Hello. My husband and I purchased several large houseplants a few months ago, including a Lace Tree Philodendron, which I have never grown before. I usually have a very green thumb, my plants -- indoors and out -- thriving; but this one just isn't doing well. It was rootbound when I bought it, perhaps a yard high and a yard wide. I repotted it with new potting soil in a larger pot (standard plastic pot with drainage holes), assuming that would encourage it to grow. (I love plants and have plenty of room, so the bigger the better.) It started out in a bay window (facing north) that gets late afternoon sunlight and, even in the shade, remains bright throughout the day. After about a month or so, a couple of leaves turned yellow and wilted. At that point I was watering it regularly enough that the soil never completely dried out. (I think the tag on the plant said to keep the soil moist.) The other new plants looked great, so I thought the philodendron might be getting too much sun and moved it to a room that gets no direct sunlight. A couple of more leaves wilted. Thin spots appeared in others so that in some places the leaves were partially transparent. The stems of the wilted leaves felt mushy, so I thought I was overwatering and started letting the soil dry out between waterings. Then some of the remaining leaves turned both yellow and brown around the edges, gradually spreading to the middle of the leaf until those leaves look dead. I've moved it back to the bay window and am at a loss now as to what to try next. Most of the remaining leaves are green, but e few are developing brittle, brown edges. I've never had this much trouble keeping a housplant alive and couldn't help but laugh when I heard this is supposed to be a very resilient, easy-to-care for plant. (Figures.) A couple of the leaves had a handful of small round holes in them when we brought it home, but I looked the plant over carefully and have found no insects, nor have any additional holes appeared. What am I doing wrong? What levels of light and moisture do philodendrons prefer? Also, does this plant require a stake or some other sort of support? Thank you in advance.
http://www.magnoliagardensnursery.com/productdescrip/philodendron.html Sounds like you are doing every thing right. Is it possible it may have something wrong down in the roots. If it were mine given it is so miserable I would unpott it clean anything off that is rotting or dying and repot in new very well draining mixture and no fertilizer and let it try again. We are warm enough here for them to survive outside. May be that is what yours might like for a while a sheltered area outside. Liz
I didn't notice anything in the roots when I repotted it the first time, but I was dodging the foliage, so I may have missed something. Perhaps I'll try a different potting mixture, too. Thanks, Liz. Leslie
what soil mix did you use for it? what are humidity levels? phil's like a very well draining mix (kept fairly moist) and high humidity levels. humidity can be added by spritzing the leaves daily or you can leave a container of water nearby or you can put the container on a tray of stones/rocks that has water in it. if you do the stones in a tray, just make sure that the bottom of the container is well above the water level in the tray (layer the stones high to keep the container bottom from coming into contact with the water in the tray). they do best in fairly bright indirect light. they also like to be warm, so, if it's near a/c vents, that may be the issue.
I believe it was just the standard Miracle Grow potting mix. As for humidity levels, it's in the kitchen, which gets pretty humid because we boil instead of fry our foods. (Before, it was right by the bathroom, which gets extremely humid from showers.) There is an AC went almost directly over the plant, but I keep it closed and don't think much AC escapes. I'll look for a better potting soil. Perhaps a cactus mix? I've heard that mix is very nutritious to plants and drains well. I might change the plant's position in the window, too, so it'll get even more light. Thanks!
you'll need something that is very well-draining yet will retain a bit of moisture for a period of time. a mix of orchid bark, peat and perlite works well. regular soil doesn't have good enough drainage and will be too heavy - especially if there's nothing added to provide drainage. it'll compact and smother the roots - that's probably what's going on. also, soil with added fertilizer really isn't needed. some swear by it...i prefer to add fertilizer only when it's needed and in amounts i'm sure of (with the stuff added into the soil, you just never can be sure when it's being released or if too much is being released at one time). if you're keeping the a/c vent closed, then cool air wouldn't be the issue and, yes, boiling does make for good humidity levels, so that wouldn't seem to be the issue, either. i think repotting into a better growing medium is needed.
Assuming the plant you purchased is Philodendron selloum, the correct name is Philodendron bipinnatifidum since P. selloum is only a synonym. Botanists once thought that any plant that looked even slightly different was a different species but due to a better understanding of natural variation we now know there are many species that have multiple forms. This plant really needs fast draining soil as Jocyln suggested. It also will do best very near a bright window. I'd suggest using Miracle Grow Moisture Control soil but add about 20% peat moss, some cedar mulch, 10% of so large chunk Perlite and some finely chopped sphagnum moss. Keep it damp but not wet. In Florida it is often grown as a lawn plant in direct sunlight but in the rain forest grows in slightly shaded areas. Although collectors tend to call these "tree Philodendron" in nature the plant will climb a tree and can reach 100 feet or more into the canopy. They will stand alone until mature but will eventually fall over under their own weight. You can see a photo a really mature plant here: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Philodendron bipinnatifidum pc.html
