5/25/2016

HowtoGrowAnthuriumPlants:15Steps(withPictures)

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HowtoGrowAnthuriumPlants
TwoParts:

CaringforanAnthurium

GrowingAnthuriumSeeds

Theanthuriumgenuscontainshundredsoftropicalplantspecies,oftenadmiredashouseplantsfortheirbright,nearlyyear
roundflowers.AnthuriumisnativetothetropicalrainforestsofCentralandSouthAmerica.Despitesensitivitytotemperature
andhumidity,anthuriumplantsarerelativelyhardyandeasytocareforwhenkeptindoors.Theyareusuallysoldascuttings
oradultplants,butitispossibletogrowthemfromseedsaswell.

Part

CaringforanAnthurium
Prepareasoilmix.Anthuriumprefersacoarse,welldrainingsoil.Tryamixtureofequalpartsperlite,peatmoss,
andpinebark.[1]Alternatively,combinethreepartspottingmixwithonepartcoarsematerialsuchasorchidbark

orlavarock.[2]Iftheanthuriumplantisatleastayearold,itmaypreferanevencoarsermaterial,achievedbyaddinga
handfulofcrumbledaquariumcharcoal,coarseriversand,orsmallpiecesofbrokenbrick.
AnthuriumplantscanonlygrowoutdoorsinUSDAHardinessZones11and12,correspondingtominimum
annualtemperaturesof40F(4.4C)orhigher.[3]Inanyotherclimate,useaflowerpotandkeepthemindoors.

Plantanthuriuminapot1/3fullofthissoilmix.Theanthuriumplantshouldbekeptinapotonlyslightlylarger

thanitself,oritsrootsmayrotanddie.[4]Fillapot1/3ofthewayfullwiththepreparedpottingmix.Typically,the
rootsoftheplantwillcontinuetogrowabovethepottingmaterial,sobeginwiththislowleveloffilltodelaytheneedto
transplantyouranthuriumtoalargerpot.[5]
Ifyouareusingapottingmixwithlesscoarsematerialorworsedrainage,consideroneortwolayersof
pebblesatthebaseofthecontainertospeedupwaterdrainage.

Keepinawarmorhotlocation,withindirectsun.Anthuriumplantsthriveindaytimetemperaturesbetween80
and90F(2732C).Ifthisisnotpossible,theplantwilltypicallysurviveindoorsattemperaturesabove60F

(15.5C),butwarmerisbetter.[6]Avoiddirectsun,whichmayburntheplant,butkeepitinabrightlocationto
encourageblooming.Asouthoreastfacingwindowsillisagoodoption(northoreastfacingifyouareinthe
SouthernHemisphere).[7]
Ifnighttemperaturesdipbelow40F(4.4C),theleavesmayyellowandgrowthwilllikelyslow.Theplantrarely
surviveslongiftemperaturesfallbelowfreezing(32F/0C).[8]
Donotkeepplantsdirectlyinfrontofheatersandheatingvents,whichmayburnthem.

Keeptheairhumid.Mimicthehumid,tropicalenvironmentofanthuriumplantsbykeepingtheroomat80%

humidityorhigher.[9]Aquariumsorshallowtraysofpebblesinwaterwillhelpachievethis,ifkeptneartheplant.
Misttheplantweekly,ordailyifyouliveinadryclimate,makingsuretosprayportionsofthestemthathavegrown
overthelipofthepot.[10]

Keepthesoilmoist,butnotsoaked.Waterinsmallamountsasnecessarytopreventthesoilfromdryingout.
Eveninhotweather,thesoildoesnotneedwateringmorethanonceeverytwoorthreedays,astheplantdoes
notsoakuplargeamountsofwaterfromitsroots.
Iftheleavesturnyellow(butnotbrownandwithered),thismaybeasignofoverwatering.Letthesoildryout
beforewateringagainifthisoccurs.[11]

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HowtoGrowAnthuriumPlants:15Steps(withPictures)

Provideastakeiftheanthuriumisdrooping.Mostanthuriumplantsinnature,butprobablytheminoritysoldas
houseplants,are"epiphytic,"meaningtheygrowonotherplantsinsteadofinsoil.Ifyourplantisvinelikeand
failingtosupportitself,useastakeorotherwoodenobjectfortheplanttoclimbup.Youdonotneedtomoveepiphytic
anthuriumoutofthesoilitwillnotcausethemharm.[12]

Fertilizeyouranthuriumplantcautiously.Newlyplantedanthuriumshouldnotneedfertilizerforatleastafew
months.Ifyoudecidetoapplyfertilizertoencouragevividcolorsandgrowth,useaslowrelease3:1:2fertilizer

anddiluteitto1/4therecommendedstrengthbeforeapplyingaccordingtotheinstructions.[13]

Transfertoalargerpotwhenevernecessary.Anthuriumplantsoftenbuildupamoundofrootsabovethe
surfaceofthesoil.Aboutonceayear,orifthesoilbeginstodryoutrapidlybetweenwatering,packalayerofpeat
orsphagnummossoverthelower1/2or2/3oftheexposedstem.Keepthislayermoistandwaitforrootstogrowout
oftheburiedportionofthestem.Oncetheyhaveextendedthroughoutthislayer,cutthestemwithaclean,sharpknife
atthebaseofthesoilmixture,andtransfertheburiedstemintoanewpot,withtheburiedstembelowthelevelofthe
soil.[14]
Remember,potanthuriuminacontaineronly1/3fullofsoil,sothestemisbelowtherimofthepot.

Part

GrowingAnthuriumSeeds

Startwithseedsforanaddedchallenge.Commerciallygrownanthuriumaretypicallypropagatedusingcuttings
andgrafts.Itispossibletogrowanthuriumfromseeds,buttheresultingplantmayhaveunpredictable
characteristicsifitwasproducedbyahybridmotherplant,andmaybemoredifficulttogrow.Outsideoftropicalareas,
itmaybedifficulttoevenlocatefreshanthuriumseeds.
Ifyouaregrowingananthuriumcuttingoranadultplant,skiptothestartofanothersection.

Harvestripeanthuriumfruit.Anthuriumseedsmustbefreshandmoistwhenplanted.[15]Ifyoudonothavean
anthuriumplantyourself,askanothergardenerorgardenstorewhetheryoucancollectsomeoftheirplants'fruits,
whicharerarelyused.IfyouliveinatropicalNewWorldregion,youmaybeabletoharvestwildanthuriumplants.
Therearehundredsifnotthousandsofanthuriumspecies,soyoumaywishtorefertoalocalplantidentification
booklet.
Warning:Thefruit,alongwithallotherpartsoftheanthuriumplant,aretoxicandshouldnotbeeaten.

Removethepulp.Thepulpofthefruit,surroundingtheseed,maypreventtheseedfromgrowingorcausemold.
Ruboffasmuchpulpasyoucanwithyourfingers,thendroptheseedintoacupofwater.Leaveitintherefora

dayortwowhilethepulpmaterialdetachesandfloatstothetop.[16]
Warning:Somespeciesofanthuriummayirritatetheskin.Usingglovesisrecommended.

Prepareapottingmixfortheseeds.Chopsphagnummoss,availableatgardeningstores,intoshorterfibers,to
makeafine,fluffymaterial.Mixthreepartsofthischoppedmosswith1partriversandorperlite,andadda

sprinklingofcrushedaquariumcharcoal.[17][18]

Planttheseedsandpottingmixinaflowerpotortray,withaclearcovering.Anthuriumplantsarenativeto
thetropics,andrequirewarm,humidenvironments.Thereareacoupledifferentwaysyoucanrecreatethis
environment:
Placethepottingmixin4inch(10centimeter)flowerpots.Placeaseedonthesurfaceofthesoil,oneper
flowerpot,andplaceaglasscanningjarupsidedownovereachpot.[19]
Orlayerthebottomofashallow,earthenwaretraywithyourpreparedpottingmix.Scattertheseedsevenly
overthis,andcoverwithaflatsheetofglassorplasticoverthetray,leavingagapofairbetweenthesheetand
thesoil.[20]

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Lightlymoistenthepottingmix.Wetthepottingmixslightly,thencoverwiththeclearbarrierasdescribed
abovetokeeptheenvironmentmoist.Wettingthemossymixturemayalsohelppreventtheseedfromsinking
beneaththesurface,whichcanpreventitfromgerminating.
Iftapwaterinyourareaishard,usebottledwaterinstead.

Keepinawarmenvironment,awayfromdirectsunlight.Keepthepottingmixatatemperatureofabout80F
(27C),inanareaofindirectsunorpartialshade.Withinabout2030days,theseedsshouldsproutandgrow

theirfirstrootandleaves,afterwhichtheycanbemovedtoalargercontainerandcaredfor,asdescribedbelow.[21]
Movetheyoungplantcarefully,astherootsmaybefragile.Ideally,useascooptopickupthemossymaterial
surroundingtheplant,anddropthisgentlyontothenewpotafterpreparingitasdescribedbelow.

Tips
Anthuriumaresusceptibletocommonpestssuchasmitesandaphids,butgentlywipingtheseofftheleaveswithawet
towelisoftenenoughtoclearthemoffafterafewtreatments.Formoreseriousinfections,consultalocalbotanistor
gardeningexpert.

Warnings
Keepallanthuriumplantsoutofreachofpetsandyoungchildren.Contactaveterinarianordoctorifyoususpectapetor
childateanyanthurium.
Allpartsoftheanthuriumpartaremildlytoxic,foranyspeciesofanthurium.Ingestion,andevenskincontactinsome
species,cancauseirritation,soreness,orpain,butmedicalattentionisnotrequiredunlesslargeamountsareingested,or
swallowingorbreathingareimpaired.[22]
Donotattempttogrowyouranthuriuminacontainerofwater,assomeonlineguidesmistakenlyrecommend.[23]

ThingsYou'llNeed
Foamplantingcontainer
Sphagnummoss
Aquariumcharcoal
10inch(25.4cm)houseplantpot
Pottingsoil
3:1:2fertilizer

SourcesandCitations
1.http://www.akatsukaorchid.com/store/pg/31AnthuriumCare.aspx
2.http://www.healthyhouseplants.com/index.php/plantofthemonth/anthurium.html
3.http://www.thegardenhelper.com/anthurium.html

Showmore...(20)

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