How to care for your Anthurium
With glossy green leaves and rich colorful blooms, Anthurium is one of the most stunning plants to grow indoors. Also known as flamingo flower or painter’s palette, it will add a touch of luxury to an indoor space. Thankfully, anthuriums aren’t hard to care for and will thrive indoors when provided the right conditions
The best spot for a happy plant
Anthuriums like to stand in a well-lighted place, but don’t like direct sunlight. When the plant is positioned in the dark, it will give fewer flowers. They love warmth temperature. The minimum temperature for both the pot plant and cut flower is 16°C. Keep them away from draughts and don’t place them close to a hot radiator. Anthuriums really prefer high humidity, so for example in the bathroom is where they feel most at home.
Anthurium plant care tips
In the winter period, the Anthurium plant should be watered once a week. In the summer, it can be watered more frequently, but twice a week should be enough. Do you want to pamper your plant? Spray it now and then with a plant spray, so that it imagines its in the tropics.
LIGHT
Place your Anthurium in a warm, well-lit spot. The more light the plant receives, the more flowers your plant will produce, but never expose it to direct sunlight. During the winter they can handle less light.
WATER
Keep the soil lightly moist during the growing season from March through September. Water your Anthurium well and then allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry out before watering again. Overwatering causes yellow leaf tips and under-watering causes brown leaf tips.
TEMPERATURE
Your Anthurium prefers temperatures between25 to 35 degrees C during the day and no cooler than 60 degrees at night. Avoid placing your plants near heating and air conditioning vents and fans.
HUMIDITY
Your Anthurium loves a humid environment, so feel free to mist every day. Use a pebble tray or a humidifier during the winter months when the air tends to be much drier.
FOOD
Use a balanced fertilizer or one a little higher in nitrogen for Anthurium plants. Feed monthly in the spring and summer, when Anthurium plants are actively growing. Dilute the plant food to one-third the recommended strength.
TOXICITY
Anthuriums are toxic to pets and humans. Typically, ingestion will cause mouth and skin irritation, stomach pain and irritation with possible vomiting.
Repotting an Anthurium plant
If your Anthurium has grown too big for its pot, repotting is a good idea. Do this preferably in spring, because the lighter days stimulate the formation of buds. Place the plant in a pot with a diameter of at least 20% wider than the previous one, and use special Anthurium soil to do this. If you are going to repot your plant, mix in a bit of Anthurium feed at the same time so that the plant has a bit in reserve for growing.
ADDITIONAL CARE
Quickly remove fading or dying flowers as soon as they appear. This helps the plant focus its energy on new growth. Give your Anthurium a six-week rest during the winter. Lower temperatures, less light, and drier soil during this time help an Anthurium produce more flowers in the spring and summer.
Did you know the colorful “flowers” of the Anthurium are actually modified leaves? The true flowers of the plant grow from the center structure called an inflorescence.
