allowed to air out.
The problem is that it often appears even months after the problem has started, so the only solution is to remove the affected leaves.
Leaf spots can be asymptomatic for a few months, and once the problem has reached its peak, it can spread very fast throughout the plant.
You can for sure prevent this by controlling your soil very often and making sure it is well-drained and allows the roots to dry out properly.
2. Lesions
Lesions are usually of yellow or brown color, appearing on the margins of the leaves, and are almost always a consequence of overwatering.
The good thing is that they appear just a day or two after the overwatering has occurred, so you can remove the leaves affected by this bacteria but also manage to drain out the soil, so the lesions don’t appear on other parts of the plant.
3. Wilting
Wilting is a problem common for all different types of plants, and it can appear even when your plant is looking perfectly healthy.
Before the sudden wilting, your plant will probably become yellowy and lose its healthy glow.
The reason for wilting is usually found in the roots, so if they are overwatered or underwatered, this will certainly happen in one moment.
Different bacteria develop in soil with dry or too wet soil, so you need to make sure the water concentration is adequate, otherwise, your plant will start rotting and dying from its root.
4. Mealybugs and Aphids
Even though this is not a very common problem for Anthurium, it can still appear from time to time, especially If you are growing it next to different plants in your garden.
Pests like mealybugs and aphids will feed on your Anthurium, sucking out all the nutritious components from it, causing its slow death.
They also tend to leave a sticky texture called honeydew which attracts other insects to the plant, making its death even faster.
This is a problem that most of gardeners have encountered throughout their experience, and it can easily be solved with insecticidal sprays or soaps.
You can also start cleaning your plants’ leaves with a wet cloth once or twice a week to remove all the pests and insects that may have appeared.
Final Thoughts
As you could already see Anthurium is a very beautiful and exotic plant that will certainly bring a new life to your garden.
It is a tropical plant of a fantastic look, and it will make a great addition to your little outdoor garden or your kitchen and living room.
It needs a very hot environment to grow well, but I believe that is not a problem for most gardeners.
In case you already had experience growing some tropical plants, I believe growing this type of Anthurium will be very easy for you, and you will enjoy the whole process.
Being easy to take care of, repot, and having moderate watering needs, this is the right plant for everyone who is looking for a beautiful, exotic plant that doesn’t need too much attention.