Potting Up The Philodendron Brasil From My Plant Haul
On a recent Plant Haul, I snagged a plant that I have been wanting for a long time. You may remember from a recent video that I had a Philodendron Brasil hanging from the coat hanger racks in the back of the car. My daughter and I finally got a chance to re-pot it. It is a large plant already and will soon be much larger.
I really want to make some hypertufa pots for some of these indoor houseplants, but at this time, I am working on some small ones that I can handle indoors easily. But soon I can “stretch my wings” so to speak and get some large ones in the works.
Philodendron Care
The heartleaf philodendron is an easy house plant to grow. It will adapt to indoors or outdoors in good weather and just needs a bit of care to thrive. As with almost any plant, check it every week to see if it needs to be watered. If you put your finger into the soil down about an inch or so and it is dry, then water it.
If it is small enough to move it, AND HAS A DRAINAGE HOLE, take it to the sink and run a gentle stream of water for about 15 seconds. Then let it set for 30 minutes or so until water drains through the whole container.
Before you lift it out of the sink, especially if the philodendron is in one of those hanging planters with an attached saucer, tip it over slightly to drain the saucer. No spills on the floor! Then just put it back and you are done!
In the summer growing season, you might want to add a small amount of fertilizer but I would add this the day after you water the plant. Fertilizing a dry plant can do damage, so it is best to add fertilizer when a plant already has moist soil.
I usually water mine when I notice it starting to wilt a little. It is so forgiving and easy, the philodendron will perk up right away and just keep on growing. These plants can grow up a totem or just cascade from a hanging pot or a planter. I think these look very nice in a white planter contrasting with the dark green leaf.
My Philodendron Brasil
This cultivar of the philodendron hederaceum has such a pretty color combination. It is widely streaked with slashes of lemon yellow with varied colors of pale green to dark green. It is a really striking plant to see.
The philodendron grows pretty quickly in great conditions and can grow several feet in a season. If you notice leaves are getting too far spaced out, it may need a little more light (not harsh sunlight).
Propagating the Brasil to get new plants is easy. Just take a cutting and place it is water for a few days until you see roots forming. At that point, it can be planted in soil itself and off it goes for a gift or to enhance another room.
You can control the size of your plant by taking cuttings (to be rooted) or just to trim the size. When you take cuttings, this stimulates the plant to produce more branches and can keep your philodendron bushy and thick.
Why is this cultivar of Philodendron called Brasil? The only reference I could find was from this site Plants Are The Strangest People. He/she has a great story about Captain Bligh and his collection of philodendrons. And according to this site, it is called Brasil because it resembles the flag of Brazil. Check it out. Great articles.
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