I've seen other Philodendron grow wonderfully in water like this, but my plant is suffering. For about 2 years it has succeeded in growth, but now one of the leaves is losing it's color and no new leaves are coming out. Why the sudden decline in health? I'm not sure. My problem could be based on one or a mixture of the following.
Insects - not a problem (I've never seen one insect in our apartment, not one!).
Fertilizer - not a problem.
Light - we live on the side where the sun sets, so we aren't getting much direct sunlight here.Water - it's getting too much because that's what it lives in.
Soil - the plant actually needs some.
Disease - this could be the kicker.
My theory is that my plant has grown all it can using water, but now it needs soil. Something to nourish it because it isn't getting enough sun to create as much chorophyll as it needs to in order to thrive. Because I have seen thriving Philodendron in just water before, we could have another issue on our hands. It could be that mold is growing inside the water on the roots. If this is the case, could transplanting it to potted soil improve it's health and get rid of the mold? Are you an indoor plant pro? What's your take?
3 comments:
No question, you need to transplant it.
I bet that little Phil needs a little soil to give it some extra nutrients and maybe a little stability? Not sure. My thumb is as brown as they come so I'm not expert. And judging from this photo, your plant may not get direct sun, but it definitely gets some nice sun for photos! Thanks Science Tuesday.
I was googling "philodendron that lives in water" and came upon your blog. I too have seen philys which live in water, but have tried, like yourself, to do same- but with equal results. When I planted it in soil it recovered. And in fact it is sensitive to over-watering. I probably water it once every 2 months(!!) and it's happy. Must be a special type of plant.
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