Philodendron Care- Best Care Guide

Welcome to our guide to philodendron care. Philodendrons are easy to care for and in general do well in most households, give them good light and water them regularly, allowing the top layer to dry out first…

Philodendron Care Summary

Light needs:	Indirect sunlight from medium to bright.
Watering needs:	Let top layer dry out between waterings.
Fertilizer:	Balanced fertilizer once a month in the warmer growing months.
Soil:	Peat based potting compost with plenty of organic matter or sphagnum.
Humidity:	Normal household humidity is ok, but they’ll thrive in a bit more, mist them a few time a week if you can.
Temperature:	Normal household temps, but don’t let them get too cold in winter
Where to buy:	Try our list of Rare Plant Shops.
Common issues:	Be careful of pests like mealybugs, and spider mites.

Intro

Welcome to our Philodendron Care guide. There are many types of philodendrons, they have shot to popularity in recent years as in-demand plants for houseplant lovers.

Philodendron Light Needs

Philodendrons like indirect sunlight, from medium room light to really bright indirect sunlight.

How Often to Water A Philodendron

Allow philodendrons’ top layer to dry out between watering, if the soil is dry for a half a winger depth down then you can water your plant.

Fertilizer

You can feed your philodendrons a balanced fertilizer to help them grow quicker. Do so once a month in the warmer growing months.

Soil

Give them a peat based potting compost with plenty of organic matter or sphagnum in it. Philodendrons like to be kept moist, plant collectors often keep them in sphagnum moss alone.

For more on Philodendron soil see our guide on what to buy or how to make your own: P h ilodendron Soil.

When To Repot A Philodendron

Plant your philodendron up a pot size if it gets root bound and roots start to grow through the bottom, the best time to do this is late spring or early summer.

Humidity

Philodendrons will do well in normal household humidity levels, but they will thrive in the higher end of these levels. Give them a good misting at watering time and they will thank you for it!

Temperature

Normal household temperatures are great for Philodendrons, just don’t let them get too cold in winter.

Philodendron USDA Zone

They can grow outdoors year-round in zones 9-11.

Philodendron Propagation

When propagating a philodendron you want to take a cutting with one node and one leaf. There’s a few different types of philodendrons like self heading, and vining/climbing. You need to be a bit more careful with a self-heading philodendron as the nodes are so close together you could damage one of the other nodes if you’re not careful.

So take a cutting with one node and a leaf and then put it in a jar of water to root. After about a month when it has some roots you can move it to soil, leca or sphagnum moss..

Keep it humid by putting it in a bigger plastic box with the lid half closed. Once it start to put out new leaves and stems you can treat it as a normal plant.

Philodendron melanochrysum propagations in leca — Some of my philodendron melanochrysum propagations in leca

For more on philodendron propagation see our guide: How To Propagate Philodendron.

Where To Buy Philodendrons

You can buy all types of philodendrons on Etsy, from specialist sellers to general plant stores.

Philodendrons In Water

You can grow philodendrons in water alone. They look great a decoration with a cutting in a glass jar. See our water propagation guide for more info.

Philodendron Care FAQs and Common Issues

Be careful of pests like mealybugs, and spider mites, see our articles on Houseplant Pests and Problems for more on how to spot and fix these issues.

How many philodendrons are there?

There are almost 500 varieties of philodendrons at the moment! And the list is still growing.

What are the different types of Philodendrons?

There are loads and loads of different types of Philodendrons, here is a list of them:

Are Pothos And Philodendron The Same?

Pothos and philodendron are similar but not the same, see our article Philodendron Vs Pothos for more info.

Are Philodendron Toxic To Cats?

They are poisonous if eaten, if this happens seek a vets advice straight away.

Why Is My Philodendron Turning Yellow?

Yellowing in philodendrons is most likely due to overwatering. It can also be from irregular watering, for example letting the plant dry out for too long, then watering heavily.

Philodendron Leaves Turning Brown

Philodendron leaves leaves turn brown at the edges if they lack moisture – make sure to water the plant and mist it to up the humidity. If the whole leaf is brown it could be for a number of reasons, either severe lack of water or overwatering.

Do Philodendron Like To Be Root Bound?

Philodendrons are ok to be a bit crowded but they will grow slower so pot them up a size if needed.

Do Philodendrons Like To Be Misted?

Philodendrons like humidity and the best way to provide this is by putting them with other plants or next to humidifier, or on a pebble tray. But misting is ok to temporarily up the moisture around them.

Do Philodendrons Climb?

There are deferent types of philodendrons, many are classified as ‘climbing philodendrons,’ and they love to be given a moss pole to climb up.

Can Philodendron Grow In Water?

A lot of philodendrons can survive in water along, for example I have a few heartleaf philodendrons living in water at the moment.

Philodendron Care