Philodendron Tenue Care InfographicPhilodendron tenue is a climbing plant with broad leaves. They are quickly gaining popularity as an indoor plant because of their broad leaves and unique growth behavior.
This beautiful plant has a fast growth rate, but you must grow it with care because of the fragility of its leaves. Continue reading to find out how to care for philodendron tenue plants.
What Is Philodendron Tenue?
Philodendron tenue is an epiphytic plant that is native to Nicaragua and the Pacific slopes of Venezuela. They have deep green leaves and each leaf has a rippled texture. The leaves can grow up to 3 feet long attached to a petiole and can grow up to 11-41 inches long depending on the growing conditions of the plant.
Philodendron Tenue Care
Philodendron tenue is easy to care for when you grow it in the right temperature and humidity ranges as well as watering and feeding it when you should. Philodendron tenue growth rate is fast, but it can quickly show signs of stress because of the fragility of its leaves and petioles, so you want to make sure that you give it all the attention it deserves.
While most people grow philodendron tenue plants in their homes because of their beauty, a more remarkable feature of the plant is its air-purifying properties. When you grow some philodendron tenue plants in your room, you are sure of breathing fresh oxygen-rich air during the day and even at night. They are usually found in rainforests and habitats with tall trees.
Would you love to grow some philodendron tenue plants? They can be easy to grow as long as you are doing it right. Continue reading to find out how you can grow some philodendron tenue plants and their specific needs:
– Soil Requirements
Unlike other types of plants, philodendron tenue plants require slight-damp soil or substrate to grow well. Even though they love their soil damp, it should not be heavy. Your philodendron tenue soil or potting mix should be loose and light.
You can buy a philodendron tenue-specific potting mix or you can choose an orchid mix while you water the plants regularly. If you’d love to make the substrate by yourself, use a lot of perlite and vermiculite. Perlite can help the substrate to become fast-draining while vermiculite can help retain some moisture.
The recommended pH to grow philodendron tenue is pH 5-8, so your plant will likely not have any pH-related problems because they can grow in both slightly acidic and alkaline soil.
– Water Requirements
Remember that philodendron tenue plants love moisture-rich substrates. While you can amend their substrate with vermiculite so that it can retain moisture, you should also strive to water the plants regularly. You can water your philodendron tenue plants two or three times a week.
In the morning, mist some water droplets on your philodendron tenue leaves. Evenly mist the water droplets and stop before the philodendron tenue leaves start dripping. You should not wait until the soil is dry before you water your plants as doing this can lead to stunted growth.
In addition, make sure that your philodendron tenue pot or container has multiple drainage holes so that excess water can drain out quickly. Even though the plant loves moisture-rich substrate, it does not love a waterlogged one, so you want to make sure that the excess water leaves the container.
– Light Requirements
Your philodendron tenue plants need light to get energy so that they can absorb water and nutrients. Without sufficient light, you will notice that the plants are growing slowly and they will also show signs of etiolation. You need to give your philodendron tenue plants as much light as they need.
Remember that the natural habitat of philodendron tenue plants is in the rainforests. These plants are well-adapted to receiving full, indirect sun. This means that while they will appreciate six or more hours of sunlight per day, the light should either be indirect or they should grow partially in shaded light.
– Humidity Requirements
If you are growing philodendron tenue plants, you need to be mindful of the room’s humidity. Philodendron tenues can grow in a wide range of humidity levels, but if you want optimal growth in the plant as well as beauty, you should grow them in their preferred humidity level.
It may surprise you that philodendron tenue plants require up to 90 percent humidity. Well, they love an environment with high humidity. This mimics their natural habitat where the air is always humid. You should install a little humidifier near your philodendron tenue plants so that it can increase the humidity.
If you have a humidifier in the room, try to make the room well-ventilated because an increase in humidity can attract bacteria and other microbes near your plant. Note that philodendron tenue plants can tolerate 50 to 70 percent humidity.
– Temperature Requirements
If you want to grow philodendron tenue plants without stress, pay close attention to the temperature. You can quickly see stress in your plants if you do not grow them in a room with their preferred temperature, so you always want to put the temperature in check.
Philodendron tenue plants prefer 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature should not be 5 degrees lower or higher than the preferred range if you want to grow your plant without problems. Also, do not plant your philodendron tenue near an oven, air conditioner or any home appliance that alters the room temperature quickly.
– Fertilizing Requirements
Philodendron tenue is truly a beautiful plant but you need to maintain the beauty of its green leaves. The leaves of your plants will look fresher and more beautiful when you feed the plant with the right nutrients. While you can use an all-purpose fertilizer for your philodendron tenue plants, go for the ones with higher levels of nitrogen.
Feed your philodendron tenue plants monthly and stop feeding them in winter and autumn. If you are growing your philodendron tenue plants outside, you can amend their substrate with rotted manure and you would not need to fertilize them later. For indoor plants, go for inorganic water-soluble products for the plants.
– Pruning Your Philodendron Tenue
One thing that people who grow philodendron tenue plants might forget to tell you is that this is a fast-growing plant. As a fast-grower, you need to always check the shape and size of your plant and prune it when needed. Prune excess leaves and petioles off your plant to make the plant look clean all the time.
In time, some of your philodendron tenue leaves will fall off, become pale or yellow, or simply look weak. While you try to look for the particular problem of the plant, you should prune off those leaves so that the plant can always look clean and beautiful. Prune your philodendron tenue plant at least once a year.
– Repotting Your Plants
As a fast-grower, philodendron tenue will grow roots quickly, just as they grow leaves. This means that there will surely come a time when the pot will be too small to house the plant. In this case, you may be needing a larger pot, which is the right time to repot the plant.
Aside from the plant becoming root bound, you may want to change your philodendron tenue substrate to a fresher one to allow your plant to grow quickly. This is enough reason to repot the plant.
To repot your philodendron tenue plants, buy a slightly-larger pot and then pour some substrate into it. Carefully remove your philodendron tenue from its previous pot and compost then plant it in the new pot. Be careful with the roots so that you do not damage them.
It would be great if you examine your philodendron tenue roots before you replant the tenue plant. Check for brown and dying roots. If you can find any, prune them off with sterilized scissors and then rinse the entire root with water before you replant it.
– Suitable Mulch
Would you like to mulch your philodendron tenue plants? That is a wonderful idea. Mulching your houseplants is important for various reasons. Some reasons your philodendron tenue need mulch are:
- Moisture retention: Mulch helps to trap moisture that would have otherwise evaporated. This means that you do not need to water your philodendron tenue plants as often as you would have.
- Nutrients: Organic mulch (not recommended indoors) can break down slowly and add to the nutrition of the substrate for your plants. You can use wood shavings and other types of organic mulch for your outdoor philodendron tenue plants.
- Beauty: Do you want your philodendron tenue pot to become more beautiful? Use beautiful stones and pebbles as mulch. These inorganic mulch products are suitable for houseplants.
- Elimination of competition: Mulch helps to prevent weeds from growing in the pot. Therefore, all the nutrients in the pot will be absorbed by your philodendron tenue plants.
As you can see, you are making the right choice if you choose to mulch your philodendron tenue plants.
– Leaf Care
Now the most noticeable and remarkable feature of the philodendron tenue plant is its leaves. What can you do to ensure that the leaves stay healthy, fresh and beautiful? You can do this by feeding the plant regularly, pruning off dead leaves and misting the leaves regularly.
Another recommended way to care for your philodendron tenue leaves is to occasionally wipe them with a moist rag. This removes specks of dust from the leaves as well as helps them stay shiny.
During the dry season or early rainy season, philodendron tenue plants produce four inflorescences per axil and they can be green or white.
– Support for Your Philodendron Tenue
Remember that philodendron tenue plants are epiphytic. As epiphytes, they love to climb and grow on erect structures such as trees and walls. This means that you will need to support your philodendron tenue plants with a trellis or a wall to climb. You can also use a stake or cage.
The support for your philodendron tenue will likely come with the plant, but you can easily get them from gardening shops or even make them by yourself. Assuming that you want to use a stake, simply dip it into the substrate and make sure that it is firm.
Carefully keep the philodendron tenue petiole or stem resting on the stake and make sure that the stake is somewhere between the plant and the source of light.
– Getting Your Philodendron Tenue
When searching for philodendron tenue plants to buy, you should go to gardening stores or places with exotic plants. You may also purchase some online, but it is best that you examine your plants before taking them home.
Carefully examine the philodendron tenue leaves. Buy the plants with shiny leaves without spots or cuts. Also, feel the petiole or stem to make sure that they are firm. Only collect philodendron tenue plants that look healthy.
If you can, check the temperature and humidity of the room where the plants are and try to mimic those conditions in your home.
Propagation
Philodendron tenue is a very beautiful plant that is easy to grow and propagate as long as you stick to the instructions in this article. Take note that it is best to propagate your philodendron tenue in the spring or summer months when the plant is actively growing.
A matured philodendron tenue plant produces pups or offshoots. These pups grow on the main stem and you can collect them to get more plants. To propagate your philodendron tenue, carefully collect some pups by their roots and plant them in a container with loose soil.
As long as you do not damage the roots of your philodendron tenue pups, they should grow into healthy plants in no time. Make sure that you water the pups regularly. When they show a constant sign of growth for three or four weeks, you can transfer them to your preferred location.
You’d agree that philodendron tenue plants are easy-to-grow plants, right? Continue reading to find out a few problems that are common with the plant and effective ways to solve them.
Problems
You can surely make a few mistakes when growing your philodendron tenue plants. Thankfully, most philodendron tenue problems are either avoidable or solvable. Here are some philodendron tenue problems to watch out for:
– Over-Fertilizing
Truthfully, philodendron tenue plants love an organically rich substrate and they enjoy regular fertilizing. However, if you feed them with too many nutrients, they can die because the nutrients can burn their leaves and prevent them from absorbing enough water as they need.
You should only fertilize your philodendron tenue plants in their active growing season and when fertilizing them, make sure that you do not use too much organic fertilizer. For products such as animal manure, make sure that they are properly rotted so that they do not burn your plants. You can use a water-soluble inorganic fertilizer for your philodendron tenue.
– Sunburn
Remember that in their natural habitats, philodendron tenue plants are usually under larger trees so they do not receive direct sunlight. Even if you should grow your philodendron tenue plant in direct sunlight, it should not be too exposed to the hot sun for more than four hours.
Too much sunlight can burn the leaves of your philodendron tenue and you will notice brown edges in the leaves as well as the plant becoming weak. Always protect your philodendron tenue from the hot summer sun.
Also, try to grow it in filtered light. If you are growing your philodendron tenue indoors, place it close to the window in the eastern part of your home or office.
– Insufficient Light
Even though philodendron tenue plants can tolerate low levels of light, they will have stunted growth if you do not grow them under sufficient light. Another way to tell that your philodendron tenue plant needs more light is when the leaves are turning yellow or the plant is etiolating.
If you do not have access to sunlight for your plant, you can grow it with an artificial grow light. With eight to twelve hours of artificial light daily, your philodendron tenue should do just fine.
You should also make sure that you are not blocking too much light from reaching the plant.
FAQ
Is Philodendron Tenue trained to climb?
Philodendron Tenue doesn’t require any specific training to climb, as it naturally grows aerial roots that allow it to attach and climb on various surfaces. However, providing a support structure such as a moss pole can help encourage upward growth and provide better stability for the plant as it climbs.
Does Philodendron Tenue like shallow pots?
No, Philodendron Tenue prefers deep pots as its root system grows quite extensively and requires ample space to spread out and establish itself properly. Shallow pots can restrict its growth and lead to a lack of nutrients and moisture for the plant.
Is Philodendron Tenue the queen of Philodendrons?
No, Philodendron Tenue is not considered the queen of Philodendrons, but it is still a popular and highly sought after species.
Conclusion
As you can see, you can easily grow some philodendron tenue plants as long as you pay attention to their substrate, nutrient, temperature and water needs. Here are some useful reminders about the plant for you:
- Grow your philodendron tenue plants in a vermiculite-rich substrate and make sure that it is loose and nutritious.
- To maintain the color and health of your philodendron tenue leaves, feed them with nitrogen-rich fertilizer once a week in the growing season.
- Grow your plants at 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Growing them at the right temperature is key to their survival and health.
- You need to water your philodendron tenue regularly. Make sure that the soil or potting mix is consistently moist.
- Even though philodendron tenue plants can tolerate dappled light, you should not grow them in darkness or else they may not survive.
Congratulations as you are now fully ready to care for and propagate philodendron tenue plants with ease!
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