How to Take Care of the Philodendron Selloum Hope
If you're just starting with houseplants then the Philodendron Selloum is a great one to begin your plant journey. This plant is also known as the Philodendron Hope. It's a beautiful and easy-to-care-for plant that can add a touch of greenery to any room. In this blog post, we'll discuss how to take care of your Philodendron Selloum so that it stays healthy and happy!
The Philodendron Hope is a unique-looking plant with textured and unusual-looking leaves that will bring a new sense of adventure to any room in your house.
These plants can grow quite large, so make sure you have plenty of space for them to spread out.
In this plant care guide, we're going to look at how you can help your Philodendron Hope thrive. These are the aspects of its plant care needs we'll look at in this guide:
- Watering your Philodendron Hope
- The best sunlight exposure
- The best type of soil for your Philodendron Hope
- How often do you fertilize your Philodendron?
- Is the Philodendron Hope toxic to your cats and dogs?
- When should you repot your Philodendron Hope?
- How do you propagate your Philodendron?
By the end of this guide, you'll be an expert on taking care of your Philodendron Hope! So let's get started.
Watering your Philodendron Hope
Watering your plant properly is one of the most important parts of taking care of any plant.
Get it right and your plant grows well and looks healthy, but get it wrong and it could die in a matter of days.
So, how often should you water your Philodendron Hope?
The answer to this question depends on a few factors, such as the size of your plant and the pot it's in, as well as the type of soil. If you have a small plant in a pot with drainage holes, then you'll need to water it more frequently than if you have a large plant in a pot without drainage holes. As for the type of soil, if you're using a well-draining potting mix, your soil will dry out much more quickly than if you added peat moss or vermiculite.
So rather than telling you to water it once per week, I'd like you to check the soil regularly. These plants like to be kept moist, but not soggy. Water your plant when the top 2-5 cm (1-2 inches) of soil feels dry to the touch. In the summer this will happen more quickly than in the winter, so check the soil every few days to see if it's dry yet.
On average, you should water this plant once per week in the summer and once every 10-14 days in the winter. But it's still good to check the soil yourself to give your plant exactly what it needs.
The best sunlight exposure for your Philodendron Hope
The Philodendron Selloum is a tropical plant, so it prefers warm temperatures and humid conditions. These plants are native to South America, where they grow on the ground in the rainforest.
In its natural habitat, the Philodendron Selloum gets indirect sunlight as it grows beneath the canopy of taller trees. This is the type of light exposure that your Philodendron Hope will do best in.
You can give your Philodendron Hope bright, indirect light by placing it near a west- or south-facing window. If you don't have a spot like this in your home, you can also grow your Philodendron under artificial light, like an LED grow light.
If you start to see any discoloration on the stem of leaves and you know you've watered your plant properly, you might be dealing with too much sunlight exposure. If you'd like to learn the signs of too much sunlight and what to do to help your plant recover, read "What are signs of too much sunlight on plants?".
The best type of soil for your Philodendron Hope
Watering and sunlight are very important parts of taking care of your plant, but the soil is a close third! The type of soil you use can make a big difference in how well your plant grows.
The Philodendron Hope prefers a well-draining potting mix that's full of organic matter. This type of soil has plenty of materials to help retain moisture, but it also drains quickly so that your plant doesn't sit in wet, soggy soil. You can make your own mix by combining one part potting soil, one part of peat moss, and one part of perlite. Or you can buy a pre-made potting mix for philodendrons at your local garden center.
This type of soil retains water for several days, but still provides excellent drainage for any excess moisture. This soil creates the perfect growing environment for your Philodendron Hope.
How often do you fertilize your Philodendron?
We've already looked at 3 very important things to help keep your Philodendron Hope healthy but to help it grow more quickly and stay healthy throughout the growing period, you'll need to fertilize your plant. You can either use a liquid fertilizer or a slow-release fertilizer. I recommend using a liquid fertilizer because it's easy to control how much you're giving your plant and you can avoid overfertilizing. When you use a liquid fertilizer, fertilize your Philodendron Hope once a month during the growing season.
During the winter, when your plant is resting, you shouldn't fertilize your Philodendron Hope, as it won't need the fertilizer. If you choose to fertilize your plant in the winter when the plant doesn't need it, you're very likely to overfertilize your plant, which could cause root damage. You can start to fertilize your plant again at the end of February, right before the spring starts.
Is the Philodendron Hope toxic to your cats and dogs?
Philodendrons are beautiful plants from the rainforest, and like many other tropical plants, this Philodendron Hope is toxic to cats and dogs. Their toxicity levels range from mild to moderately toxic and they can cause digestive issues and pain when your pets accidentally chew on the stems or leaves and get in contact with the sap of the plant.
If you notice chew marks or know your pet has eaten from this plant, make sure to call your veterinarian right away!
When should you repot your Philodendron Hope?
As your Philodendron Hope grows, it will eventually need to be transplanted into a larger pot. When you don't repot your plant, you'll see the growth of your Philodendron slow down and perhaps even come to a full stop. The plant will have taken over the whole pot and can't find new spots in the soil to absorb nutrients from. You can check if it's time to repot your plant by lifting it out of the pot and checking whether the roots are circling the bottom of the pot. If you see this, your plant is ready for a bigger pot.
The best time to repot your Philodendron Hope is in the spring before new growth begins.
When you're ready to repot your philodendron, choose a pot that's only one or two sizes larger than the current one.
If you're using a pot that's larger than this, you're more likely to overwater your plant.
Be sure to use fresh potting mix and water well after transplanting.
This new soil will give your Philodendron extra nutrients to grow quickly.
How do you propagate your Philodendron?
You can propagate your Philodendron Hope by division or stem cuttings. Propagating stem cuttings are the easiest way to propagate this plant and puts the plant at the least risk of any health problems.
You can propagate the Philodendron Hope by taking a stem that has two or three leaves and cutting it off just below a node. A node is a thicker part of the stem. The new roots will start to grow out of these roots if they haven't already.
After you've cut the stem, you can place it in water. This is what we call "water propagation". After a few weeks, you'll start to see roots grow. When these roots are at least 5 cm (2 inches) you can move your stem cutting to a pot with soil or Leca and you'll have successfully propagated your plant!
Conclusion
Now that you know all the basics of taking care of your Philodendron Hope, it's time to put this knowledge into practice! Share this guide with your friends and family so they can take care of their plants, too.
If you have more questions about taking care of your Philodendron Hope or other philodendrons, feel free to e-mail me or contact me on social media. I'm always happy to help!
Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! If you're looking for more guides on specific plants, you can always request a plant guide to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with.
Tags: tropical, beginner-friendly
Posted on: Sep 3, 2022
