Tip of the Week – Anthurium Care
Anthurium Sweet Queen Flower
Producing some of the most admired flowers on the planet anthuriums come in about 1000 species that are native to South America. They exist as both epiphytes and ground dwellers. Their Family is called Araceae(Aroids) and their Genus is Anthurium. Anthuriums andraeanun and Anthurium scherzerianum are the only Anthuriums that produce bright red bracts.
These two species are the basis for modern day breeding programmes. Both the colourful spathe and upright spadix vary in size, shape, colour and texture. These two Anthuriums like to multiply. As the plant gets older and bigger so do its leaves grow bigger. As the leaves grow bigger so do the showy bracts.
Watch our video on Anthurium Care! Anthuriums are easy care.
ANTHURIUM CARE
When your Anthurium arrives:
1. Do not water it to saturation…..notice how thich the roots are almost as thick as an orchid. Thick roots are the first indication that it does not like to be wet all the time.
2. Do not repot it unless the weather is warm spring to mid autumn
3. This plant develops aerial roots …and it is not unusual to see them at an early age.
Care Notes
1. This plant needs great drainage, warm conditions north of Coffs Harbour NSW or Geraldton WA or protected coastal conditions elsewhere. And filtered light or morning sun. The latest hybrids from Holland are having more cold tolerance built into them.
2. Beware of peat type potting mixes…these are fine for the nursery that grew them under protected controlled conditions but once these mixes get wet for a long period they get very soggy & unsuitable for Anthuriums. This goes fo a lot of plants.
3. A suitable potting mix is a mix of coarse 10-15mm composted bark (say 40%) plus 10% Charcoal and 50% regular well drained potting mix.
4. Keep tight rooted. Do not overpot
5. Its white roots are quite thick….all plants with these type of roots and all orchids do not like being overpotted or overwet.
6. What you get away with in the tropics is not what you can do in cooler areas. In our area you start getting growth at about 28oC. The flowers will fall off when temperatures start dropping below 10oC.
7. Use a little slow release fertiliser with trace elements like osmocote for the pot. Spray your balanced N:P:K liquid fertilisers and your fish/kelp fertilisers all along the plant as it grows.. Spray worm vermicaste solution if you are fair dinkum for great plants and to help your plant thru winter. . See our vermicaste application video.
8. Grow under light shade, filtered light or very early morning sun.
Planting Outside
6. If you wish to experiment planting in the garden you need a warm winter climate. Plant in part shade or early morning sun. Plant it in something like coarse pine bark or well drained compost and a good mix of charcoal in a well drained spot. You need a well drained dryish spot and not somewhere that is cold & wet in winter.
Dividing
Anthuriums can be divided (see video) but do it only in the warm months from say October to March. You don’t want too much rain on them soon after dividing. Cut the roots back bt about 40%.
The plants can also be cut at the base (see video) and they will reshoot. You can replant the tops if they have some aerial roots……the aerial roots need to be placed under the surface & they will become regular underground roots.
Prepared By Bob Chalmers Paradise Distributors…June 2014
Most of us are adventurous & just dive in when trying something we do not have experience with. This works most of the time but not always!!!
Its easy to grow Anthuriums when you know how…….
