Cast-Iron Plant is also called hard to kill houseplant. Because it needs less care and maintenance. Where others plants die due to negligence, it grows perfectly fine.
It needs less care and attention from its grower.
This is the reason people grow it in low-light areas where none of the other houseplants can survive.
You can also grow it outdoors and it will produce purple and creamy flowers at the bottom. This extraordinary bloom is rare when grown indoors.
If you are planning to grow it indoors then start from the spring season. This gives a kick start to its growth.
Below is the complete growing guide including propagation techniques. After reading this article you will be able to grow it without facing problems.
About the Plant
It produces 2 feet long dark green glossy leaves. In hardiness zones 8 to 10, the growing conditions are perfectly fine for the Cast-Iron plant.
In other parts of the country, you need to give a little bit of care to grow it healthy.
Mostly it is growing under the stairs or in the corners where it receives very limited sunlight.
In its natural habitat which is Japan and Taiwan, it grows up to 3 to 3.5 feet in height. But this height is not possible in North America.
Because we have unpredictable weather here in America, Canada, Mexico.
Light Needs
Cast-Iron Plant needs less amount of light as compared to the other houseplants. This means you are free to place it anywhere in your home.
Just do not place it on the window sill or near the sunny window. The direct sunlight will damage its leaves.
So, to protect its beautiful leaves place the plant pot in low light.
If you are planning to grow it in your outdoor garden. Then grow in a shady place like under the trees.
Where it can only get a minimal amount of direct sunlight but a sufficient amount of indirect light.
If the room is too dark just turn on the normal light of the room to full fill its light needs. No need to buy and use grow lights for this particular plant.
Potting Soil
Choose any kind of soil that is prepared for indoor growing houseplants. The base of the soil must be composted.
Compost adds a good amount of nutrients to the soil and you do not need to buy separate nutrients.
This reduces your growing expenses and compost is cheaper than liquid nutrients.
If you are growing it outdoors then your garden soil is best to use. Just make sure it is fertile and does not contain a high percentage of inorganic material.
Garden soil is naturally well-draining and aerated.
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Watering
Before watering your plant, you must make sure that the plant pots you use have drainage holes. They are required to keep your plant safe in overwatering conditions.
Cast-Iron Plant does not like much water in the potting soil. This means you do not need to water it frequently.
Before watering let the potting soil completely dry, do not worry this will not harm the plant. Even it like to live on the dry side.
But you should not leave the plant-soil dry for a long time.
When soil gets dry then grab a watering can and give some water to your plant.
Fertilizing
This is a slow-growing plant which means it consumes nutrients at a slower rate.
Therefore, synthetic nutrients are not recommended, you should only use organic nutrients. They release nutrients at a slower rate.
This makes a chain of nutrients and your plant always have all essential nutrients all the time.
You can use any organic brand general-purpose houseplant fertilizer.
Use them only in the spring and summer seasons. Using in winters will invite overfertilization issues. Once your plant is suffering from extra fertilizers.
You need to repot in new soil to prevent nutrient burn.
Temperature & Humidity
Cast-Iron Plant enjoys between 40 to 85 degrees F. Summer heat is not a problem for it this means you can place it outside in the summer season.
But do not forget to bring it inside right before the first frost. The frost can kill your plant in a few days.
To give it nice warmth use straws and cover the pot with a plastic bag from all sides.
As long as humidity is concerned you do not need to do anything in this case. The general home humidity is fine for growing and caring for this plant.
But if you feel that the humidity is low then you can use the spray bottle to mist water on the plant leaves. Do not mist too much water this will invite many leaf-fungal diseases.
Toxicity
According to the ASPCA website, Cast-Iron Plant is not toxic to humans and pets. You can grow it at any place and your pets and children can play around it.
But to keep your plant safe you need to keep it away from the reach of your pets. Because they have chewing habits. They can eat the plant leaves and this can damage the beauty of your plant.
Repotting
Frequent repotting is not required your plant can wait for a maximum of 4 to 5 years.
But you should repot Cast-Iron Plant once a year. This will keep the plant healthy and fresh. Because at the time of repotting you use fresh soil.
Fresh soil contains many essential nutrients. They are required by the Cast-Iron to grow dense.
Propagation
Root division is the best method of successful propagation. Take the plant out of its pot and remove the soil from the roots.
Then gently divide the roots into different parts and plant them in different pots.
Each section must have 2 to 3 stems. Single stem rhizome will not grow tall and strong. Use the same potting soil that you use to grow the main plant.
Then place the pots in a warm and humid place for 7 days so that the roots can settle in their new home.
Conclusion
If you don’t have time for gardening but want a plant at your home, then this plant is perfect because it needs minimal care and less water.
Extra water in the plant pot can damage the plant roots. You just need to be careful while watering the Cast-Iron Plant.
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