Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Admin
The Philodendron Asplundii is a large leafed aroid. Initially, this philodendron plant will produce long, narrow leaves. But as it develops the leaves not only get longer but also wider.
Although there won’t produce a ton of leaves, each of them will give you a beautiful exotic appearance.
The plant is native to the tropical jungles of South America. This includes the Amazon basin, Colombia and Peru.
How do you care for the Philodendron Asplundii? The plant thrives on bright, indirect light. Keep it away from strong, direct light.
Moderate to warm conditions are best along with high humidity.
Since the plant is prone to overwatering and root rot, allow the soil to dry between waterings. Use well-draining soil as well.
Philodendron Asplundii Plant Care
Light Requirements
The Philodendron Asplundii needs plenty of light to thrive. Ideally, supply it with medium to bright indirect light indoors and partial shade outdoors.
You can grow the plant in your home as well as in the patio or balcony as long as it gets enough light. This will ensure that it stays healthy and continues to grow.
Indoors, the best location for the plant are near an east or west facing window.
The east window provides lots of morning light which the plant enjoys. Here, you can keep it under direct sunlight since the morning sun is not intense.
But on the west, try to keep it at least 2-3 feet from the window since that side gets the afternoon sun which is harsher.
If you want to keep the plant near the window, you can use sheer curtains or blinds to filter some of the light.
A north facing window likewise works provided that your home gets enough light in that direction during winter.
Outdoors, keep the plant in partial shade or slight shade. Avoid full sun.
Finally, the plant does okay in low light.
But be careful with dim areas or insufficient lighting. That’s because the Philodendron Asplundii uses light as raw material for photosynthesis.
So, insufficient light will affect its energy production. As such, it will weaken the plant, slow its growth and may cause it to become leggy.
If you don’t get a lot of natural light indoors, you can supplement the sunlight with artificial lights. Grow lights work well for this plant.
Temperature
The Philodendron Asplundii enjoys temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because it is native to the tropical regions of South America.
Thus, the plant prefers consistent warm weather.
This makes it easy to care for indoors including homes.
That said, you do want to be careful with the cold. Since there are no cold spells or winters in the tropics, the Philodendron Asplundii is not used to these conditions.
Avoid leaving it in temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
The plant tends to struggle in colder environments which makes it unsuitable for cold climates like winter weather.
Therefore, make sure to keep the plant indoors once the cold months arrive.
Indoors, keep it away from heaters, radiators, stoves, and other similar appliances. Instead, place the plant in a warm, cozy spot.
If you can’t find a warm enough area in your home, you can use a heating mat or heat pad and place it under the pot. This will keep soil temperature warm.
On the other hand, if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, you can keep the plant outdoors all year round.
It will be happy in a container or in the ground in your yard or garden.
The weather in these locales are well-suited for the Philodendron Asplundii since it stays sunny and warm from November to March.
Humidity
The Philodendron Asplundii prefers humidity of 60% to 70%. This is where it is able to grow at its best.
If you can give it this environment, you will see it produce larger leaves with more vibrant colors.
However, most homes average between 20% to 50% humidity. This can make it difficult to keep the plant happy.
That said, the Philodendron Asplundii can tolerate 40% humidity without harm or problems.
Nevertheless, it is still a good idea to keep an eye on indoor room humidity depending on where you live.
The good news is most areas will not have any issues with the plant’s humidity. But if you live in dry areas like the desert or similar to it, then dry air may be a problem.
Additionally, winters usually cause humidity to drop as well. So, that’s something worth monitoring as well.
If you notice the plant’s leaves turn brown on the tips or margins, it means you need to increase humidity around the plant.
A humidifier is the most straightforward way of doing this.
However, if you don’t want to spend money, you can regularly mist the plant. Other good options are making a simple pebble tray or a humidity tray.
Both are easy to build DIY projects that only take about 30 minutes.
Related
- Philodendron Burle Marx Fantasy Plant Care – Light, Watering, Soil, Propagation & Repotting
- Philodendron Caramel Marble Care from Start to Finish
- Philodendron Eva Care & Propagation Step by Step
- Philodendron Fibrosum Care – Light, Watering, Soil, Pruning, Propagation & Repotting
- Philodendron Leaves Turning Yellow (Causes and Solutions)
- Philodendron Little Hope Care & Propagation for Beginners
How Often to Water Philodendron Asplundii
The Philodendron Asplundii likes moist soil which keeps it hydrated. However, it only needs moderate watering.
Therefore, watering once a week works well.
That said, this is just a guideline. What makes watering tricky is that the weather affects how quickly or slowly the soil will dry.
For example, summers are hot and there’s a lot of sunlight. So, you may need to water 2 or even 3 times a week because the soil dries faster due to more evaporation.
On the other hand, winters are cold with much less light. This causes soil to stay wet longer.
In this case, if you water the same way as you do other times of the year, you end up overwatering the plant. Thus, you may only need to water once every 2 or 3 weeks.
This is why feeling the soil is the best way to know when to water.
I like to feel the soil surface one or twice a week.
And when the surface feels dry, stick your finger into the soil down to about 2 or 3 inches deep.
When you take your finger out, you’ll see if there’s moisture or not.
Soil dust in your fingertip means the soil is dry. As such, you can water the plant. But if your fingertip feels wet, moist or there are some chunks of soil sticking to it, then the soil is still wet.
Therefore, don’t water the plant yet.
Instead, wait a few days then check the soil again.
This way, you only water the soil when it has partially dried. Doing so will let you avoid overwatering.
On the other hand, avoid letting the soil go completely dry as well.
As a quick guide, yellow leaves often mean the plant is overwatered. In contrast, brown leaves means it is dry and needs water.
Philodendron Asplundii Potting Soil
The Philodendron Asplundii needs moist, well-draining potting mix that’s high in organic matter.
This combination of features will keep the roots hydrated but also ensure that the excess water is quickly drained out.
In doing so, the roots get enough to drink while you prevent root rot from occurring.
Additionally, try to keep soil pH between 5.0 to 6.5. This will allow the plant to efficiently absorb nutrients from the soil.
Soil plays a supporting role to water as the kind of soil you use will affect whether the soil ends up retaining too much moisture or not enough moisture.
The former will lead to waterlogging and overwatering which leads to root rot. On the other hand, the former will cause dehydration.
The good news is you have many different options here.
The simplest is to get an Aroid mix. This lets you use the potting mix out of the bag as it has been pre-mixed.
You can also use sphagnum moss on its own.
If you choose this option, you can just moisten up the sphagnum moss or us a spray bottle to keep the moss moist.
Finally, you can create you own potting mix at home. This is what I like to do.
Here, there are tons of options. And I’ll list a few that have worked really well for me.
- 1 part potting soil with 1 part orchid bark
- 1 part potting soil with 1 part coco chips
- 1 part potting soil with 1 part peat moss
These 3 potting mix recipes are simple.
And they all are able to retain some moisture while providing excellent drainage.
Fertilizer
The Philodendron Asplundii will grow best if you give it fertilizer. But keep in mind that it is not a heavy feeder.
So, there’s no need to feed it more than what the product label specifies.
The goal is to use a high quality houseplant fertilizer. Avoid using cheap, low quality products. Even though you save money, you end up putting the plant at risk.
That’s because cheap fertilizers tend to leave a lot of excess salts and other minerals in the soil. This becomes toxic as they build up.
Instead, choose a good balanced water soluble fertilizer. Dilute each application by half when using.
And only apply during spring and summer. Once a month feeding is enough.
Pruning
The Philodendron Asplundii will grow to between 6 and 10 feet tall. It will also produce beautiful, long leaves.
The plant is a moderate to fast grower.
Although, a lot depends on its living conditions and care.
Like other philodendron varieties, there’s a size difference if you grow the plant indoors and outdoors. As such, where you keep it will depend on what you prefer.
For indoor home growers, this is good thing since you don’t want the plant to get overly large.
You can prune to plant to limit its size as well.
However, beyond size, there isn’t a lot of pruning to do since you don’t want to remove too many of the leaves.
Additionally, I have yet to see a Philodendron Asplundii with tons of leaves.
So, in most cases, you’ll be pruning to try and encourage the plant to produce more foliage.
How to Propagate Philodendron Asplundii
The Philodendron Asplundii is easy to propagate as it responds well to stem cuttings. This lets you propagate the plant at home for free.
Best of all it is simple to grow new Philodendron Asplundii from stem cuttings.
Here’s how to do it.
- Pick a healthy stem. If you want to grow more than one new plant, pick multiple stems.
- Make sure each stem has at least one node and a few leaves on it.
- Use a sterile pair of shears and cut the stem under a node. This ensures each cutting includes a node.
- Now, prepare the pot. Fill it with well-draining potting mix. You can use any of the recipes above.
- Then plant the stem cutting into the soil making sure that at least one node is buried under the soil.
- Water the soil until moist.
- Then place the pot in bright indirect light.
In about 4 weeks, the stem cuttings should develop enough stems to start grabbing hold of the soil.
Besides propagating in soil, you can likewise propagate the stem cuttings in water.
Here, you’ll place the cuttings in a glass container with water. Keep the nodes submerged so they can root.
It takes about 3-4 weeks for water propagation to produce roots.
Once the roots get to 2 inches or longer, you can move the cuttings from water to soil in a pot.
How to Repot or Transplant Philodendron Asplundii
The Philodendron Asplundii does not like regular repotting. And while it can grow quickly, there’s no need to repot the plant every 6 months or annually.
Instead, it will usually take 2 years before it needs repotting.
That said, refer to that figure more as a guideline instead of a strict rule.
The best way to tell when to repot the plant is check the bottom of the pot for roots. If you see quite a few roots sneaking out from the drainage holes, it means the plant is root bound.
As such, it needs a bigger container.
To repot, prepare a container that is one size larger. Also have some fresh well-draining potting mix on hand.
Unpot the plant and fill the new pot with the fresh soil mix up to about a third of the way.
Then, place the root ball in and fill the remaining space with soil mix.
Finally, water the soil until moist.
Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs
Yes, the Philodendron Asplundii is toxic. And it is poisonous when ingested by humans and animals.
Therefore, it is important to keep the plant out of reach of young kids, cats and dogs who may accidentally or out of curiosity chew or consume the leaves.
Philodendron Asplundii Problems & Troubleshooting
Pests
The Philodendron Asplundii generally stays pest free. But like all houseplants there’s no such thing a being immune to pests.
Therefore, you’ll still need to regularly inspect for any bugs on the plant.
Mealybugs and spider mites are the most common bugs that will come around this plant. These bugs like to hide on the undersides of leaves. So, don’t forget to check those thoroughly.
If you spot any spray them off with water to dislodge them.
You can likewise use neem oil but make sure to dilute it enough otherwise it can damage the leaves and the plant as well.
Diseases
Overwatering means that root rot will always be a threat.
Unfortunately, overwatering is the number one cause of houseplant death. So, try to avoid watering the plant too often.
If you’re not sure, don’t water. Instead, wait a few days more.
This is why it is very important to always let part of the soil dry out before adding more water. Additionally, using well-draining soil will help you avoid waterlogging.
