Philodendron Patriciae Care InfographicPhilodendron patriciae is an extraordinary plant with striking leaves that will always attract you, but to maintain this plant, you need to consider its optimal requirements.
Philodendron patriciae rarely blooms, but you can be lucky enough to witness its bloom three to four years after planting.
The philodendron patriciae seeds are not edible, but you can plant them. Continue reading to learn all about the philodendron patriciae care requirements.
Contents
What Is Philodendron Patriciae?
Philodendron patriciae is an epiphytic plant that is native to South America, specifically northwest Colombia. The 20-to-30-inch leaves of philodendron patriciae are beautiful as they are long and rippled.
The leaves are sub-velvety and have dark green colors, and they appear to drape straight from the petioles of the plant.
Philodendron Patriciae Care Tips
This plant was first documented in 1979 by the acclaimed botanist and researcher at Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), Alwyn Gentry.
You need to pay close attention to your philodendron patriciae growing condition as growing this plant in the right environment is all that you need to grow it with ease.
Specifically, pay attention to the temperature as well as humidity, light, water and nutrient needs.
If you can provide everything your philodendron patriciae needs, you are good to go.
After seeing the beauty of this plant, you’d surely want to grow it on your patio, office or home as an ornamental plant in a very beautiful pot. Note that the leaves of philodendron patriciae are tender, so you need to be attentive to your plants when growing them.
Here are the specific care requirements of philodendron patriciae plants:
– Soil Requirements
Now you need to be very attentive to your philodendron patriciae substrate. A good substrate for philodendron patriciae plants is moist but arable. The soil or potting mix should have a fluffy nature and it should be slightly acidic (pH 5-6 is preferable).
You can make a suitable potting mix for your philodendron patriciae plant by mixing 20 percent compost, 10 percent peat or moss, 30 percent soil and 40 percent orchid bark together.
You can also add some perlite if your mixture does not drain excess water quickly. Note that the philodendron patriciae soil must be airy so that your philodendron patriciae plants do not suffer from root rot.
– Water Requirements
Water is important for every plant because it helps plants to stay firm while transporting nutrients and energy to and from the roots and leaves. Your philodendron patriciae loves water but not too much of it. Note that overwatering your philodendron patriciae can lead to root rot.
As a general rule, you should water your philodendron patriciae plants once a week. However, water your philodendron patriciae plants more often in the hot summer months as they absorb more water in that period. Remember that the pot should have drainage holes so that excess water or moisture can quickly drain off.
If you feel that water drains quickly from the pot and the substrate becomes dry in no time, you should add vermiculite to the substrate so that it can help to retain some moisture for your philodendron patriciae.
– Light Requirements
The amount of light that you grow your philodendron patriciae plants under has a major role in the health and beauty of the plants. Growing your philodendron patriciae plants under insufficient light can lead to etiolation and their leaves turning yellow. You need to grow them with the right amount of light.
In their natural habitat, philodendron patriciae plants grow on trees and other structures they can find. This affects the amount of light that they receive because even if the sun is bright, they are under a canopy.
Philodendron patriciae plants love partial shade and you should make sure that they get four or more hours of sunlight daily. Use artificial light only when you do not have access to enough sunlight like in winter. Even though philodendron patriciae plants can adapt to a wide variety of lighting conditions, try not to grow them under excess direct sunlight.
– Humidity Requirements
In their natural habitat, philodendron patriciae plants constantly enjoy a very high level of humidity. They grow usually in 60 percent or more levels of humidity, so you want to make your plants feel at home by mimicking what they are used to. Make the room humidity level as high as possible.
You can always grow your philodendron patriciae plants in lower levels of humidity (below 50 percent), but you will notice a difference in their growth rate and appearance if you do not grow them in the right humidity conditions. You should consider installing a small humidifier for your philodendron patriciae plants.
– Temperature Requirements
Temperature is generally the most important factor that you should consider before thinking of buying a plant you want to grow. Plants can only grow in a region or zone with the same temperature as what they are used to. For philodendron patriciae plants, remember that they are warm-loving plants.
The room temperature should be high. Philodendron patriciae can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, but they are still warm-loving. The room temperature should be somewhere between 64 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the philodendron growing season.
In winter, your plant will stop growing. If you have philodendron patriciae plants outside, bring them indoors before your first frost date so that they can survive the winter. Remember to grow your philodendron patriciae plants some feet away from any temperature-regulating appliances such as your air conditioner.
– Fertilizing Requirements
Every living organism needs food to eat and so does your philodendron patriciae. To help retain the beautiful leaves and health of this plant, you should ensure that it has enough nutrients in the potting mix or substrate.
When you grow your plants in a nutrient-rich substrate, you may reduce your rate of fertilizing the plant.
If the potting mix is very airy and loose, you have to fertilize the plant more regularly because most of the nutrients in the substrate can drain off with the water. Use a balanced fertilizer or one rich in nitrogen for your philodendron patriciae plants.
The fertilizer should be liquid or water-soluble. If, by any chance, you notice signs of nutrient deficiency in your plant, use a foliar fertilizer to correct the deficiency.
– Pruning
Some people get tired of their houseplants because the little beautiful plant they once knew grew out of shape and lost its beauty. If you want your philodendron patriciae plants to stay beautiful for a very long time, you have some work to do.
Philodendron patriciae plants are messy climbers and they grow quickly. To help retain their beauty and shape, you need to prune them regularly. Use a pruning knife to cut excess leaves and stems away from the plant.
Also, search for and remove weak and dying leaves so that the plant can continue looking new and clean.
Make sure that you use sterilized tools so that you do not introduce harmful microbes to your plant by using contaminated tools.
– Repotting Your Plants
Philodendron patriciae is a fast-growing plant. By pruning it, you reduce the number of leaves and ensure that it does not look messy above the substrate surface. How do you ensure that your plants are not messy below the substrate surface? You do this by repotting the plant when it is due.
In less than two years, you may notice that your philodendron patriciae plant has become root-bound. You may find roots poking out from the substrate. You may also notice that the philodendron has stunted growth. Another indication is that water does not drain quickly as it did before.
If you notice any of the above, it is time to repot your philodendron patriciae. Buy a bigger container with drainage holes and follow the same procedure we mentioned above for planting your philodendron patriciae. However, you should check for dead roots and prune them off before you replant the plant.
– Suitable Mulch
How do you add to the beauty of your already beautiful philodendron patriciae? By mulching it with beautiful mulch. You can use pebbles, shells, gravel and other types of beautiful mulch to mulch your houseplants.
Note that you should reduce your rate of watering the philodendron patriciae plant if you use mulch because mulch traps water vapor and prevents moisture from evaporating from the philodendron patriciae substrate.
– Leaf Care
A plant such as the philodendron patriciae is very popular because of its unique and beautiful leaves. This means that it would be in your best interest to retain the beauty of its leaves. As we discussed earlier in this article, some ways to help your plant to retain its beauty include:
- Feeding it with the right nutrients
- Pruning weak and dying leaves
- Pruning excess leaves so that the plant can stay in shape
- Growing the plant at the right temperature and humidity levels.
Another important way to care for your philodendron patriciae leaves is to remove insect pests from them as soon as you find any. Also, you may use a cloth that is just a little bit damp to wipe the philodendron leaves so that they can stay shiny. However, you need to be careful so that you do not tear the leaves.
– Getting Your Philodendron Patriciae
You can find philodendron patriciae plants in online stores as well as houseplant stores nearby. The philodendron genus is popular, so you will likely see multiple species. You can always identify philodendron patriciae plants by their rippled green leaves.
Carefully examine the philodendron patriciae leaves to make sure that they are healthy. Healthy leaves are green and do not have irregular spots. Healthy philodendron patriciae plants also have firm petioles that can hold the leaves freely.
Before bringing your philodendron patriciae plant home, check the lighting, temperature and humidity conditions of the store and try to mimic these conditions when you bring the plant home.
– How to Plant
When you finally get your plant and a suitable substrate, you can start planting. Note that you must not change the current substrate or pot that came with your plant. You can use that same substrate for about a year before repotting.
To introduce your philodendron patriciae plants into their new home, pour some substrate into a pot or container with drainage holes and then place the philodendron patriciae plant on the substrate. Pour more substrate to cover the roots of your plant and then wait for one to two hours before watering the plant.
Your philodendron patriciae will need a support such as a trellis, stake or cage. Search for the support in gardening stores then train the plant to climb its support.
Propagation
You will surely want more philodendron patriciae plants because the beauty of one is just not enough. You can always go back to the gardening store to buy more philodendron patriciae plants, but why spend extra money when you can get more plants from a mature plant for free?
To propagate philodendron patriciae plants is easy. To propagate your plant, you will be needing a stem. Use pruning scissors or a knife to cut a stem that has four to five leaves. You can propagate this stem cutting in either soil (solid substrate) or water.
– Propagate in Soil
To propagate your philodendron patriciae stem cutting in soil, dip it in a rooting hormone and then plant it in a loose substrate. Continue watering the philodendron patriciae cutting and you should notice a new leaf growth in less than three weeks.
– Propagate in Water
As for the propagation by water method, all you need to do is to keep the philodendron patriciae stem cutting in a jar of water for two or three weeks. You should make sure that the water is clean by always replacing it every three or four days.
In seven to ten days, you should notice roots growing from the base of your philodendron patriciae stem cutting. You can then plant the philodendron patriciae cutting a week or two after you see roots growing as you are sure that the plant will grow well.
Problems
So far, philodendron patriciae is proving to be a very easy plant to grow and propagate, right? Well, to make sure that your philodendron patriciae growing journey is hitch-free, make sure to avoid the following problems:
– Not Watering Enough
Philodendron patriciae plants love a moist substrate and even though you should not water them too much, you should not fail to water them as when due. In the active growing season of philodendron patriciae, you should try to water the plant once or twice a week.
If you fail to water your philodendron patriciae after ten days in the growing season, you will begin to notice weak and dying leaves. The stem or petiole will also appear weak. Try to water your philodendron patriciae plant regularly so that it can remain beautiful and healthy. To help your plant heal quickly, you can water it by misting it.
– Over-Fertilizing
The beauty of philodendron patriciae plants can trick you into giving them more nutrients than they need because you’d feel that they deserve it. Well, every plant deserves to be properly fed, but make sure that you do not feed your philodendron patriciae plants with more nutrients than they need.
Fertilizing your philodendron patriciae with too many nutrients can burn its leaves as well as kill it. You should only fertilize it regularly in the active growing season. You do not need to fertilize your philodendron patriciae plant in winter or when the substrate is rich in nutrients. Use water-soluble fertilizer as well.
– Insufficient Light
Even though philodendron patriciae plants can tolerate a low level of light, they can die or grow very slowly if you do not give them sufficient light. Make sure that your philodendron patriciae plant receives four to six hours of bright but dappled light daily.
Your philodendron patriciae plant will tell you that it is not receiving sufficient light through the yellowing of its leaves and weakening of its petiole. Try to expose the plant to more sunlight to fix the problem.
If you do not have a window with access to sufficient sunlight for your philodendron patriciae plant, you should support the plant with artificial light.
FAQ
Does Philodendron Patriciae like full sun or shade?
Philodendron Patriciae prefers bright, indirect light but can tolerate some morning or evening sun. Avoid direct sunlight.
Is Philodendron Patriciae a beginner plant?
Philodendron Patriciae is not recommended for beginner plant enthusiasts due to its specific care requirements.
Does mulch help grow Philodendron Patriciae indoors?
Mulch can help retain moisture and provide nutrients for Philodendron Patriciae, but it’s not necessary for indoor growth.
Conclusion
Remember to pay attention to your philodendron patriciae temperature, humidity, water, light and nutrient needs. Here are some useful reminders to help you grow philodendron patriciae successfully:
- You need to grow your philodendron patriciae in 64 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Growing this plant at the right temperature is very important.
- In the active season of summer and spring, you should water your philodendron patriciae plants at least once a week.
- You should use an all-purpose fertilizer for your philodendron patriciae plants. Feed them every two or three weeks.
- Use a fluffy, loose and lightweight substrate for your plant. Make sure that it drains water quickly.
- Considering the nature of your philodendron patriciae leaves and appearance, it would be in your best interest to prune your plant regularly.
As long as you can remember the philodendron patriciae care requirements above, you are surely good to go.
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