A Detailed Guide to Growing and Propagating Potted Anthuriums

Everyone should have seen anthuriums. We often come across them in our daily lives, and many people even grow potted anthuriums at home. The brilliantly red flowers are unique and delicate, and paired with emerald-green leaves, they are extremely beautiful and elegant. So do you know how to properly grow potted anthuriums? Let's learn together below!

How to Grow Potted Anthuriums

1. Soil Selection

For home growing, you can buy ready-mixed potting soil directly from a garden store. After bringing it home, add a small amount of ceramsite or dry tree bark to the nutrient soil you bought. Ceramsite : dry tree bark = 2:1. However, the soil for growing anthuriums must maintain good permeability and drainage.

The soil must be disinfected before planting. However, if the soil you prepared was bought from a professional store as professional soil, you can skip this step. Disinfection is to give the anthurium a smaller chance of suffering from pests and diseases in the later stages of growth.

2. Temperature Requirements

The most suitable growing temperature for anthuriums is 14~35°C. When the winter temperature is below 10°C, anthuriums are prone to frost damage, so increase the temperature promptly. When the summer temperature is above 35°C, sprinkle water around the anthurium to cool it down.

3. How to Fertilize

Anthuriums like fertilizer and have a higher demand for magnesium fertilizer. It is best to go to a professional flower shop and buy a foliar fertilizer with a higher magnesium content to use together. Alternatively, choose a water-soluble compound fertilizer diluted into a liquid fertilizer to fertilize the anthurium. Spray once a week during the growing period. When fertilizing, stick to the principle of “light fertilizer applied frequently” - rather less than more, because too much will directly burn the seedlings~

4. Watering Cycle

Watering anthuriums needs to be carried out according to how dry the potting soil is. Based on the patterns summarized by flower enthusiasts, in spring and autumn we should water once every three days. In summer, once every two days, and in summer be careful to use a sprayer to mist the leaf surface at noon to increase humidity. In winter, watering once every 5~7 days is enough.

When the weather is cold, water between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. When watering, pay attention to alternating dry and wet conditions, and avoid watering when there is severe water shortage, which affects the growth and development of the anthurium.

5. Pay Attention to Controlling Humidity

High temperature and high humidity is the environment anthuriums like. Humidity is related to temperature. When the room temperature is above 28°C, we need to manually increase indoor humidity. You can use a humidifier or sprinkle water to increase humidity. When the temperature is below 20°C, just maintain the indoor environmental humidity, and there is no need to water.

In winter, even if the indoor temperature is relatively high, it is best not to lower the temperature and retain moisture too much. If the leaves of the plant are too wet at night, it will reduce its ability to resist cold, causing frost damage and making it unfavorable for overwintering.

How to Propagate Anthuriums

1. Seed propagation: In breeding, sowing seeds is the main way to obtain new anthurium varieties. The anthurium fruit is a berry type and must be sown as soon as it is harvested. Before sowing, remove the peel and wash off the flesh to avoid the peel and flesh rotting and becoming moldy, which would affect the seed germination rate.

The sowing method can use the pure sand germination method. Sow the seeds in clean river sand at a sowing depth of 0.5~0.8 cm, maintain a certain humidity, and generally they will sprout in about 15 days, with new leaves soon growing out. When they have grown to 5~6 leaves, they can be transplanted into a substrate of pure perlite and peat soil or coconut coir mixed at 1:2 for temporary planting and cultivation.

2. Division propagation: Division propagation is best chosen in the cool spring and autumn. When dividing, be careful not to damage the mother plant. Do not divide side shoots that are too large, do not divide side shoots that are too close together, and do not divide side shoots that are too weak and small. Choose side shoots that are relatively easy to separate from the mother plant and relatively robust, with at least 2 or more main root systems.

Precautions for Home Potted Anthuriums

1. Proper humidity for a beautiful posture

When growing anthuriums, pay attention to moisturizing. Only after truly keeping the humidity needed during the anthurium's growing period in your own hands can we have enough confidence to let the anthurium grow robustly.

2. Insufficient sunlight makes flowering difficult

Anthuriums like sunlight. If there is insufficient sunlight during the growing period, it is very difficult for them to flower. However, anthuriums are not suited to direct sunlight, which will burn the leaves. The best method is to place the anthurium in a shaded place to receive diffused light. Just be careful not to make it too shady. Protect it from the burning of strong light while still allowing refracted sunlight for photosynthesis.

3. Unsuitable temperature makes it difficult to keep alive

When growing anthuriums, pay attention to temperature control. The maximum temperature should not exceed 35°C, and the minimum temperature should not be lower than 14°C. Below 10°C, frost damage can occur at any time, so 18°C~28°C is best. In summer, when the temperature is high, pay attention to ventilation and sprinkling water. In winter, cultivate them in a greenhouse.

The Habits of Anthuriums

Wild anthuriums often grow epiphytically on trees, and sometimes on rocks or directly on the ground. They like warm, humid, semi-shaded environments and dislike direct sunlight.

Anthuriums are suitable for growing in warm, humid environments with good drainage, and they fear drought and strong sunlight exposure. The most suitable temperature for growth is 26~32°C, and the most suitable nighttime temperature is 21~32°C. They can withstand a maximum high temperature of 35°C and can tolerate a low temperature of 14°C.

The growth of anthuriums requires appropriate sunlight, but they dislike direct sunlight. They are suitable for growing in an environment with air humidity of 70%~80%.

Foliage-type anthurium varieties need semi-shade or shade, and the temperature should be somewhat higher. Generally, the minimum temperature should not be lower than 16°C. In winter, maintain a room temperature of 20-22°C and keep the air humidity high.

Through the above content, I believe everyone has gained a certain understanding of the care of potted anthuriums. The flowering period of anthuriums is very long, and anthuriums are not only beautiful and pretty, but also particularly easy to care for. As long as you master the correct fertilizing and watering techniques, basically no lot of time is needed to manage them.