Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Anthurium

Q. I bought an Anthurium plant and it had no instructions on whether or not it likes sun or shade or anything for that matter. Any information that you can give me about this plant will be appreciated. We live in the Panhandle of Florida.

A. This family of plants is hardy for indoor house plant care and growing, but not that easy, as they prefer the high humid conditions of a jungle and our homes are usually far from that in the winter! For years, their large leaves, some shaped like elephant's ears, have graced gardens all over the world. They will thrive outside year-round in your zone, but will not tolerate winter temperatures much less than 55 degrees F.

They are from jungles with high overgrowth, therefore filtered light. Shade or protect your plant during the summer, but supply plenty of light in the winter. A spot with morning sun would be ideal [East facing].

The need well-drained, fertile soil, so loosen the garden bed and enrich with composted humus or leaves. An inch of mulch around them would help. Mist during the hot times or the leaf edges will crisp. Feed once a month with a general outdoor garden foliage plant food.

You will see flowers yearly once the plant has become established. They are heart-shaped, waxy and last over two weeks!

Q. My Anthurium is doing great. I would like to encourage blooms though. I have not seen blooms since last summer. Is there a way I can get any blooms at all? Oh, and on one of them the leaves are getting brown tips that take over the whole leaf. What can I do to prevent it?

A. The problem is humidity. You need to raise it to get more flowers and to stop that edge burning. The direct sunlight in the PM is harsh, so please protect it during those times either with a blind or sheer curtains. They like light, but prefer the AM bright light.

I want you to place a large saucer under the pot. Fill it with an inch of gravel, pebbles, or fine stones and set the plant right on top but not down deep into it. Keep water in the saucer to a level right below the bottom of the pot. This will evaporate off and give humidity to the foliage. You can even set 8 ounce cups of water on the plant shelves for more evaporation. Clean them weekly, so that diseases do not grow inside.

Give the plant a fertilizer that is a bloom-booster with a large middle number in the formula. Once every two weeks will promote flowers.

Shireesh writes~ I have recently bought an anthurium plant which hardly has 6 to 7 flowers and have planted it in a 7" pot with peat at the bottom and coarse red sand on the top. My problem is the plant growth is very slow, not a leaf has grown in a month nor the plant withered. So please send me the correct planting procedure and care tips for healthy growth of the plant. I live in southern part of India.

A. Anthuriums are relatively easy to grow, have attractive foliage and under the proper environment produce long lasting flowers year-round. They are durable and will survive as an indoor foliage plant for a long time even under adverse conditions. They grow best with day temperatures 78-90 F and night temperatures 70-75 F. Temperatures above 90 F may cause foliar burning, faded flower color, and reduced flower life. Night temperatures 40-50 F can result in slow growth and yellowing of lower leaves. Anthuriums will not tolerate frost or freezing conditions. They prefer a growing media that is coarse and well-drained. Use a 1:1:1 ratio of peat moss, pine bark and perlite. Plants when they are young should be planted in a mix that is not quite so coarse to retain moisture and not overpotted. Soil should settle around the roots and the root system should fill the pot before plant is moved to a larger pot size. While Anthuriums are able to handle dryness around the root ball, they need to be watered thoroughly and allowed to dry slightly before watering again. Allowing the plant to dry out will greatly slow down the growth cycle and cause the tip burn and root damage, while overwatering can also cause root damage and sudden yellowing of leaves. Indoor Anthuriums will take as much light as provided but not direct sunlight. Lower levels of light will slow down or cease flower production. The foliage type species will tolerate lower light levels as they grow in some of the shadiest areas in their natural habitat. Leaves emerging under lower light may stretch or become distorted. Use a slow release fertilizer. If top fertilizing, use a light solution of a 3:1:2 ratio N-P-K diluted 1/4 strength. Anthuriums are susceptible to the usual pests as other indoor plants such as aphids, scales, mealybugs and thrips. Thrips and mealybugs are found on new upper growth, aphids feed on the flower buds and scales are fond of the tough leaves. The best method of insect control is to monitor plants and treat before out of hand. There are "insecticidal soaps" as Safer's which work well on soft insects but scales need a stronger insecticide. Under low humidity conditions spider mites may show up. Try to stay clear of the use of chemicals with periodic wiping of the foliage plus a gentle water spray. Do not forget the leaf undersides.

Adapted from Hawaii Tropicals

Camikka writes~
I was given an Anthurium Gemini and was told that it is easy to care for, but I beg to differ. I was given this plant in June and now (Nov.) it has about 5 green leaves and four of those are brown. The base of the plant/stems is completely brown and dried out so I decided to take it out of the pot to get the dead part off and maybe it would do better. When I finally got the plant out there were so many roots, they had grown in a circular pattern like the pot. I also noticed bugs crawling around in the soil. Should I plant it in a larger pot (I believe it's in a 6" pot) or is this plant beyond saving?

A. First you need to repot and break apart the circular roots as they can strangle the plant. Use fingers or a knife to slit and pull apart and then pot into a slightly larger pot with all new fresh potting mix. Water well, keep on a saucer of pebbles with water below the pot base to raise the humidity around the plant. These plants are sensitive to low moisture in the air and winters tend to be drier inside than usual, hence the leaf browning. Clip off brown end pieces and discard. Look for new growth in several weeks. after it is reestablished, drench soil completely with a systemic insect chemical available from garden centers. Follow the directions carefully and repeat as described. The insects could be feeding on the root system and therefore stressing the plant further.