How to Care for the Philodendron Green Princess

Last Updated on January 15, 2023 by Admin

The Philodendron Green Princess is fairly small when compared to other philodendron varieties. However, it is very beautiful to look at thanks to its oval-shaped green leaves.

It is easy to care for and its size let you keep the plant on countertops, shelves or tabletops.

How do you care for the Philodendron Green Princess? Give the plant medium to bright, indirect light. It thrives in warm, humid environments.

The plant enjoys moist soil but avoid overwatering it. Use well-draining soil to avoid waterlogging as well.

Don’t forget the feed the plant during its growing season with all-purpose fertilizer as this will help it grow faster and produce more foliage.

Philodendron Green Princess Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Philodendron Green Princess will grow best when placed somewhere with bright, indirect light. It will likewise do well in medium light and can tolerate low light.

However, the less the light it receives, the slower it will grow. Also, it won’t produce as many leaves or sometimes develop smaller leaves compared to those in brighter conditions.

You also want to be careful with too little light.

That’s because there is a point where things get too dim or dark for the plant that it does not get enough illumination for photosynthesis.

When this happens, you’ll see growth slow down or even get stunted. The plant will also become more leggy as it tries to reach out to the light source in hopes of getting more illumination.

Avoid this as much as possible.

If you don’t get enough light indoors from the sun, you can supplement it with artificial light. Or you can use artificial lights on their own as well. The plant does respond well to grow lights.

On the other hand, too much light can also be a bad thing.

Very strong, intense or harsh lighting can damage the Philodendron Green Princess’ beautiful foliage. Thus, avoid direct sunlight during mid-day or summer.

This can turn its leaves yellow or bleach their color. If the intensity or exposure gets too much, the leaves can also scorch resulting in brown burn marks.

Both are ugly effects and will require you to prune the leaves which would be a waste.

Temperature

The Philodendron Green Princess enjoys warm temperatures between 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This stems from its tropical nature.

Also, because of this, it does not mind conditions as high as 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Although, you do want to be more careful on leaving it in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit since it can quickly dry out due to the heat.

Dehydration can stress out the plant.

That said, the bigger thing to watch out for is the cold.

That’s because the plant is not accustomed to cold weather. In fact, it does not like being left in temperatures below 55 degrees.

Avoid leaving it there as its growth will slow down.

If kept there for a long period of time or the conditions get colder, it will experience cold stress then injury. This will result in yellow leaves that will later drop. Its growth will get stunted and the plant will deteriorate and later die.

As such, don’t leave it outdoors through the winter. It will not survive.

Indoors, be careful of cold drafts, air conditioners and areas that have chills or can experience drops in temperature overnight.

The only exception to all this is if you live in a warm region. The plant enjoys USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 because the weather stays sunny and warm all 12 months of the year.

Therefore, you can keep the plant outdoors all year long if you wish and it will happily grow there.

Humidity

For the best growth, keep the Philodendron Green Princess in a humid environment. It enjoys humidity of 60% to 80%.

This makes it a bit challenging to grow indoors since many homes have humidity between 20% and 50%.

Note that the Philodendron Green Princess can tolerate humidity down to about 40% but try to keep it from going much lower than this because you’ll see changes in the plant.

If humidity is too low, its leaf tips and edges will turn brown and crispy. These become brittle to the touch and very dry.

This is due to the lack of moisture in the air.

As such, if you see this happening, it means you need to help the plant out a bit.

Keep in mind that if you can try to avoid this from even happening. That’s because the browning is not reversible. As such, you’ll need to trim the leaves or reshape them to get rid of the brown tips and edges.

A good way to keep track of humidity indoors is to use a hygrometer. This will tell you the humidity in the room at any given time. So, if you see it drop, then it is time to take action.

You can get a humidifier if you wish. Or you can mist the plant. A good free and more hands-off option is to use a pebble tray or a humidity tray. You can easily DIY either yourself at home.

How Often to Water Philodendron Green Princess

The Philodendron Green Princess likes moist soil. Also, you want to be careful about keeping the soil wet or letting it dry out.

Both extremes are bad for the plant as they can harm it in the long run.

As such, be careful with either.

Of the two, overwatering is by far worse than underwatering. That’s because the plant recovers better from underwatering. And if it isn’t very dehydrated, it only takes 24 to 48 hours to perk right back up.

However, with overwatering, you can kill the plant.

Overwatering is the number one cause of houseplant death. As such, be very careful about watering too often.

That’s because too much moisture can lead to root rot.

This happens because if you water the plant while the soil is still wet, the roots will eventually sit in water for long periods of time.

As such, the roots are unable to get access to air. Eventually, they suffocate and die. This is how root rot occurs.

This is why it is important to allow part of the soil to dry before adding water.

Therefore, the best way to water the Philodendron Green Princess is to wait for at least the top 2 inches of soil to dry before you add water.

Always check the soil to see that the top 2 inches are completely dry before you water again. never before that.

This will prevent watering too frequently.

It will also automatically adjust your watering schedule.

When the warm months come, the soil will dry faster. So, you’ll water more regularly. In the winter, the soil will take much longer to dry. Therefore, you’ll only be watering once every 2 or 3 weeks.

Related

Philodendron Green Princess Potting Soil

The best soil for the Philodendron Green Princess is loose, well-draining soil that’s rich in organic matter. This allows it to hold some moisture but drain excess water quickly.

In doing so, it keeps the roots well-hydrated, but avoids overwatering and waterlogged soil.

As such, soil plays a very important role in preventing root rot as well.

In addition to your watering schedule, the right soil helps prevent overwatering.

In contrast, if you use heavy soils or those that retain a lot of water, even it you water with the right frequency, the soil will end up waterlogged since it will be holding most of the liquid.

If you use sandy soil or soil that has too much drainage, the plant will dry out very quickly.

Thus, having the right mix is important.

To do so, you can use this combination which works very well for the Philodendron Green Princess.

30% potting soil
40% orchid bark
20% peat
10% perlite

I also like to add a few handfuls of activated charcoal for good measure. This will help with drainage and keep the soil chunky.

In the mixture above, the potting soil and peat hold some moisture. Meanwhile, the bark, perlite and charcoal increase drainage so you don’t end up with overwatering or waterlogged soil.

The chunky nature of the bark and charcoal also allow air to circulate so the roots can breathe.

Fertilizer

Feed your Philodendron Green Princess with a balanced houseplant fertilizer or an all-purpose fertilizer during its growing season. These are spring and summer, basically the warmer months.

You don’t need to fertilize the plant during the colder months as it does not grow much during those times of the year.

When applying fertilizer, dilute to half the recommended strength. Also, do not fertilize the plant if the soil is dry.

Too much fertilizer will lead to fertilizer burn. This will damage the roots and cause yellow leaves.

Besides liquid fertilizer, you can also opt to use slow-release fertilizer. This works differently as they come in pellet form.

It also allows you to feed the plant once or twice only during the growing season.

If you don’t mind its smell, you can use fish emulsion as well. This is an affordable, organic option.

Pruning

The Philodendron Green Princess is a fairly small plant relative to other philodendron varieties. It usually grow to between 18 to 24 inches.

As such, it does not get much bigger than 2 feet high.

Nevertheless, the plant looks impressive as its leaves will get bushy. This makes it beautiful to look at once it gets a bit dense.

This also means that you may need to prune it every few months depending on how thick you want the plant to look or if the leaves have gotten overcrowded on the pot.

On the other hand, if you have a sparse looking plant, pruning also helps it grow more.

As always remove old, yellow, brown or damaged leaves. Immediately prune diseased leaves as these can spread the infection.

How to Propagate Philodendron Green Princess

The Philodendron Green Princess can be propagated from cuttings or from seed.

Of the two, cuttings are the more effective and practical option for home growers. You can us stem, stem tip or leaf bud cuttings.

On the other hand, seeds are usually the choice of commercial operations. That’s because they can scale the number of plants they can grow at the same time. This makes sense for them since they need to have a few plants to sell, not just one or two.

But propagating from seed takes much longer and a lot more work if you aren’t growing many at the same time.

Thus, I will focus on stem cutting propagation below.

How to Propagate Philodendron Green Princess from Stem Cuttings

Take healthy stem cuttings from a healthy mother plant. Don’t propagate if the plant is not healthy or sick.
Choose stems that have at least one node and 2-3 leaves.
Take a sterile pair of pruning shears or scissors and cut just below the node.
You can propagate the cutting in water or on soil. This is up to so and your preference.
To propagate the stem cutting in water, place the cutting in a glass container filled with water. Make sure the node is submerged in the liquid. Remove any leaves that end up in the water.
You will need to change the water over 1-2 weeks to avoid it from getting cloudy.
In about 3-4 weeks you should see quite a few roots.
Once the roots get to 2 inches or longer, you can move the cutting to a pot with well-draining soil.
To propagate the stem cutting in soil, dip the cut end of the stem in rooting hormone.
Then fill a pot with well-draining soil.
Plant the cutting in the soil making sure that the node is buried under. After that, water the soil until moist.
Keep the pot in a well-lit location with no direct sunlight.
In about 4 weeks or so, the cutting will have some roots that are beginning to establish themselves on the soil.

How to Repot or Transplant Philodendron Green Princess

The Philodendron Green Princess only needs repotting once it gets root bound. Avoid repotting sooner or doing it too often as the plant is not fond of being moved.

Your signal to repot is when you see roots appearing through the holes at the bottom of the pot.

This is a sign that it is root bound since the roots are looking for more space to continue growing.

Choose a container that is one size larger than the current one. This is about 2 inches bigger. Avoid overpotting since it will increase the risk of overwatering.

When repotting, replace the soil with fresh, well-draining potting mix as well.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

Unfortunately, the Philodendron Green Princess is toxic. Therefore, keep it away from where young kids, dogs or cats like to play.

The plant is not toxic when you touch it. However, once ingested it becomes toxic. Therefore, it is important to avoid accidental consumption or ingestion of its leaves or stems.

Philodendron Green Princess Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Philodendron Green Princess does not usually experience pest issues. But it can especially if it is weak, sick or stressed. When healthy, the plant has fairly good resistance to pests.

Therefore, try to keep the plant as healthy as possible.

Additionally, cleaning the leaves also prevents pests as they are attracted to dust.

If you want to further reduce the risk of pests, you can apply neem oil or insecticidal soap once a month. This will help keep the bugs away.

The most common pests include mealybugs, spider mites and aphids.

Diseases

Root rot is the biggest problem you want to avoid. It is caused by overwatering or waterlogged soil.

Therefore, avoid watering the plant too often. And make sure there is sufficient drainage. This means using well-draining soil and a pot with holes at the bottom.

Both will allow excess water to quickly drain to avoid letting the roots sit in water for long periods of time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do you take care of a philodendron green Princess?

Keep your Philodendron Green Princess in a place with medium to bright, indirect light. This will let it grow optimally. It enjoys warm, tropical-like humid conditions making it adapt easily to indoor living. Avoid leaving it outside during the winter when there is frost. Water the soil to keep it moist but not damp or wet. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry between waterings. And during the spring and summer apply liquid fertilizer once a month for optimum growth.

Is Philodendron green Princess a climber?

The Philodendron Green Princess are good climbers. This is how they grow in the wild climbing on trees or other larger plants. Your Philodendron Green Princess will grow faster and produce larger foliage if you give it a support like pole or something similar to grow in.

How often do you water a green princess plant?

When watering the Philodendron Green Princess, allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry out before adding more water. The plant does best in moist soil. But avoid overwatering as this increases the risk of root rot. Similarly, do not let the soil dry out completely.

Do philodendrons like full sun?

Philodendrons are tropical plants. As such, they enjoy warm, sunny weather where there is no snow throughout the year. That said, avoid too much full sun or direct sunlight as this can damage their leaves causing the foliage to turn yellow or have burns. Instead, philodendrons thrive in bright, indirect light.

How do you water a philodendron green Princess?

Water. Lightly, evenly moist – but not soggy. No feet wet please. Lower maintenance than many because the Philodendron Green Princess won’t mind drying out a bit between watering, especially in winter, but over-watering is a no go.

Water your Philodendron Green Princess deeply but infrequently. It is a low maintenance plant that prefers moist soil that’s not soggy or wet. Therefore, don’t overwater the plant since this can lead to root rot. Water the plant regularly during the summer and cut back during winter.

Should you mist philodendrons?

I don’t suggest misting your philodendron. While philodendrons thrive in high humidity and misting the plant regularly helps, there’s always a risk of wetting the leaves too much when you mist. Thus, I prefer using a saucer filled with water or a humidity tray placed under the pot to increase humidity for a philodendron. That said, the plant will tolerate the humidity in most homes without problem.