How to Grow Philodendron Weeks Red

Last Updated on June 9, 2022 by Admin

The Philodendron Weeks Red is a rare hybrid that is best know for its massive leaves which can reach 4 to 5 feet in size.

Additionally, the Philodendron Weeks Red Hybrid will produce lots of leaves when given proper care.

As such, it will need space especially towards the sides.

In most cases, you’ll see the plant in its mature state with large, impressive green leaves. But what many people don’t realize are the many stages of leaf color changes the leaves go through.

Its foliage unfurl and emerge with a strawberry color adorn with pink mottling.

After a while the leaves will turn into yellow and lime color with some green mottling. It will finally settle to a saturated green color later on.

How do you care for the Philodendron Weeks Red? This is a large plant with stunningly huge leaves. It needs sufficient light, water and fertilizer to support this growth.

Keep the plant in bright, indirect light away from strong, intense sun. Allow the soil to partially dry between waterings and never overwater.

Table of Contents

Philodendron Weeks Red Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Philodendron Weeks Red will thrive in medium to bright indirect light. It is very important to supply the plant with sufficient light if you want to see it develop impressive leaves.

The reason is that the leaves depend a lot of photosynthesis to achieve their potential.

And photosynthesis can only happen with enough light.

Light is the raw material used in photosynthesis along with the nutrients from the soil and water the roots absorb.

Photosynthesis then converts all this into sugars (food) that the plant uses to produce energy.

And it is this energy that it expends to grow and to develop its leaves.

So, sufficient light is necessary for growth.

Lack of light will give you a smaller plant with fewer leaves. And the foliage will be smaller as well.

If you leave in the plant in very low light, you’ll even end up with a leggy plant that is weak and sickly.

That said, too much light is also a bad thing.

That’s because the plant is used to living under the shade of huge trees in the tropical forest. As such, it is not accustomed to bearing the brunt of direct sunlight.

As such, the ideal position for the plant indoors is near a window but away from the sun’s rays.

Outdoors, partial shade is ideal. And avoid full sun.

Temperature

The Philodendron Weeks Red prefers temperatures between 65 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. This is where it feels most comfortable.

Therefore, try to maintain indoor temperature at this level.

In most cases, you won’t need to adjust your homes temperature environment because majority maintain levels between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

The reason is that we like these levels.

Because it is native to tropical regions, the Philodendron Weeks Red will tolerate warmer weathers as well.

However, because there is no snow, frost or freezing temperature in the tropics, it has very low tolerance for the cold.

It is not winter hardy either.

Therefore, try to keep the plant in temperatures of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and above.

Once things get colder than this, you’ll see the plant slow down in growth.

The difference is subtle until things drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. But the lower you go, the more side effects begin to come out.

The leaves turn yellow and later wilt. You’ll also see growth keep slowing until it gets stunted.

And past a certain cold threshold, the plant will begin experiencing cold damage.

Therefore, keep warm indoors as much as possible.

Just as importantly never leave it outdoors during the winter.

The only exception to this is if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. The plant will do well outdoors in these locations because the weather stays relatively sunny and moderate to warm even during November to March.

There is no winter in these areas as well.

Humidity

The Philodendron Weeks Red prefers high humidity. And this is where it will grow at its best.

However, the plant has no problems with average room humidity.

The only exception is if you live in areas with very dry air.

Ideal humidity for the Philodendron Weeks Red is 60% to 80%. But it will adapt to lower humidity.

That said, I still suggest in keeping humidity at 40% and higher if you can. This keeps the plant safe from any possible side effects.

Why?

Because once humidity is too low for its liking, you’ll see its leaf edges and tips turn brown, crispy and dry. This means it needs more moisture in the air.

And you can mist the plant, place it on a pebble tray or use a humidifier to help solve the issue.

However, the effects on the leaves are permanent.

This means that affected leaves are not going to turn green again.

And the longer that the plant was left if low humidity without any intervention on your part, the more leaves would have turned brown.

So, your only options here are to trim the leaves and reshape them if possible.

Doing so removes the brown areas.

But if too much of the leaves have turned brown, then pruning those entire leaves is your only choice.

This would be a shame given how large and beautiful the leaves of this plant are.

How Often to Water Philodendron Weeks Red

Allow the top 2 to 3 inches of the soil to dry out between waterings.

This is very important since the Philodendron Weeks Red does not like wet, soggy soil.

Overwatering will lead to yellow leaves that are limp, soft and mushy. Just as importantly, the excess moisture increases the risk of root rot and fungal infection.

Thus, excess water is a big no-no for this plant as it can eventually lead to its destruction.

So, in order to play it safe, you always want to wait for the top few inches of soil to get completely dry before adding more water.

The best ways to do this is feel the soil every few days.

It like to touch the surface of the soil every 4 or 7 days depending on how busy I am.

If the surface of the soil feels wet, don’t add water yet.

However, if the surface feels dry, then stick your index finger into the soil until the second knuckle.

If the soil at that depth feels moist or wet, don’t water.

But if it feels completely dry, then it is time to water.

This is the bare minimum. And the only time you will add water, never before it reaches this point.

By waiting, you are able to avoid overwatering the plant.

Alternatively, you can use a moisture meter if you prefer not to get your hands dirty.

Philodendron Weeks Red Potting Soil

The Philodendron Weeks Red will do best when grown in well-draining potting mix. Use loose, rich organic soil with pH between 5.5 to 6.5.

This combination of features will ensure the plant is healthy.

Well-draining soil is very important because of the plant’s susceptibility to overwatering.

Therefore, good drainage not only prevents overwatering but also lets you avoid waterlogging.

So, even in times when you happen to overwater the plant, the soil will bail you out. That’s because it will quickly drain excess moisture.

If you prefer to buy your soil, look for an Aroid mix.

This is the best soil I’ve found for this plant because it will hold some moisture while drain any excess. In doing so, the plant is able to stay hydrated but avoid overwatering.

Additionally, you can use it for other Aroids which include philodendrons, monsteras, pothos, anthuriums, alocasias and more.

Once you get the bag, you can just use it directly.

Similarly, you can opt to use 100% sphagnum peat moss if you wish. This works for the plant as well.

On the other hand, if you like making your own potting mix, here are a couple of recipes that work well.

3 parts potting soil
1 part perlite or pumice

Or you can go with:

1 part potting soil
1 part coco coir ( you can substitute this with peat moss)

Fertilizer

Fertilizer is an important aspect of Philodendron Weeks Red care if you want it to produce large, stunning leaves.

But never overfeed the plant.

In short, don’t give it more plant food than what the product label tells you.

This is very important since fertilizers contain salts. And plants hate salts.

When these salts build up in the soil, they will eventually become toxic to the plant. And they can burn its roots as well as its leaves.

Use a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half the recommended strength.

Apply once a month during the plant’s growing season which are spring and summer. Don’t feed the plant during fall and winter as its growth will slow during the cold months.

Pruning

The Philodendron Weeks Red will grow to about 3 to 4 feet tall. More importantly, it will need considerable amount of space to its sides.

That’s because it leaves can reach 4 to 5 feet long. They will also be impressively wide.

So be ready to provide space of between 4 to 6 feet from side to side.

Best of all, a Philodendron Weeks Red plant that gets proper care will easily have 10 or more leaves on it.

This makes it stunning to look at when mature.

In terms of pruning, you can let it keep growing as long as you have the space for it.

I’ve seen gorgeous Philodendron Weeks Red that haven’t been pruned for 5 years it is amazing to look at. The leaves don’t get messy despite the plant having lots of large foliage.

They form nicely around one another making it look like a giant foliage shrub.

So, pruning is very limited. And you don’t need to prune at all as long as you have enough space to let it keep getting bigger.

How to Propagate Philodendron Weeks Red

Philodendron Weeks Red propagation is best done using rooted cuttings.

This will save you time and increase the success rate as well.

While it does take more time during the propagation process, the extra effort is well worth it.

Note that if you are buying a Philodendron Weeks Red online, you’ll likely be getting a rooted cutting as well.

While it is not the actual entire plant, it will be cheaper to purchase.

Additionally compared to other kinds of cuttings, this makes it so much easier to propagate at home since the new plant already has roots.

Propagating Philodendron Weeks Red from Cuttings

Choose a healthy stem that has at least one leaf on it.

Trace the stem down to the soil and start digging around the soil to get to that section’s roots. You can use a trowel or your hands to do this.

Once you see the roots attached to the stem, use a sterile knife and cut off that section of the roots.

When done, you should have an entire rooted cutting.

You can then plant this cutting into a pot with well-draining soil.

Alternatively, you can also unpot the plant and take out the entire root system. This can be more challenging if you already have a big, wide plant.

But doing so will give you a clearer view of the roots.

If the soil gets in the way, use a hose to wash off all the soil so you can clearly see all the roots.

How to Repot or Transplant Philodendron Weeks Red

The Philodendron Weeks Red will grow to a good sized plant with stunningly huge leaves. As such, it will need be repotted once it outgrows its container.

That said, the Philodendron Weeks Red is a very healthy and robust tropical plant.

It also maintains a well-established root system.

As such, you don’t want to keep moving it if not necessary.

This will allow the roots to dig into the soil and establish a healthy foundation to anchor the larger plant.

As such, only repot every 2-3 years.

Check the bottom of the pot’s drainage holes for clues.

As long as there are no roots coming out from the drainage holes, it means the plant does not need repotting.

But if you see roots sneaking out of the holes, it means it is time to repot.

Wait until spring to repot as this allows the plant to quickly recover after being moved.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

The Philodendron Weeks Red is toxic. Keep it out of reach of children and pets.

Doing so will avoid them from chewing or eating parts of the leaves which are toxic along with the rest of the plant.

That’s because the plant contains calcium oxalate crystals.

So, if young kids, cats or dogs happen to ingest any part of the plant, immediately call your pediatrician or veterinarian, whichever the case may be.

Philodendron Weeks Red Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

Pests are not a big problem for the Philodendron Weeks Red. But there are some bugs that like the attack the plant.

For the most part, these are sap suckers, including aphids, mites, mealybugs and scale.

If you see any, use neem oil or insecticidal soil to get rid of them.

Don’t wait as these pests quickly grow in number.

Diseases

Root rot from overwatering is one of the most serious problems you want to avoid as much as possible.

Additionally, tray to keep the plant away from leaf disease as well.

While the Philodendron Weeks Red is not prone to diseases, it can get them because these problems are often caused by excess moisture.

Sadly, excess moisture is usually man-made.

In the case of root rot, it is watering the plant too frequently.

However, with leaf diseases, it is wetting the leaves too much when you water the plant.

So, being careful about how and when you water is very important.

How to Grow Philodendron Weeks Red – The Complete Guide