If you are a fan of green tropical plants that produce beautiful stylish green leaves. Then Philodendron bipinnatifidum is a perfect choice.
It is also famous by the names Thaumatophyllum Bipinnatifidum, Philodendron Selloum.
It may possible that you never heard about these names. Because this plant is not a common tropical houseplant. But it is a very beautiful plant.
Grow it in stylish pots and the plant will become a nice piece of decoration for your bedroom.
Philodendron bipinnatifidum care is a little different from other philodendron plants. Because this plant is a tree philodendron so it needs slightly different care. But overall steps are the same.
In this post, we will talk about all its growing needs from light, water, and soil to propagation.
So, pay close attention to the below part if you want to about the best Philodendron bipinnatifidum care techniques.
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Quick care guide
| Common Names | Tree Philodendron, Philodendron Selloum |
| Foliage color | Bright green |
| Light | Full sun, but can tolerate partial shade. |
| Temperature | Low 12 and high 26 degrees C |
| Soil | Well- draining, 5.3 to 7 pH |
| Water | Frequent water |
| Diseases | Root rot |
| Pests | Aphids, mealybugs, scales |
Grow and care Philodendron bipinnatifidum
The soil
As I already said Philodendron bipinnatifidum is different from its family members so its needs different soil.
No doubt for every houseplant you should use well-draining soil. For best care, the formula of soil should include 4 things in equal parts
- 1 part perlite
- 1 part coco coir
- 1 part organic compost
- 1 part gravel
By mixing all these in equal amounts you can make the best potting soil for Philodendron bipinnatifidum plants.
You also need to buy a soil pH meter because this plant cannot tolerate acidic soil. If you accidentally give extra nutrients to plants.
This can raise the soil pH which is a deadly condition for the plants.
So, you need to measure the soil pH before and after fertilizing it.
The best part is you can use the same soil pH meter to know about the soil pH of other plants.
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Light energy
Grow this plant only if you have a sunny window or have an artificial grow light. The reason is this plant needs full sun to grow healthy and to make bright color leaves. If the light in the room is low then the plant will produce dark leaves, not bright vibrant leaves.
Leaves are the real beauty of this plant because it rarely blooms.
300 watts grow light will be the best choice. But buying a grow light only for a single plant is not a good decision. Unless you are growing plants that produce food that you eat.
In the summer season, you can put the container outside to fully fill its light needs.
Whereas in winters the good choice is to move the container inside and put it under the bright grow light. This way you will have thriving plants for 365 days.
Humidity
70 to 80 % humidity is necessary in the air to grow and care for Philodendron bipinnatifidum plants. If the moisture is low in the area where you want to grow it. You can change its place or you can increase the humidity with different methods.
The first method is grouping the plants together. This will help to create the humidity balloon around the plants.
The second method is using a pebble tray, fill it with water, and put the plant pot on it.
If none of the above methods will work then the only solution is to use a humidifier.
Remember that humidity is a crucial thing for many houseplants. It also reduces the watering needs of plants. In low humid places, plants do not grow well and develop brown spots and yellow leaves.
If you see these signs in your Philodendron bipinnatifidum then it is suffering from low humidity.
Watering
For other plants, we suggest waiting before watering until the upper few inches of soil become dry. But in this case, the plant needs continuous moist soil. That is only possible by giving it more water.
But more water can cause root rot which is hard to fix.
So, the best way of watering Philodendron bipinnatifidum is until the water comes out through the draining hole.
Then clean the place around the pot and let it rest there.
For the next watering, the session checks the soil condition. Once it becomes dry give water immediately.
Here you need to remember that the pot should have a bottom hole. Otherwise, you will end up with root rot. If the pot you are using does not have a bottom hole. Then use the drilling machine and make 1.5 inches wide hole in a medium-sized pot.
Temperature
14 to 26 degrees C is the ideal temperature range for the Philodendron bipinnatifidum care. If the temperature starts dropping below 12 degrees C then the plant starts suffering from cold. In most of the houses in the USA, we have the ideal temperature for it.
If the temperature is good for you and you don’t feel cold in a t-shirt. It is good for the plant too.
Those who grow tree philodendron outside do not worry about the snow. Because the plant will die in winter and automatically grow again in warm weather.
Fertilizers
For best tree philodendron care use tropical fertilizers. They are specially made for tropical region plants. Because these plants cannot tolerate salt build-ups. And fertilizers are often linked to salt build-up in the root area.
Therefore, you need to use nutrients that do not contain many salts. Organic nutrients do not contain many salts. They are fine to use on outdoor growing plants
For indoor plants use liquid commercially sold nutrients. Dilute them according to the instructions. Then give directly to the roots. Do not mist nutrient water on plant’s leaves. This will cause brown spots on leaves.
Plants absorb nutrients via their roots, not through their leaves.
Plant Propagation
The only best possible way of propagation is by stem cuttings. You need to look for the healthy stems of healthy plants. Because the stems will become plant same as their mother plant. We all have some healthy plants that we want for long life. Choose that type of plant among many tree Philodendron.
Below is the step-by-step guide to tree Philodendron propagation
- First of all, clean the tools that you are going to use. This will help to prevent disease.
- Then cut the healthy stems with one to two leaves on them.
- Dip the cutting in rooting hormone
- Place it in the cutting starting growing medium or directly in potting soil.
- Place the pot in a warm location away from direct sunlight
- Under bright indirect light, the stems will produce roots in few days
- While keeping the potting soil moist all the time.
- A little bit of ignorance or dryness can kill the stems.
Repotting
For potting up you need to use a slightly bigger pot than the current pot. Normally we use 2 inches wide and deep pot.
This size is perfect for the Philodendron Selloum. Once the plant again grows big then you need to choose another big pot.
By trimming the plant, you can control its growth. Hence you need to repot less.
For repotting use high-quality pots. For outdoor plants use terracotta pots. For indoor plants use decorative pots made of any material.
Problems with Philodendron Bipinnatifidum care
The main problem with this plant is common houseplant pests like Mealybugs, aphids, etc. They only attack the plants if other plants are infected. Or the plant pot is dirty.
In a hygienic room with a neat and clean pot, it is not possible to see them. They slowly kill the plants by sucking the plant nutrients.
The best method is to prevent them. Because once plants get infected then it is hard to kill them and get rid of them.
Therefore, use neem oil twice a month on all indoor growing plants. this acts as antifungal, anti-bacterial. It is totally safe for pets and children.
If pets ingested it accidentally. It will not cause any problem in fact it is good for their intestine. They will not consume it in large quantities because it is not tasty at all.
Aphids
These are tiny insects that are sometimes hard to notice. Wilting and yellow leaves are the signs of an aphid attack. You can see them near the nodes or under the leaves.
The very first thing that you can do is remove them as much as you can by showering the plant with normal water.
Then put the infected plant away from other healthy plants.
Then use rubbing alcohol to wipe the plant leaves.
Mealybugs
These are white in color. The good news is if you spot them in the early-stage then you can save the plant without much damage.
Take the earbud and rubbing alcohol. Dip the bud in it and gently clean the plant. Alcohol kills the bugs once they get in touch with it.
If this solves your problem then it is okay if not then use insecticidal soap. This is a soap that is made to kill plant insects. Using instructions is always on the outer packaging of the soap. See there read carefully and use accordingly.
