Culturally, the Philodendron is symbolic of love and was named thus. As the Greeks are quite famous for their love, their word for love, “philo,” is what was chosen for the root of their nomenclature. As love is synonymous with care, we provide easy guides to help with Philodendron upkeep. In this article, we will be covering the watering of your Philodendron.

While normally it is not ideal for things to start off going to pot, this is where we find ourselves. We must begin with a pot and a good one, at that. It is a minimum necessity for the pot to have bottom drainage, but it is ideal for there to be side ventilation, as well. There isn't a consistent selection of side-ventilated pots and many bottom-draining pots still have more water pooling at the bottom than they should. To address both of these issues, we have created our rePotme Slot Pot! Our Slot Pots are unmatched by anything at the local nursery in both drainage and ventilation. Root-rot is a thing of the past when your plant is nestled cozily in a rePotme Slot Pot! 

Philodendron are most adept with moist, rich soil, being a plant used to tropical Middle-America, Because of the plentiful vegetation, the soil is composed of a lot of plant matter which is substantially more nutritious than minerals alone, but can have the complication of attracting pests who wish to compete with your plant for that yummy food. Peat moss is one of these plant-based media that brings company. You Philodendron can feed on peat moss, but so can fungus-gnats. Fortunately, some plants produce special oils and terpenes to naturally repel pests. These nutritious, but pest-resistant ingredients are what we use in our own house-made Philodendron Imperial Potting Soil Mix, which is fresh-mixed to order! To make our Philo soil, we use New Zealand Monterey Pine Bark, which is lauded for its nutrition and pest resistance. The pinene in the bark makes your plant unwelcoming to pests, but fresh and welcoming to your guests!

As space is one of the most basic needs of animal, so is it one of the most basic needs of plant. If a Philodendron feels cramped, they may not grow as they're supposed to or attempt to crawl out of their pot. When your baby needs a new pair of shoes, our own rePotme Slot Pot has it covered. If you are working with your own pot, bottom drainage is essential. It's important to also have side ventilation, but at the very least there has to be bottom drainage. If your drainage holes are too wide, some soil may slip out of them. All of our styles of pot come in many colors and sizes, and are both attractive and functional. Our Slot Pots have ventilation around the sides, but small enough openings to prevent soil from spilling out.

In horticulture, “tea” is used as a metaphor for the nutritious liquid that flows out of soil or compost. As too much water makes tea lose its flavor, too much water weakens the nutrition of the soil. For this reason, it is important when watering a plant to stop shortly after it starts to flow from the bottom. To help with controlled watering, we stock our stainless steel watering can. Philos should be slowly watered starting at the base. When sliding past the leaves to get to the base of a plant, it helps to have a narrow and long spout. A good indicator of when it is time to water is just when the surface of the soil becomes dry, usually about once a week. If your Philo is particularly small, the low volume:surface ratio may cause them to dry out faster. Low humidity or high heat may also necessitate more frequent watering, up to every other day in extreme conditions.

With many of the Earth's creatures, accommodation is key. With roughly the right amounts of the right things, your Philo will fill your home with a joyful ambiance as they grow and thrive.