So I’m new to nurturing and growing indoor plants and was given this (red diamond?) philodendron cutting about a month ago which I’ve kept in water since. I think the roots have grown enough even a week or two ago to be ready to be potted (although I’m happy to be told otherwise), but I’m wondering how healthy the philodendron will be if I just kept it in water? Or should I always be potting my plants? I’m not super concerned about it not growing lots and lots, partly as it’s already grown in this past month, and partly because I don’t actually have lots of space for a huge plant. Thanks in advance!
by eiilatann
3 Comments
You could always keep it in water but switch it to semi hydro (pon, leca) and give it nutrients ~ but it looks kinda uniquely authentic this way too.. so?
And if you keep it in water, use a good fertilizer! I recommend superthrive grow!
I don’t have a Philo in water, however, I do have golden, jade, and neon pothos, begonias, sweet potato vine, tradescantia, and spiderplants that grow in water. Most have been thriving in water for 3 years. Here is my experiences. First, understand that growing in water will slow growth. Now that that is out of the way, here is how I keep mine healthy. I pour out roughly 1/3-1/2 of the water every couple of weeks and add new water. Most of mine are in interesting shaped liquor bottles. The narrow necks prevent any oxygen exchange, so I add water to keep the environment oxygenated. I use 1/4 strength miracle grow 10-10-10 water soluble fertilizer every 3 months. I follow this a week later with a splash of hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the inevitable algae bloom. Hydrogen peroxide will decompose into water and oxygen, so it is safe for your plants. I love the look of exposed roots and usually add decorative rocks into the bottle for additional decoration.
Edit:
Forgot to add, mine all live in east facing windows