Philodendron Millions Plant Care

Last Updated on June 10, 2022 by Admin

The Philodendron Millions is a self-heading philodendron that’s known for its large, dark green, glossy leaves.

With proper care, the plant will produce lots of leaves over time and become very full making it gorgeous to look at.

It is low maintenance and instantly adds a tropical look to your home or garden.

The Philodendron Millions is native to South America.

How do you care for the Philodendron Millions? The plant thrives in medium to bright indirect or filtered light. It can also tolerate low light but will grow best in well-lit locations.

Keep it away from direct sunlight which can damage its leaves. Warm, humid conditions is ideal. And allow the soil to partially dry before adding more water.

Table of Contents

Light Requirements

The Philodendron Millions thrives in plenty of light. It grows best in medium to bright indirect or filtered light.

The plant can also tolerate low light. Although, this is less ideal.

The reason is that the plant will grow into a good sized plant. Additionally, it will develop large leaves.

While the Philodendron Millions will survive in low light, the lack of illumination will not only slow down its growth rate but can also limit its leaf production and the size of the leaves.

As such, it may be a good idea to keep it in low light indoors if you don’t want it to get too big.

But beyond that, it is much better to keep it in bright spot.

That said, you do want to watch out for direct sunlight. This means try to keep the plant away from the sun’s direct rays during the middle of the day.

The hottest times of the day are between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Additionally, summers also have hotter conditions.

During these times avoid leaving the plant in the direct path of the sun’s rays.

Indoors, this occurs through a south facing window.

Meanwhile, the plant will appreciate direct sunlight from an east facing window since the morning sun is gentle.

So, the plant can easily tolerate this.

In fact, it will grow faster in this environment.

Outdoors, avoid full sun. Again, this is just too harsh on the plant.

If it stays in strong direct sunlight or full sun, the leaves may eventually get scorched. Even if they don’t, they can get discolored and turn yellow.

Both are permanent so you’ll end up removing the large leaves which would be a waste.

Temperature

The Philodendron Millions has an ideal temperature of 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

It likes this range because it is used to tropical weather.

As such, it does not have a problem even if the temperature reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, the opposite is not true.

That’s because there are no cold months in the tropics. Nor is there snow, frost or freezing temperature. Therefore, the Philodendron Millions has poor tolerance to the cold.

It has a difficult time staying under 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

This means to avoid leaving it in the cold. And make sure to bring it indoors once the weather starts to get colder around mid-autumn.

Note that in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, the plant is “winter” hardy.

It put the winter in quotes because there technically is no winter in these parts. They have sunshine and moderate or cool weather during November through March.

But there is no snow or freezing temperature.

So, the plant will happily live outdoors the entire year in these regions.

However, in colder areas, it won’t get through the winter outdoors. So, it is better suited as s houseplants there.

Indoors, you still want to be careful about certain things.

Air conditioners, cold drafts and spaces where the nighttime temperature can drop significantly from daytime temperatures.

All these can give the plant a chill that it won’t like.

Humidity

The Philodendron Millions has ideal humidity levels of 60% to 70%.

Again, it gets this preference from being a native to the tropics.

The good news is that the plant can tolerate 40% humidity and slightly lower than that as well. This makes it easier to grow the plant indoors in average room humidity.

As a result, most home conditions will work for the plant.

And you won’t need to do anything special to accommodate it.

However, there are some exceptions to this. If you live somewhere with very dry air. Or if you live in desert cities like those in Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, then humidity may be an issue.

The key thing to look out for are the plant’s leaves.

If you see the leaf edges and tips turn brown or crispy, it means it needs more humidity.

These are the extremities of the plant. And these symptoms means they are dry because moisture is not able to reach the farthest ends of the plant.

If you leave the plant as is, more and more leaves will turn brown.

As such, the best solution is to increase humidity around the plant.

You can move the Philodendron Millions into the bathroom or kitchen if you wish. Both areas have the highest humidity in most homes.

Another option is to group all your plants together. But this only works if you have a quite a few plants.

Alternatively, you can use a humidifier, mist the plant or set it on a pebble tray.

How Often to Water Philodendron Millions

The Philodendron Millions enjoys moist soil. But never allow its roots to stay wet. The plant does not like this. More importantly, it is dangerous.

That’s because the allowing the roots to sit in water for long periods of time can lead to root rot.

This happens because roots need air as much as they need water.

So, when you water too often, the soil does not have enough time to dry. And by adding more and more water, the roots eventually find themselves swimming in excess moisture.

If the moisture does not drain or dry soon enough, the roots eventually suffocate as they are deprived of oxygen (by the water) for too long.

What you end up is dead roots that later rot.

Dead, rotten roots don’t function anymore. And the more roots rot from overwatering, the less likely the plant can support itself.

After a while, it will deteriorate and die.

This is why it is important not to overwater the plant.

Instead, allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry between waterings. To be safe, you can likewise wait for the top half of the soil to dry before you add water.

Anything in between works well for the plant as the roots will stay in moist soil.

At the same time, they will stay dry and away from too much water.

When watering the plant, soak the entire plant then allow it to completely drain.

This will ensure the roots get the drink they need. But the soil will not stay waterlogged after.

Philodendron Millions Potting Soil

The Philodendron Millions needs free draining soil that is loose and well-aerated. It also does best in soil pH of 5.0 and 6.0.

Good aeration and drainage are very important when it comes to choosing the soil mix for this plant.

Its roots need a balance of both oxygen and water.

As such, the soil has to be able to get rid of excess moisture quickly to avoid overwatering, waterlogging and root rot.

Additionally, a porous, well-aerated soil will easily allow air to get through the tiny pockets in the soil so the roots get enough oxygen.

As such, avoid dense, compact or heavy soils. All of these are bad for the plant.

Similarly, don’t use very sandy soils as these will drain too much water too fast. When this happens, the roots won’t get enough to drink and be underwatered.

From experience, the best soil for the Philodendron Millions is an Aroid mix.

You can get a bag of this kind of soil from some garden center. Or you can search online plant stores for it.

Note that not everyone makes aroid mixes. So, it does require a bit of looking.

The good news is, once you get it, just open the bag and you can use it immediately.

Another option, which I prefer to do now is to make my own potting mix. When I started, I always used pre-mixed soils or those found commercially.

But over time, you learn how make your own.

Doing so saves money in the long run. And you can adjust the components and amounts if needed.

Here’s a simple potting mix recipe that works well for the Philodendron Millions.

1 part potting mix
1 part perlite
1 part orchid bark
½ part horticultural charcoal

This combination gives you moist soil that holds some moisture thanks to the potting mix. The bark, perlite and charcoal are there for drainage.

Additionally the charcoal and bark make the soil chunky allowing air to easy circulate through to the roots.

Fertilizer

Pruning

The Philodendron Millions can grow to between 6 to 10 feet if you let it. Its leaves will also spread to as wide as 4.5 feet or so from side to side.

The plant starts out with just a few good sized leaves.

But over time, with proper care, it can become very full and bushy. the leaves will also flare outward as more of them grow.

This is what makes the Philodendron Millions very beautiful.

The downside is that you’ll need space to let it grow.

Indoors, the plant usually gets to around 3 to 4 feet which makes it more manageable.

In most cases, you’ll need to prune if you want to control its size and width. But beyond these, there’s really very little pruning needed since it large leaves are gorgeous.

Unless its foliage turn color, die, get old or damaged, there’s no need to prune the plant.

How to Propagate Philodendron Millions

Philodendron Millions propagation is best done via rooted stem cuttings.

This takes a bit more work to propagate. But once you’re done, the plant will soon grow new shoots and produce new foliage as well.

Here’s how to propagate Philodendron Millions.

Unpot the plant. Then remove the excess soil so you can see the roots completely. You can brush off the soil. But I prefer to just use a hose and wash off all the excess soil.
Once you see the roots, choose which stem you want to propagate. Ideally, choose a stem with at least 1-2 leaves. Then, take note of the roots the stem attaches to.
Using a sterile knife or pruning shears, cut off the stem along with its roots from the rest of the plant.
You can then repot the mother plant in fresh soil.
Then pot up the cutting with its roots into another pot with fresh, well-draining soil.
Water both pots until the soil are moist.

Since the cutting you took already has roots, it only takes a short while for the shoots to start growing again.

Then you’ll see new leaves develop as well.

How to Repot or Transplant Philodendron Millions

The Philodendron Millions will need repotting as it gets bigger.

It generally only needs repotting every 2 or 3 years. But like always use these figures as guidelines. Instead, listen to what the plant is telling you.

With this plant the two telltale signs that it needs repotting are roots coming out from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

Similarly, if you see roots coming out of the surface of the soil, it means the plant is likewise root bound.

Either of these signs is enough to indicate it is time to repot.

The best time to repot is spring to early summer.

And you will want to carefully take the plant out of its pot especially if it has gotten bigger. Just tip the plant on its side and gently take the pot out.

You’ll also want to change the spend soil with fresh potting mix.

Select a pot that is 2 inches larger than the current one. And make sure that it has drainage holes at the bottom.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

The Philodendron Millions is toxic to both humans and animals. It contains calcium oxalate crystals which become toxic once ingested.

Therefore, the plant is safe to hold and handle. But never eat or chew the leaves or stems.

This can cause vomiting, inflammation, swelling and pain just to name a few symptoms. And it affects people, cats and dogs.

Philodendron Millions Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Philodendron Millions is fairly resistant to pests. But that does not mean it is immune to them.

Nor does it mean that you’ll never need to deal with pests as far as this plant goes.

But it is possible especially with proper care and if you keep the leaves clean. It is also a good idea to apply neem oil or insecticidal soap once a month to keep the bugs away.

Aphids, spider mites, mealybugs and scale are common pests that like to attack the plant.

So, immediately treat the plant if you spot any of these bugs.

Diseases

The Philodendron Millions is not prone to diseases either. But if it is overwatered, that opens up a host of possible problems.

Unfortunately, overwatering is a man-made problem.

The good news is you can prevent it completely.

Never water the plant unless the top few inches of soil have dried. Also, use well-draining soil and a pot with drainage.

Additionally, how you water is just as important.

Avoid watering over the plant such that the leaves get wet. This leads to leaf infections and fungal disease.

Instead, water directly onto the soil as much as possible.

Wipe down or pat down any wet leaves with a towel to let the moisture quickly dry.

Philodendron Millions Plant Care – Repotting, Propagation, Watering and Soil