How to Care for Philodendron Brandtianum?

Silver leaf Philodendrons or Philodendron Brandtianums are highly popular among garden enthusiasts thanks to their versatility and beautiful look. These tropical plants with their heart-shaped leaves are easy to grow and ideal for warm climates.

In this article, I am going to walk you through the most important care tips of this philodendron variety. Keep reading to find out how to help your plant reach its full potential and reward you with a stunning growth!

Size & Growth

Philodendron Brandtianums are great options if you like hanging plants. When planted indoors they reach a height of about 4-5 feet and the length of an average leaf is 4 to 7 inches. Also, mature leaves can reach a length of 12 inches.

These attractive plants grow stunning olive green leaves with silver markings. Naturally, they are slow growing, but a good quality fertilizer can make absolute wonders.

Light Requirements

Find a place for your plant where it can get plenty of bright indirect sunlight. Philodendrons enjoy almost all light levels, but filtered sunlight is what they appreciate the most.

You can put your plant in a north or east-facing window, but make sure that no trees or any other objects block the incoming sunlight.

In case of outdoor planting, use a 20-40% shade cloth to protect your plant from exposure to direct sunlight. You can also try to place your plant in partially shaded spots, but don’t forget to cover your plant if the sunlight is too intense.

Watering

In its original habitat, Philodendron Brantianum is used to a well-balanced supply of water. This means that in order to create your plant the best environment, it is recommended to water it regularly.

During summer, you will need to water it 3 times a week, while in the winter it is enough to water your plant once a week. You can also see if your plant needs watering by checking the top 2-3 inches of the soil. If it is dry, you will know that it is time to water your plant.

Water your philodendron plant deeply and let the soil dry a little bit between waterings. It is essential to plant your Brandtianum in a container with drainage holes to prevent the plant sitting in water for too long.

Soil Type

When planting your Philodendron Brandtianum, make sure that the potting mixture is fertile and well-drained. Choose large containers or regular pots with drainage holes at the bottom, so the extra water can easily leave the container.

This plant performs the best in loose, moist soil that is rich in organic matter. Use peat moss or any soiled mixtures such as peat-vermiculite or peat-perlite to improve the soil quality.

Make sure that you keep the soil moist during the whole growing seasons, so your plant can reach its full potential.

Temperature & Humidity

Place your plant in a room where the temperature is between 50 and 95 °F (10-35 °C). What your Philodendron needs is an ideal temperature of 68-77 °F (20-25 °C) during the day and a temperature not lower than 50-55 °F or 12 °C during the night.

You can actually move your plant outside during the summer, but make sure you move it back inside before the autumn frosts.

Protect your plant from air conditioners, vents or radiators and place it in warmer spots of your home during the colder months.

Brandtianum plants enjoy above-average humidity levels, so try to keep the humidity level around 50-60%. In this environment your plant will be able to grow faster and have beautiful large foliage.

You can also mist the leaves or use a pebble tray to increase the humidity level, if necessary. When misting your plant, don’t forget about good aeration to prevent leaf-rot or fungus.

Fertilizing

When it comes to feeding your Philodendron Brandtianum, make sure to use a good quality fertilizer. Just like in the case of any other plants, using a cheap fertilizer containing heavy salts can lead to serious damages.

Being a slow growing plant, Philodendron Brandtianum appreciates a slow release 15-5-10 fertilizer during the growing seasons, at spring and summer.

If you want to help the growing, you can feed your plant with general-purpose, water-soluble houseplant fertilizers.

Potting & Repotting

If you want to plant or repot your Philodendron Brandtianum, one of the most important things to consider is to leave the roots loose. This way your plant will be able to grow much taller and be healthy.

You can repot your plant every 2-3 years, but in case you notice anything odd, for instance your plant looks too crowded in its pot, you can repot it to a larger container. Depending on your growing preference, you can pot your plant in hanging baskets, terrariums, terrestrial pots or containers with drainage holes at the bottom.

How to Propagate Philodendron Brantianum?

There are two ways to propagate Philodendron Brandtianums: by herbaceous stem cuttings and air-layering. Let’s take a closer look at both methods and see the steps you should follow:

– Propagation by stem cuttings

• The night before you take the cuttings, fill a jar or container with tap water. Leave 1 inch of space near the rim of the container and let the water settle for a few hours to allow chlorine to evaporate.
• Find a healthy 6-inch long stem on your plant and cut it off. Use a gardening clipper, a sharp knife or scissors to cut the stem.
• Remove 2 or 3 sets of leaves and leave the two leaf nodes on the stem.
• Put the leafless end of the cutting in the water you prepared the previous day.
• Place the cutting in a bright and warm location, where it can get enough indirect sunlight and the temperature reaches 70 to 75  F during the day and 55 to 60 F at night.
• Don’t forget to change the water every three days. Prepare the replacement water the night before, so the chlorine can evaporate.
• After ten days to three weeks, you will notice small roots. At this point you can prepare a container with good quality potting soil and plant you Philodendron.

– Propagation by air-layering

• Similarly to the previous one, choose a healthy stem and cut it 1 to 1.5 inches below the node.
• Prepare some sphagnum moss and wrap it around the cutting.
• Use a plastic wrap or first-aid tape to secure the moss around the cutting.
• In three to four weeks, roots will appear, and you can plant your freshly propagated Philodendron plant in a container or pot filled with well-drained soil.

Wrapping Up

Philodendron Brandtianum can be very rewarding, all you need to do is to follow the above-mentioned care tips and enjoy the beautiful aspect of this tropical beauty!