Anthuriums Add a Taste of the Tropics to Your Indoor Garden
Want to grow a houseplant that flowers nearly year-round, attracts attention and makes you feel like itâs time to put on sunscreen and order a mai tai? Add an anthurium to your indoor garden collection. Known for its colorful tropical flower bracts and floral spikes, these exotic-looking houseplants are easier to grow indoors than you might think.
Light . Proper lighting is critical to getting your anthurium to bloom indoors. Bright light is best, such as near a southern or eastern window. Western windows also work, but make sure that there is some protection from harsh afternoon rays with sheer curtains or blinds. Or place the plant a couple of feet from the window. When conditions are dim, use full-spectrum lighting.
Anthurium flowers eye-catching
Anthuriums come in a variety of colors, including red, pink, salmon, pale yellow, green and orange. These flowers are so stunningâthey almost look like wax. With proper care, each flower spike can last four to six weeks, and you almost always have blooms to display.Anthurium indoor growing tips
To have success growing anthuriums, keep the following tips in mind:- Fertilize regularly. For healthy anthuriums that flower continuously, it is best to apply a dilute solution of fertilizer to the water every third or fourth time you feed your plants. Use a low nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 7-9-5.
- Pot up often. Some growersâespecially those in Hawaii where conditions are moistâgrow anthuriums as air plants, securing them in a soil-less medium such as orchid bark or lava rock. If you live in a drier climate, pot anthurium in potting soil with 1/4 orchid bark or lava rock to increase drainage in the soil mix. If a plant begins to dry out quickly between waterings, repot sooner. Pot up in a container that is just one size larger, as potting up to a pot that is too large will lead to root rot and anthurium death. The plant should comprise 2/3 of the plant-pot combination; the pot 1/3.
- Watch for pests. Anthuriums tend to be relatively disease resistant. They can occasionally fall victim to spider mites, which can be prevented by regular misting.