Anthurium Rugulosum is an easy-to-care-for delightful house plant that has exotic pebble-like leaves. In this detailed guide, our experts list tips and techniques on how to care for, grow and propagate the plant hassle-free.
You will find all the information that you need to manage and also tackle the most common problems of the plant. Keep reading to know how you can grow your plant with just a few basic gardening skills.
What Is Anthurium Rugulosum?
Anthurium Rugulosum is an exotic and endangered plant native to South America. The plant is a complete charm with its conspicuous pebble-like leaves that are cordate and bullet-shaped. It produces inflorescent small blooms in spring that develop into flowers. Its ease of maintenance makes it a favorite among home gardeners
Anthurium Rugulosum Care
Caring for the Anthurium Rugulosum plant is easy and hassle-free. With basic gardening skills and minimal time at hand, you can witness a healthy and lush green growth of the plant.
Pay heed to a few essential elements concerning its ideal care and you are certainly going to have the healthiest Anthurium foliage. In the below section we explain each of these ideal requirements in more detail so that you can ensure a healthy and thriving Anthurium by providing them with the right environment.
– Water Requirements
A critical aspect of growing the Anthurium Rugulosum plant is the amount of water it receives. In general, the anthurium does well when watered twice or thrice a week. Avoid overwatering and soggy soil by ensuring you have a proper schedule and the pot it is placed in has good drainage.
Keep the soil slightly moist at all times and allow it to dry out between watering schedules. Increase the frequency in the summer months and scale back to once every two weeks during the cold months of winter.
– Light Requirements
Anthurium Rugulosum grows well with bright yet indirect light. The plant seldom tolerates harsh sunlight as the leaves tend to scorch and lose their texture under overexposure. Similarly, exposure to extremely low light conditions may result in stunted growth.
If you are growing the plant indoors, place it near an east-facing or south-facing window for adequate morning sunlight. Additionally, you can also opt to group them under artificial grow lights that also work wonders for the plant during winters. For outdoors, place them under partial shade such as patios, balconies or tree canopies.
– Soil Requirements
Anthurium rugulosum requires a slightly acidic soil between the pH ranges of 6.5 to 6.7. Keep the soil aerated and well-draining by using light and porous peat-based soil. Additionally, you may also mix in organic matter such as perlite, pine bark and orchid mix along with worm castings or compost to improve soil drainage.
An ideal potting mix can consist of one part peat mixed with one part organic matter. It is vital to ensure the soil drains well to prevent fungal diseases and root rot.
– Temperature Requirements
Growing the plant at the right temperature is vital to its health and well-being. Anthurium rugulosum enjoys warm day temperatures between 65 degrees to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The plant will not thrive in any range below 60 degrees Fahrenheit and under stress conditions, will wilt or witness discoloration of leaves. Thus, keep the plant away from sudden changes in temperatures, frost, cold drafts and chilly winds.
During winters move the plant indoors and place them under the warmth of artificial grow lights. If outdoors protect the plant from the harsh sun’s heat by placing them under larger plants to create a natural canopy over them.
– Humidity Requirements
This plant requires a high humidity level of 85 percent to thrive and grow. If you are living in a dry zone, mist the plant frequently to kick in some moisture around it. Additionally, you can also place a pebble tray filled with water below it to improve humidity levels.
Indoor anthuriums can be grouped with other house plants for collective humidity or you could also choose to use a humidifier. If placed indoors, use a humidifier or group plants together to collectively increase the moisture levels
– Fertilizing Requirements
The plant is a light feeder and thus will not require very frequent fertilizer use. Fertilize twice every four months with a high phosphorus liquid formula. This will increase foliage volume and keep the leaves looking vibrant.
Additionally, you could use slow-release pellets to feed the plant gradually, thereby requiring your frequency of adding in fertilizers. Do not over-fertilize the plant and also scale back in winters as excess use results in the salt build-up in the soil and leads to leaf scorching.
– Pruning
Anthuriums are low in maintenance thus you wouldn’t need to spend a lot of time trying to prune or maintain them. An occasional prune though will be beneficial to the plant as it boosts foliage growth, reduces pest infestation and keeps the plant healthier.
Snip away gently with sterile garden prunes or decayed, yellowed or diseased leaves from time to time. The right time to prune the plant is in the warm months of spring and summer to encourage fresh growth.
Propagation
You can propagate anthurium rugulosum easily and hassle-free using stem cuttings. With just a few tools and basic gardening skills, you can easily bring about a new offset of the plant. In the below section we list out the exact procedure and the techniques to achieve success in propagation.
– Right Season To Propagate
Spring and summer is the right season to propagate the plant. Anthuriums have a moderate growth rate thus the warmth of the season will boost growth enabling healthy roots to be established. Moreover, the spring and summer months have a faster growth rate in comparison to the colder months when the plant enters a state of dormancy.
In fall and winter, there is a lack of sunlight and frost conditions make it difficult for new offsets to develop. So avoid these months and get your tools out when the sun shines the brightest.
– Tools Required
Always sterilize all tools with a diluted solution of isopropyl alcohol before you begin the process to prevent the occurrence of fungal or bacterial diseases. Keep the following tools handy.
What you need is a sharp knife or garden pruner, make sure they are sterilized with rubbing alcohol. The reason to sterilize it before using it with isopropyl alcohol is to prevent any bacterial infections.
Make sure that you have suitable light potting mix, so that the roots of the plant would thrive. Ensure to have a container or pot with proper drainage holes, so that the water would flow if the plant had enough water, and lastly, you will need Fungicidal spray.
– Propagation Method
With its moderate growth rate propagation of the plant through stem cuttings is the easiest and fastest method. You can also purchase seeds from a gardening store and use them to propagate, however, this can take a much longer time to germinate and sprout. Stem cuttings will deliver faster results.
First and foremost you must pick a healthy and mature adult plant from which the stem cutting will be taken. now, with the help of a sharp garden shear, snip away a section of the stem in such a way that the section includes some roots as well.
After doing so you must dust the excess soil from the roots and spray fungicide to prevent fungal diseases, and this way you will be safe in every possible way from harming your plant.
What you must do now is to plant this cut section in the potting mix consisting of organic matter such as mulch or peat moss. This will help in drainage thereby reducing the risk of the juvenile roots getting infected with fungal diseases.
You must provide it with the ideal plant care it requires, such as adequate warmth, humidity, light and the right watering schedule, so that it would get used to the routine of a healthy plant. Rotate this so that every side of the plant is exposed equally to heath and light.
In a few weeks, the cut section will establish stronger roots and new leaves will emerge. This is the stage you can consider repotting or transplanting if required.
Problems
As much as the Anthurium is low in maintenance it is not devoid of problems. However, they are easy to tackle and with just a few care mechanisms you can fix the plant and ensure it stays healthy all through. Here is a list of all the common problems and how you can easily fix the issue.
– Bacterial Blight
Bacterial blight is a disease of the plant that drastically distorts the way the plant looks. Caused by the bacterium- xanthomas, the disease results in water-soaked spots, yellow V-shaped lesions and wilting of the plant.
The first thing you need to do as soon as you spot the disease is to isolate the plant to prevent further spread to nearby foliage. Snip away all the affected parts and discard them immediately. If the infection is mild you can treat it with fungicides. Treating a chronic form of the disease is difficult and it eventually kills the plant.
– Chlorosis Bacterial Wilt
Chlorosis is a bacterial infection that affects the Anthurium when it is dry and thirsty. The disease causes the plant to wilt and turn the leaves brown or yellow with flaky spots. Chronic infections of the bacteria make the plant ooze out a brown slime. As soon as you spot the infection, tackle the moisture level of the plant and apply a good quality bactericidal spray.
Unfortunately, a severe condition cannot be treated and the plant should be disposed of at the earliest. The only way to tackle this condition is to prevent its occurrence. Regulate your watering schedule, never permitting the soil to go bone dry. The plant loves moisture and ensuring there is enough humidity around it keeps it happy and thriving.
– Root Rot
A very common outcome of overwatering the Anthurium is root rot. When the soil is left to be water-soaked, the roots are unable to take in adequate oxygen. Coupled with excess moisture, they become a breeding ground for fungal diseases caused by Rhizoctonia.
With weak roots, the stems begin to go limp and the leaves wilt, turning brown or yellow. You can save your plant from root rot if it is not too late. The first thing to do is to scale back on the watering to prevent the spread of the diseases to all parts of the plant. Maintain a schedule and water only when the top soil is dry by at least an inch.
– Slow or Stunted Growth
Your Anthurium may be growing slow or stunted due to over or under-exposure to sunlight. The plant thrives well when placed in bright yet diffused light away from harsh direct sunlight. So ensure you move it to a spot that assures it of the ideal level.
Also, avoid placing it in dim corners especially if you are growing it indoors. This tropical beauty needs its share of light to be able to display its vibrancy. Additionally, in winter, grow the plant under artificial fluorescent grow lights.
– Brown Spots on Leaves
Another reason why you may notice brown spots on the leaves is because of over-fertilizing the plant. The plant requires fertilizing once every four months with a phosphorus-based formula so anything more than this will result in scorched leaves and salt build-up in the soil.
As soon, as you notice these stops, stop and scale back on the use of fertilizers immediately. Care for the plant as you would regularly do and it should soon develop healthy foliage.
– Pest Infestations
Pests such as mealy bugs and aphids attack anthurium sucking out all their fluid and making the foliage go limp. The sooner you tackle the infestation, the easier it is to get rid of them. Isolate the plant and snip away affected sections. You will find these houseplant pests in clusters in a web-like texture on the underside of leaves.
Spray an organic soapy insecticide directly on the pest to tackle them. You will have to repeat spraying until all of the pests have been gotten rid of. To prevent infestations, mist your plant frequently and clean wipe the foliage with a damp cloth. Houseplant pests love a dry and dusty environment to thrive, so good plant hygiene will prevent their occurrence.
– Plant Not Flowering
The plant produces inflorescent small blooms that develop into flowers. If you notice your plant not producing any such blooms, it could be due to a lack of sunlight.
Place the plant in bright yet diffuse light in humid conditions. Additionally feed it with a phosphorus-rich fertilizer once every few months, especially in the blooming season which is spring. This should take care of the issue at hand.
– Limp and Yellow Leaves
If you notice your plant looking limp with yellowing leaves, it could also be due to exposure to low temperatures. The plant seldom fares well in temperatures below 50 degrees and frost conditions. Move the plant indoors in winter away from frost and chilly winds by growing it under artificial grow lights.
FAQ
How do I keep my Anthurium Rugulosum blooming?
Provide sufficient indirect sunlight, maintain consistent moisture levels, and use a well-draining soil mix to keep Anthurium Rugulosum blooming.
Can Anthurium Rugulosum survive in low light?
Anthurium Rugulosum can survive in low light conditions, but it thrives in bright, indirect light.
Do I water Anthurium Rugulosum from top or bottom?
Water Anthurium Rugulosum from the top, allowing the excess water to drain out. Avoid overwatering, as it can cause root rot.
Conclusion
Having read this detailed guide on growing and caring for the Anthurium plant, you can now grow your own without any hassles.
Let us summarize our learning in the section below.
- Anthurium rugulosum is an exotic and endangered plant species native to South America. The plant has characteristic pebble-like bullet leaves that easily grab eyeballs.
- Coupled with its good looks, the plant is easy to care for making it a favorite among many home gardeners, both for indoors as well as outdoor spaces.
- The plant grows in moderate diffused light and heat, away from direct sunlight. Temperatures need to be moderate as well, with high levels of humidity around the plant. Cold drafts, frost and chilly winds hamper the growth of the plant, so move the plant indoors in winters.
- Easily propagate the plant through stem cuttings in spring or early summer and let the warmth of the season aid the plant to establish healthy roots and foliage.
- Tackle the most common problems of the plant by monitoring its light, temperature and watering schedule. Keep the plant away from pests and fungal diseases to ensure the foliage stays healthy and vibrant.
The anthuriums are attractive and low-in-maintenance plants that require just basic gardening skills. You can now go ahead and confidently grow them in your garden and let them charm you in every way!
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