Anthurium Dorayaki Care and Propagation

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Admin

The Anthurium Dorayaki is a beautiful Anthurium Crystallinum hybrid. It features round-shaped leaves that are smooth and thick. But what makes them unique are the silver-green veins that are very distinct against its green leaves.

How to care for Anthurium Dorayaki? The Anthurium Dorayaki thrives on bright, indirect light although it can tolerate a wide array of lighting conditions. It enjoys warm temperatures and high humidity.

And while it prefers moist soil, you want to let the topsoil dry out between watering to avoid overwatering it.

Similarly, make sure to use well-draining potting mix and a pot with drainage to avoid waterlogging.

Table of Contents

Anthurium Dorayaki Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Anthurium Dorayaki does well in a wide range of lighting environments. However, it grows best in bright, indirect light indoors. This condition will allow it to maintain the lovely green color of its leaves and produce more flowers.

Outdoors, the plant does best in partial shade. Because it is an epiphyte, it will happily live under the tree.

While the Anthurium Dorayaki does not mind low light, you do want to be careful about dim or darker locations. That’s because lack of light reduces its chances of blooming.

Similarly, it will change the color of its leaves.

When there is too little light, the leaves will lose their silver veining and turn more solid green to try to absorb as much light as it can.

Under very strong or intense light the plant is at risk of sunburned leaves. Direct sunlight can also turn its dark green foliage pale.

This makes an east facing window ideal for the plant. You can also place it near a west facing window. However, try to avoid the north especially during the colder times of the year.

The south will provide too much sunlight during mid-day. So, it is a good idea to keep the plant away from the sun’s rays there.

Temperature

The Anthurium Dorayaki is native to the tropical Americas. Therefore, it is accustomed to and thrives in warm weather. This is why its ideal temperature range is between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

This makes it easy to grow indoors as we enjoy a similar temperature range, although more on the lower end of the plant’s range.

What’s important is to avoid conditions above and below its sweet spot.

Try to avoid leaving it in weather that is mover 95 degrees Fahrenheit for long periods of time. This can cause dehydration due to the heat.

More importantly, avoid cold environments.

Try to keep it away from temperatures that are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Around this level, it will begin to struggle.

And the lower the temperature goes, the higher the risk of it experiencing cold damage.

If you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 11 and 12, you can keep the Anthurium Dorayaki outdoors all year long. But anywhere colder, make sure to bring it inside once the weather gets colder than 60 degrees.

Humidity

The Anthurium Dorayaki enjoys humidity between 70% and 80%. It thrives in this environment allowing the plant to look firm and keep its shape.

It can likewise tolerate humidity down to 50%.

However, avoid leaving in somewhere with lower humidity. Dry air will cause its lovely green leaves to turn brown and crispy at the tips and edges.

This can make it a big challenging to care for in many homes especially during the colder times of the year when the air can get quite dry.

Thus, if you notice its leaves getting brown or crispy, check humidity levels in the room. I like to keep a hygrometer near my plants so I can always tell what the humidity is.

To increase humidity, you can get a humidifier or place the plant on top of rocks on a humidity tray.

A humidity tray is simply a tray or basin filled with water. Then place rocks in the tray to keep the pot above the water line.

When the water evaporates, it increases the humidity around the plant. And all you need to do is fill the water when it gets depleted.

Similarly, you can mist the plant every few days. Although I am not a big fan of misting because you have to keep doing it. Thus, if you are busy, you can easily forget.

Additionally, you can easily over mist the plant by wetting the leaves too much. This can make it susceptible to fungus gnats and diseases.

How Often to Water Anthurium Dorayaki

The Anthurium Dorayaki enjoys soil that is kept consistently moist. However, above leaving the soil too wet. The latter can increase its risk of root rot.

This means it is best to let the surface of the soil up to about an inch from the top dry between waterings. By doing so, you can avoid overwatering the plant.

The simplest way to do this is to check the soil ever time before watering.

Stick your index finger into he soil to about the first or second knuckles. Then, pull out your finger and feel the tip for moisture.

If there is any bit of wetness in your finger, wait a couple more days before testing the soil again.

Only water the soil when the top inch or so is completely dry.

Alternatively, you can use a moisture meter.

If you have a hard time feel for moisture, you can use a chopstick instead. Insert the chopstick or any other wooden stick into the soil. When you take it out the wet area in the soil will tell you where the water reaches.

On the other hand, avoid letting the soil go completely dry. The plant is not design to tolerate drought.

While lack of water is not as dangerous as overwatering for the Anthurium Dorayaki, it will nevertheless cause problems if you let the plant get dehydrated.

When this happens, you’ll see its leaves curl, the plant will droop and its foliage will turn brown.

Related

Anthurium Dorayaki Potting Soil

The kind of potting soil you use for your Anthurium Dorayaki is very important. That’s because soil performs many functions in keeping the plant healthy.

The most obvious from a home grower’s perspective is a supporting role to water.

Because the Anthurium Dorayaki is susceptible to overwatering and root rot, it is important to use well-draining soil.

This will retain just enough moisture to keep the plat hydrated. But ensure that excess moisture quickly drains. This way, you avoid letting the roots sit in water for long periods of time which is what causes root rot.

Additionally, the plant likes soil pH of around 6.5. This allows the roots to efficiently absorb nutrients so the plant does not suffer from excesses or deficiencies.

The simplest way to make sure you use the right soil is to pick up a bag of Aroid mix. This is soil is ideal for the Anthurium Dorayaki.

Of course, you can likewise make your own potting mix at home. This will be cheaper in the long run. And you can make minor adjustments based on how the plant is doing.

To make your own IDY potting mix for the Anthurium Dorayaki, combine:

2 parts orchid mix
1 part peat
1 part perlite

This will give the plant enough moisture to keep it happy while the perlite will provide sufficient drainage to avoid waterlogging.

Fertilizer

The Anthurium Dorayaki also benefits from fertilizer. While it does not need a lot, it does require plant food to stay healthy and avoid nutrient deficiencies.

You can use a balanced, liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength once every 2 months during its growing season. This will give it enough nutrients to grow optimally.

Alternatively, if you want to encourage the plant to bloom, you can likewise go with a higher phosphorus blend. Just look for a higher middle number in the NPK ratio on the label of the product.

The extra phosphate will help encourage it to flower while helping the plant develop a strong root system and healthy stems.

That said, be careful not to overfeed the plant.

This is a common mistake by many growers especially in the beginning thinking that more fertilizer is better.

Unfortunately, fertilizers will leave mineral salts behind after the plant has absorbed the nutrients and the water has evaporated.

Salt buildup is bad for plants and when enough has accumulated, it can cause damage to the roots.

As such, avoid feeding the plant during fall and winter when it is not actively growing. Similarly, don’t feed it too much and make sure to dilute the application.

If you notice a white crust forming on the surface of the soil, this a sign excess fertilizer salt buildup. The quickest fix to this is to flush the soil.

You can do so by running water through the soil for 5-10 minutes. This will dissolve the salts and carry them out of the soil with the liquid.

Don’t forget to let the soil drain completely afterwards.

Pruning

The Anthurium Dorayaki will not grow into a big plant.

It generally grow to about a foot to a foot and a half tall. The plant’s leaves will also spread out to the sides nearly that width.

Because the leaves are its most attractive feature, pruning is not something that you will do too often.

This makes grooming a low maintenance task.

However, you can prune outliers and leggy stems. Similarly, remove any leaves that are old, dying, dead, discolored or diseases.

Doing so will help the plant grow faster and healthier. That’s because it will stop expending energy on trying to support or revived those leaves. Instead, it will focus all its energy on growing new leaves and maintaining the healthy ones.

Also, trimming the damaged or diseased leaves prevents any problems from spreading.

How to Propagate Anthurium Dorayaki

The Anthurium Dorayaki can be propagated from stem cuttings and division. Although stem cutting is the more popular method because it is easier to do. Plus you don’t need to get your hands dirty either.

With stem cuttings you can propagate the plant in water or plant it directly in soil.

I’ll go through the step in detail below.

Propagating Anthurium Dorayaki by Stem Cuttings

To propagate the Anthurium Dorayaki from stem cuttings, find a healthy stem. You want a stem with at least a few leaves and at least one node.
Use a sterile pair or scissors or pruning shears to cut the stem just below the node.
Once you have the stem cutting, it is now time to make a choice. Do you want to root the cutting in water or in soil.

Rooting the cutting is simply allowing the cutting to grow roots. It can do so in water or in soil. However, it needs a node to do so. Otherwise it will not propagate.

Both methods work well but have their pros and cons.

Propagating in water is more popular. But it also means taking an extra step since you need to move the cutting to soil later on.
Propagating in soil means you skip placing the cutting in water and just plant it directly into soil. But unlike rooting in water, you won’t be able to monitor the roots as they grow because they are buried under the soil.

So, it is really up to your preference. Try both and decide for yourself.

Here are the steps for each method.

Propagating Anthurium Dorayaki Stem Cuttings in Water

Once you have the cuttings you can place them in a container. Using a glass container will allow you to monitor the roots as they grow.

Make sure the nodes are submerged underwater.

Also, remove any leaves that end up in the water as these will rot over time. Keep the upper leaves as they will aid in photosynthesis which speeds up the growth.

Next, place the cutting sin bright, indirect light

It will take about 3 weeks or so for the roots to grow.

Once the roots reach about 2 inches long or more, you can transfer the cuttings into potting soil.

Propagating Anthurium Dorayaki Stem Cuttings in Soil

Here, instead of rooting the plant in water, you’ll plant it straight into potting mix.

Before you do, dip the cutting into rooting hormone. This increases propagation success rate and speeds up the rate at which roots develop.

Then fill a small pot with well-draining potting mix.

Plant the cutting into the potting mix. Make sure that the nodes are under the soil.

Again, remove any leaves that end up under the soil. You can leave the upper leaves as they help with development.

In about 4 weeks, the roots should have taken hold of the soil. To test this, lightly tug on the cutting. It should resist your light pull. This is a sign that it has somewhat established itself in the soil.

How to Repot or Transplant Anthurium Dorayaki

The Anthurium Dorayaki likes to be slightly root bound. Therefore, you can leave it in its pot for a while. However, avoid letting the roots get overcrowded.

When this happens the plant will get stressed as it won’t have enough room to feel comfortable. Additionally, too many roots and less soi in a tight pot means it will sooner or later lack water or nutrients.

Thus, when you see the roots start coming out from the holes at the bottom of the pot, it is a sign to be ready to repot.

To repot:

Carefully slide the root ball out of the pot. Be gentle with the plant since its roots are fragile and can easily get damaged. Being too aggressive can also increase the risk of transplant shock.
Once you have the plant out of the pot, remove excess moist and separate any tangled roots.
Check the root system for any problems including rotting, pests, diseases or anything else out of the normal.
Next, fill a pot that is 2 inches larger than its current container with soil up to about a third of the way.
Then place the plant on the soil and fill the remining space with potting mix.
Water the potting mix and leave the plant in a well-lit location.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

Yes, unfortunately, the Anthurium Dorayaki is toxic to humans, dogs and cats. Therefore, try to keep it away from children and pets who may accidentally chew or ingest parts of the plant.

The calcium oxalate crystals become activated once consumed and can cause pain, swelling and other gastrointestinal issues.

Anthurium Dorayaki Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Anthurium Dorayaki is not overly prone to pests. However, like all houseplants, you always need to keep an eye out for pests.

That’s because it can be attacked by spider mites, mealybugs, aphids and thrips. These sap-sucking insects will feed on the plant ‘s internal juices robbing it of nutrients and moisture.

More importantly, they populate very quickly.

Individually, the pests don’t cause a lot of harm because they are tiny. But once they turn into an infestation, they cause considerable damage.

Because they take the plant’s sap, it eventually loses too much moisture and gets nutrient deficient.

Therefore, it is important to spot them as early as possible and treat them immediately.

You can use neem oil or insecticidal soap and spray the affected areas.

Diseases

Leaf disease and root rot are the most common disease threats for your Anthurium Dorayaki. Of the two, root rot is by far the more serious problem as it can destroy your entire plant if not treated.

Root rot is cause by overwatering and waterlogging.

This is why it is very important not to water too often and to use the right soil. Additionally, make sure the pot you’re using for the plant has drainage holes.

On the other hand, leaf diseases come in many forms. So, when you see any abnormalities in the leaves, it is important to check for infection.

Spots, yellowing, stripes, patches, deformations and other changes in foliage can be caused by these diseases.

And they often occur due to bacterial or fungal infections.

Again, their root cause is excess moisture. So try to keep the plant on the dry side.