Philodendron Florida Ghost is one of the most sought after houseplants. Due to its excellent performance, this rare tropical plant is known as an excellent show plant for its deep dark hairy leaves that grow on their hairy red petioles that fade to a deep, attractive, glossy and beautiful green color. At first these ghosts usually turn white.
You will see many different contrasting versions of this plant and the green pattern with white contrasts is evident on the immature leaves. There are also some specimens whose young leaves are born pale blue-green instead of white, called Florida Ghost Mint by houseplant collectors.
Originally the word “philodendron” comes from the Greek words “philo” which usually means love and “dendron” meaning tree. Philodendron ghost, philodendron Florida, a relative of Philodendron Green, is a hybrid of Philodendron Squamiferum × Philodendron pedatum, both of which were developed by Florida botanist Robert McCauley in the 1950s. It is important to know and recognize Florida Ghost Philodendron care and growth.
Florida Ghost Overview
| Common Name | Florida Ghost Philodendron |
| Botanical Name | Philodendron Squamiferum x pedatum |
| Sun Exposure | Bright, Indirect Light |
| Family | Araceae |
| Plant Type | Perennial |
| Soil Required | Well-drained, Loose |
| Toxicity | Highly Toxic to Pets |
| Soil pH | Acidic |
| Native Area | Colombia, Asia (America) |
Additional Information
One of the most popular species of Philodendron Aroid is recognized as the most popular and well-known cultivar currently in cultivation. Philodendron These vary in their natural habits. But you will find a large number of them found within Latin America. Their leaves are always small, medium to very large in size. You will always find philodendrons with shiny, smooth and somewhat velvety foliage because they climb full bloom with the same efficiency.
Philodendron Florida Ghost Care
Getting your hands on a Philodendron Florida Ghost can be tricky, but once you do, growing this charming houseplant is very easy. It will need above average humidity, very moist soil, excellent light and indirect light to keep it healthy and vigorous and will start to grow ghostly white leaves. Just as you see the plants growing at their best, you must provide them with the trellis or any poles they need. Because this help is needed for them as they grow up.
These plants prefer and value well-drained and organic-rich soils and thrive in them. After watering the plants, be sure to allow the soil around them to dry out and ensure that they are not sitting or standing in water. Give it indirect and regular light to ensure that the newly emerged leaves appear white or mint in color. Their soil should be moist and the need for well-drained soil should be absolutely assured.
Leaves Care:
Always keep the leaves clean to avoid dust that can pose a hazard by interfering with photosynthesis.
Lighting and Location:
Place your philodendron Florida Ghost in a special location with the best and most focused indirect light. There leaves turn green as they ripen, plus plenty of indirect light to give your plant a creamy white which will help it produce the leaves it is known for. Some growers use grow lights to whiten the leaves, which will start the leaves turning white, but it’s important to keep your plant out of direct, strong sunlight as this will burn the white leaves and is extremely harmful to the plant and can cause serious damage.
So, Do not place the plant in direct light as it may burn the leaves which is also harmful for the plant but it is important to keep the plant in a place with only indirect light.
Potting Mix Soil:
Philodendron Florida Ghost should be planted in a rich potting mix and in a loose pot. If you want a good mix that will keep the plant healthy, make sure the soil is moist and draining. It can also be a standard indoor potting mix with some perlite or orchid bark mixed in and added for better drainage. If you don’t want to adopt a growing medium, you can usually use pre-made aroid mix as well.
The soil mix for my plants is my standard Aroid. mix and I think I added some extra charcoal to the mix for these plants because I didn’t have enough orchid bark so they are doing great in it. Adding larger chunkier particles is best, but I find that having a portion of smaller particle size materials such as coir is essential so that the plants retain some moisture on non-watering days as well as on watering days. And help to maintain. Because producing these large leaves requires a lot of water.
Water Requirements:
The Philodendron Florida Ghost always needs a soil that is moist but not completely wet. Water your plant regularly and place it in a drainage pot that should have holes for optimal drainage. After watering, check the drip and add something like soil to keep the surrounding moist but not completely submerged as this can burn the roots causing damage.
Most of the time the plant becomes inactive during the changing season and this usually happens in the winter season then you should avoid over watering the plant and keep the soil moist. Basically, start watering when you see the top 1/2 inch of soil dry.
Temperature and humidity:
It prefers tropical heat and well-drained and moist soil with excellent growth performance. The ideal temperature for philodendron Florida Ghost is between 65 and 95 degrees because below 50 degrees is dangerous and causes damage to the plant, so keep it in a cool place during the winter or around a windowsill. Avoid placing and placing in indirect light. For example, it should be kept away from windows.
This plant can survive and thrive at normal household humidity levels. But running a humidifier around the plant to add humidity can help and make it easier for it to thrive and flower. If you’re testing humidity with a hygrometer, shoot for about 70% relative humidity because my experience with Ghost Because humidity is an interesting and enjoyable thing, I keep my plants in a place with maximum drainage and humidity if possible because this one particular plant started life in my greenhouse cabinet with the best and most interesting idea.
It has a humidity of 70% to 80% and the plant likes and tolerates it very much so it is now in my office at 60% humidity which is why it is growing the plant with best performance and better growth. I don’t see any negative effects from it. I think it is very important for this plant to have high light prior to high humidity so it should flower best in a stable environment.
Fertilizer:
A plant that is half-vigorous should be fed with a nitrogen-rich liquid houseplant fertilizer that provides vigor. When fertilizing, it is important to water it beforehand because if you fertilize in dry soil, it will severely damage the leaves of the Philodendron Florida Ghost. Fertilize it once during spring and summer growth, which is good for it, but don’t fertilize it in winter and fall.
Pruning:
Although the Philodendron Florida Ghost is looking leggy or encroaching on your space, you should trim it back. A clean and sharp knife or pruner should be used to cut off excess vegetation just above the node. It is best and most important to prune in the spring when the plant is actively growing at its best. You can also try propagating and growing plants through your own cuttings. Remember to cut off damaged or dead leaves at any time to maintain the health of the plant and maximize production with optimum growth.
Cuttings:
Very easy! Just cut it from the bottom of the small aerial roots and place your hoe cuttings in perlite. If you have a green cabinet, I would suggest cutting in there, as the humidity is high.
An Additional Tip:
However, if you notice that the newly born leaves of your plant are turning dark, then I will give you suggestions for giving the plant more light. A few hours of indirect sunlight or increasing amounts of light is necessary. This process may take effort but the effort will never be wasted because when you see the leaves are now looking white for a long time. Spraying once in a while doesn’t do much harm otherwise your plant will develop early spots on the leaves.
Flowers:
Unlike other philodendrons, Florida ghosts can also produce flowers, but these are usually considered modest compared to the spectacular plants. Its flowers always appear in the form of spathes, usually belonging to the Araceae family.
People also read about Calathea White Fusion Care.
Toxicity
Florida Ghost Philodendron is not friendly to humans or pets because, like many philodendrons, “Florida Ghost” contains calcium oxalate which is highly toxic if ingested, causing serious harm. It is common to cause mouth irritation, tongue irritation, and severe lip irritation and may cause difficulty swallowing if chewed or ingested, so keep out of reach of children, pets, cats, including domestic dogs. And must be preserved.
Propagating Philodendron Florida Ghost Mint Plant
Once you know the complete tips and tricks for growing Philodendron Florida Ghost, it is a great idea to propagate it to create new plants. Because this rare specimen can be very difficult and expensive to find, it is best to propagate in the spring when the plant is actively growing. You can easily propagate the Philodendron Florida Ghost by water.
- It is best to select and use sterile pruners to cut a six-inch stem with leaves just below a node. The lower leaf should be removed.
- The cuttings should then be placed in a glass of water or placed inside a small pot filled with a rooting medium such as moist sphagnum to one or equal parts of a mixture of Coir and Perlite thoroughly and thoroughly. should be But it is important to ensure that the nodes are below the water or soil line.
- Cuttings should be kept in a warm place away from direct light and in a humid place. If you use water for this, it is important to change the water completely to prevent it from becoming cloudy.If you also use growing medium, water it regularly to keep it evenly moist so it should be optimally moist.
- Following this best practice, roots should start growing from the nodes within a month or so, and when the roots are a few inches long, you can transplant the cuttings into regular potting soil and usually can ensure its maintenance accordingly. If you are propagating in a growing medium, a good and efficient way to check if a cutting has rooted is to judge on an empirical basis and carefully pull the plant slowly.If it stays in place, it means that the roots are firmly established. New leaf growth is another sign of successful rooting.
Potting and Repotting Philodendron Florida Ghost
You should make sure you have drainage holes and make sure the compound is aerated so that it drains easily unless the pot is attached to something, meaning that the roots are showing at the bottom of the pot due to excellent drainage. Philodendron Florida Ghost desperately needs re-division every three years. When you repot, use a pot and fresh, clean soil which should be only an inch or so larger in diameter than the old one.
Common Pests and Plant Diseases
It is important to take steps to protect the philodendron Florida Ghost from common houseplant pests such as aphids, fungi, and scale, although if your plants are affected by pests, you may want to consider using an organic insecticide spray or neem oil. Avoid fire which causes the leaves to burn and turn brown. There is a huge loss on health and nutrition.
If this type of situation or problem occurs, you should cut off all the scorched or diseased leaves of the plant and carefully treat them with antibacterial sprays or fungicides. It is important to make sure that the best measures and recommendations are selected for prevention and promptness, and that the tools between plants must be kept sufficiently sterile and clean, and that infected surrounding plants must be removed from their rest. Must be kept in quarantine from collections.
Common Problems with Philodendron Florida Ghost
Philodendron Florida Ghost This is one of the most low-maintenance single plants found, but you’ll be interested in reviewing these common plant problems.
Yellowing of Leaves:
If you water the plants more than you usually do daily, it may cause the leaves to turn yellow. Make sure that the soil is dry then you can water again keeping this in mind. Remember that the reason for the yellowing of the leaves may also be that they are getting less light, so it is important to give more light to these plants. But don’t give too much direct sunlight.
Browning of Leaves:
Browning of plant leaves is a sign that the air around you is too dry. At this point, you should immediately remove the brown leaves and use a humidifier to maintain moisture in the air, which will maintain the growth and health of the plant.
Symptoms of Leaf Fall:
Do you know that the leaves of the plants usually fall due to the fact that we are not giving them clean water or there are salts of chemicals in the water, due to which the leaves of the plant start to fall and fall off. should provide clean and pure water. Remember that even if we give too much water to the plants, the leaves will start to fall and if the opposite goes, leaf fall is common even with less water supply. So keep your soil moist and adjust it accordingly.
Read about spider plants that is beautiful houseplant.
