People grow Anthurium for its red, heart-shaped flowers. It is mostly found in Mexico, northern Argentina, and Uruguay. Some call it Flamingo Flower or Tail Flower, while some also name it as Painted Tongue.
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Anthurium houseplant is known for its vividly colorful flower spathes and decorative leaves borne on its long stalks. Though the color of leafy bracts is often pink, it may also be red, green, orange, yellow, or white.
Here is your quick guide to care and pamper your anthurium plant to keep it in good shape.
Best Position for Anthurium
Place your plant in a well-lighted area, but do not put it in direct sunlight. Keeping the plant in a dark place will give you fewer flowers. Anthuriums love the warmth and enjoy the temperature between 20°C and 22°C. The minimum temperature for pot plant and the cut flower is 16°C. Keep your flower plant away from a hot radiator. Anthuriums prefer high humidity so your bathroom could be an ideal place for positioning anthurium plants.
Anthurium plant Watering
Anthurium plants love receiving water daily. But, standing water is not ideal for this flowering plant. Also, exposure to air and moisture are critical for the growth of the anthurium plant. The key is water anthurium regularly while allowing their roots to receive enough air and moisture.
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Use proper potting soil to accomplish this. The soil you use for this plant should be fluffy, light, and has to drain well. You can use anything like bark, volcanic cinder, sand, or gravel as long as it meets the criteria. Once you’re done with the proper potting, ensure the complete water drainage out of the pot.
Don’t overlook the water drainage. Standing water is the deadliest mistake when caring for your anthurium plants. It allows roots of the plants to remain soaked in water which prevents the supply of oxygen to their roots. It gives room for growth of anaerobic microbes and fungus and causes roots rot, which eventually kills your plants.
In short, water your plant every day and take care of water drainage out of the pot. If you live in an area with low humidity, mist the leaves of your plant by spritzing them with water twice daily.
Fertilizing Anthurium Flowers
Fertilize Anthurium periodically, but avoid over-fertilizing them. Giving too little fertilizer may cause slow growth and produce fewer flowers. However, you can easily fix this by giving more fertilizer to the plant. On the other hand, if you give too much fertilizer, your anthurium plant can die.
Fertilize them once or twice a year depending on the length of the growing season in your region. The ideal ration for fertilizer is 5-10-5 to ensure a good balance of flowers and foliage. For the best blooms, pick a fertilizer with a higher or middle phosphorus number.
Choose a fertilizer with a slow release variety. This way, you’ll need to fertilize your plants once or twice a year, rather than once a week if you use a liquid fertilizer.
Anthurium Cut Flowers Care Tips
After you buy Anthurium flowers, cut 5 centimeters off the end of the stalk. Now, put the flower in a neat vase and pour clean tap water into the vase. This plant doesn’t require cut flower food.
Make sure you change the water in the vase and cut one centimeter off the stem once a week. If you follow this anthurium flowers caring ritual, your plant will stand easily for 2-3 weeks in the base.
Re-potting
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Has your anthurium grown too big for the pot? Re-pot it! Also, you should re-pot a rootbound anthurium as soon as possible. Look at the following signs of a rootbound plant:
- Roots growing out of the drainage hole
- Roots circling the surface of the potting mix
- Bent or cracked container
- Water running straight through the drainage hole
- Wilting foliage, even after watering
Moreover, we recommend repotting in spring because the lighter days help stimulate the buds formation. Put the plant in a pot that at least 20% wider diameter than the previous one. Fill the pot with special anthurium soil or mix in a bit of anthurium feed to reserve for the plant’s growth.
It’s very easy to care for your anthurium plants properly. Just follow the instructions and avoid the mistakes discussed above. And, your lovely houseplant will always be in great shape and keep you happy and positive.