Philodendron is a perennial plant of the Aroid family, which has about 900 species. Philodendrons in the wild are found in tropical swamps and in warm, humid forests; the plant is home to Central and South America. Since these plants are inhabitants of the tropics, they tolerate the warm, sultry conditions of residential buildings well, but grow best in winter gardens. Philodendrons have high decorative qualities, their rich foliage allows you to grow plants as tapeworms, as well as create interesting floral compositions. The plant has a huge variety of life forms: it can be both semi-epiphytes, and epiphytes, and hemiepiphytes. Most often, philodendrons are epiphytic plants, which are fixed on a support by aerial roots. Hence the name Philodendron, which means "I love the tree" in ancient Greek.
Did you know? Some types of philodendron are used for medicinal purposes. For example, imbe and bicirous philodendrons are used as antiseptics.
What conditions to create for philodendron in the house
In order to grow a beautiful and healthy philodendron, it is necessary to provide him with such home care that he requires at the genetic level, being a tropical plant.
Location and lighting
The correct location of the philodendron plays an important role in its growth and development. When shaded, the plant will not die, but the leaves will stop growing and will degrade. At home, it is best to place the philodendron in light penumbra - a place not accessible to direct sunlight. The northeast window is the optimal place to place the plant. It is also very important to protect the philodendron from drafts.
Important! It is worth remembering that variegated forms (for example, philodendron golden-black) need more light than single-colored ones.
Temperature
In summer, the temperature should not exceed +25 ° C. In the hot hot period you need to spray or wash the leaves of the plant with filtered water to prevent them from overheating. In winter, it is necessary to maintain the temperature not lower than + 15 ... +17 ° C. Some species, such as philodendron reddish and climbing, are able to withstand temperatures of + 12 ... +13 ° C.
How to care for philodendron at home
Philodendron can be grown at home, providing proper flower care. However, there are also capricious species in this plant, for example, such as philodendron tripartite, golden black, or Andre, which will have to be grown in specially adapted florariums.
Watering and humidity
It is necessary to water the plant in spring and summer 2 times a week with filtered water at room temperature, and in winter - no more than once a week. The soil should always be moderately wet. An overabundance of moisture also negatively affects the plant: the leaves turn yellow, and in general, there is a weak development of the philodendron.
Philodendrons are able to grow huge leaves due to the high humidity that is present in the tropics. Under home growing conditions, many cultivated plant species are capable of carrying dry air. However, to allow the soil to dry out is extremely undesirable. In response to a lack of moisture, the plant produces smaller and simpler leaves the first time after purchase. In this case, it is necessary to spray the philodendron more often and create moist comfortable conditions for it.
Fertilization
Feeding philodendron recommended in the spring and summer every two weeks. As fertilizers, those that have an equal content of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, while reducing the concentration of the recommended by 10-20%, are well suited. Here the main rule works: less is better, but more often. Feeding a plant is important not to overfeed it, otherwise the tips of the leaves of the plant turn yellow or turn brown, the leaves wither and weaken. If the soil was fertilized with a large amount of humus, then it is not necessary to feed them using other fertilizers for about one and a half to two months.
Pruning
Usually the plant responds well to pruning. In order to maintain the philodendron in the right size, in the spring you need to remove excess shoots. In order to increase bushiness, you need to pinch the growing top of the flower. Philodendron climbing lianas can reach several meters in length, this is inconvenient, so they need to be cut from above.
Support for vines
Many philodendrons grow long and spinning like creepers. Therefore, it is necessary for them to adapt a support for growth. This may be a mossy trunk or a damp vertical wall. Only under the condition of vertical growth young leaves of philodendron are replaced by adults characteristic of this species or variety. 
Home Philodendron Transplant
Transplantation of philodendron should be carried out in the spring, when the plant has the greatest vitality. If it is not transplanted in time, the plant will cease to grow, the structure of the soil will begin to deteriorate and accumulate an excess of mineral substances. When replanting a philodendron, each time a pot should be taken 5-7 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. The plant has to be transplanted quite often, since the root system of the Aroids, to which family the philodendrons belong, is developed quite powerfully. On average, this should be done annually, and for old plants it will be enough once every 2-3 years.
The need for transplanting philodendron can be determined by removing the plant from the pot. If the earth lump is closely woven by roots, and the land is practically invisible, it means that a transplant is required. For transplanting, several soil options are suitable, but the best for the plant is a mixture of peat, humus, sod land and sand.
Combating possible pests and diseases
Diseases of philodendron most often occur in violation of the rules and recommendations of agricultural engineering. If the plant is planted in too heavy a substrate, the roots will begin to rot from lack of oxygen, brown spots will appear on the leaves. With an insufficient amount of light, variegated varieties of philodendron darken, brown dry spots appear on the white parts of the leaf. If the temperature is too high, the leaves may fall off. If the plant rots the stalks, it means stem rot has appeared. This happens in the winter with an excess of moisture and cool air, which creates conditions for the reproduction of the fungus. For the treatment of rot, you need to transplant the philodendron into another dish, raise the air temperature and temporarily stop watering.
Among the pests, the most common attack is the spider mite, the scythe, the mealybug and thrips. To destroy pests, it is necessary to wash the leaves of the plant with soap. After that, you can pour the soil with "Aktara" or "Confidor". If necessary, repeat a week later. Ticks can still be controlled with acaricides.
Important! It is worth remembering that such a plant as philodendron is dangerous to human health. It produces juice that can be toxic to the skin and mucous membranes. To avoid possible injury, you should always adhere to precautions when caring for the plant. Be sure to wear gloves, as well as carefully handle the tool that care for the plant. You need to keep the plant away from small children and animals.
Home reproduction
There are several ways to propagate philodendron. The first is the seed method, the second is grafting and another one with the help of pieces of the trunk. As the planting material take pieces of the trunk, can be without leaves, but always with a bud. Put them in a container with peat ground, cover with foil, sometimes sprayed. As soon as the buds start to grow, they are divided by the number of young shoots and planted in pots.
Cutting involves the preparation of planting material from an existing plant, so that each seedling has a bud. Before cutting a philodendron, planting material must be rooted for a month at +25 ° C, then transplanted into pots. After planting, the cuttings are covered with a film to create conditions of high humidity. Peel off the film after the root system has developed enough. The optimum temperature for germination of planting material is + 18 ... +20 ° C in summer; in winter at night - up to +16 ° C. The following substrate is used for planting the philodendron: humus (2 parts), sod land (1 part), peat land (1 part), sand (1/2 parts).
