Philodendron dark lord is an expensive and rare plant. It costs me $75 for two healthy stem cuttings. I have a huge collection of rare and expensive plants.
If you are also interested in growing philodendron dark lord. Then before buying it you must learn about its growing needs and propagation methods.
Your little bit of negligence can kill your plant. Therefore, having some knowledge about its growing needs is necessary.
In this article, I’ll talk about its growing needs, maintenance tips, propagation, and common problems.
What is Philodendron Dark Lord Plant?
Without going deep into history, it is a hybrid type of philodendron red emerald. Mainly this variety is naturally found in tropical parts of the Philippines and Africa.
We all know about the environment of Africa and the Philippines. You just need to mimic its natural growing environment to grow it without facing problems.
It grows shining large size green leaves with maroon undersides. Indoors, it only grows 5 to 6 feet tall depending on the care techniques.
To encourage it to grow large size beautiful leaves you must expose it to bright filtered light. Also, keep an adequate amount of moisture in the potting soil.
It is not easily available in most of the local garden stores.
But,
The good news is you have many options to buy it from online garden stores.
Growing Needs of Philodendron Dark Lord
Light Needs of Dark Lord Philodendron
For the best philodendron dark lord care and maintenance, the first thing you need to keep in mind is its light requirements.
It needs bright indirect light for 7 to 8 hours per day like Split Leaf Philodendron. Intensity and amount of light directly affect the leaf size and its overall health.
Place it on a sunny window sill when it is in its first year of life. Then place it near the window on the floor.
Morning sunlight is not a problem in fact, it is healthy for the plant and its leaves. Dark lord enjoys the morning warm sunlight.
But it cannot survive in sunlight for a long time. If your plant is developing yellow leaves with small spots on them.
This indicates that you are exposing your plant to too much bright light. Change its position and move it to a less bright place.
It is a 6 to 7 feet tall plant with large size leaves therefore, it is not best to use grow light to full fill its light needs.
If you can give it bright filtered light then grow it, otherwise, choose another plant.
Watering Philodendron Dark Lord
Watering is a crucial part because too much water can result in root rot and other fungal infections. Whereas less water than required will result in a dehydrated plant with brown leaves.
Therefore, to make the balance you need to learn the soil moisture testing technique.
By testing the soil moisture, you can find out whether your plant needs water or it has sufficient moisture in the soil.
Use a soil moisture testing kit and find out the percentage of moisture in the potting soil. If it is low then give some water to your plant.
Otherwise, wait for 1 or 2 days and check again.
While watering makes sure you do not wet the leaves. Gently pour water directly into the soil and only use filtered water.
Because it is easy for the roots to absorb and transport to all parts of the philodendron dark lord. Moreover, it does not contain damaging substances like chlorine and fluoride.
Potting Soil for P. Dark Lord
For flourished philodendron dark lord, you should use a well-draining and organically rich growing medium.
Because it is an expensive plant it is best to use ready to use commercial potting mix. I do not suggest you make your own potting formula.
I use Miracle-Gro indoor potting mix and it is the best growing medium for this plant. It is a fast-draining formula and does not contain compost or bark.
These two materials invite gnats and other fungus bacteria if the grower messes up with watering.
Miracle-Gro potting soil contains coconut coir to hold and release water when it is required by the plant roots.
No need to worry about the pH of the soil because philodendron dark lord needs pH between 5.5 to 7.5 pH.
This potting mix has a pH in this safe range. Just buy it from the market and simply plant your philodendron in it.
Let’s check the price of Miracle-Gro Potting Mix.
Ideal Temperature
Keep the grow room temperature warm between 70 to 85 degrees F. This range of temperature is ideal for plants and is good for humans.
Below 60-degree F is not recommended because it triggers dormancy and your plant stops growing. Stunted growth and a weak plant are what you get in cold temperatures.
To keep things running smoothly you must use a temperature monitor meter to measure the room temperature in the winter season.
The maximum ideal temperature is up to 97 degrees F.
Protect your plant from heat vents to save its leaves from drying. In too cold weather you can cover the pot with plastic wrap or cloths.
Do not cover the plant.
Also, place a mat under the plant to protect it from the cold floor.
Water your plant less to keep its internal temperature stable.
Humidity
The recommended humidity for dark lord philodendron is 70% to 85%. The good news is it can survive easily in moderate home humidity.
40 to 50 % is the lower recommended range for healthy green and maroon leaves.
To increase low humidity, use the pebble tray method or use a humidifier. Never mist water on its leaves because most of the time misting water results in bacterial leaf spots.
Warm weather and high humidity and wet leaves are the perfect places for fungus bacteria.
I use pebble try when my hygrometer shows low humidity in my grow room.
Fertilizing
Fertilization is a must to grow a healthy and disease-free dark lord philodendron. You should use balanced synthetic fertilizers only.
I do not recommend organic fertilizers for all plants. Because plants with large size leaves need a good amount of nutrients. They need easy-to-absorb nutrients.
Synthetic fertilizers are fast-acting nutrients.
5-5-5 or 10-10-10 is the best ratio of NPK. Nitrogen promotes stem growth and other green parts. Whereas potassium and phosphorous are required to keep roots and stem healthy and strong.
Spring and summer are the active growing season. Use nutrient supplements in the active seasons only. Stop using nutrients in the winter season.
Synthetic nutrients are highly concentrated. You must dilute them in clean water before use. Every manufacturer of plant fertilizer prints instructions on fertilizer bottles.
Toxicity
All philodendrons are toxic including dark lord philodendrons. The sap of these plants contains oxalate calcium crystals.
All parts of the plant are toxic to humans and animals if ingested.
Wear garden gloves while pruning your plant to prevent accidental toxicity.
Repotting
Philodendrons need frequent repotting. Actually, the growth rate and size of the plant decide the frequency of repotting.
It is a large plant with large leaves therefore, repotting is a must to keep it thriving.
Slow or stunted growth is the first sign of repotting. When you observe stunted growth immediately check the bottom of the plant pot.
If there are roots growing out of the drainage hole. This clears that the pot size is small for the root ball and they need a new large pot.
Gently unpot your plant and repot it in 2 inches deep and wide pot.
Use fresh soil mix to put new life in your plant. After repotting give some water to add moisture to the soil. Follow the regular care routine and you are done.
Pruning
Philodendron dark lord is a fast grower but it does not grow dense. Therefore, it does not need frequent pruning.
Pruning is essential to keep your plant in good shape.
Trim damaged leaves, yellow leaves with brown spots, and fungal spots.
I use sharp shears to trim my plants. It is easy to use and is a professional solution. Do not forget to sterilize your tools before using them.
Propagating Philodendron Dark Lord
Stem cutting is the best method of propagating philodendron dark lord. It is a highly successful method.
Do not copy the Philodendron Selloum Propagation techniques. Because the root division method is not very successful for propagating Dark Lord Philodendron.
You need to cut the healthy part of the main stem. Choose the stem from the top part of your plant.
The Process:
- Prepare a plant pot by adding coco coir, compost, and perlite.
- Plant the cutting in it and give some water to the soil.
- Use fresh filtered water for watering propagated stem cutting.
- To speed up the process of developing new roots you should use rooting hormone.
- Dip the cut edge in the rooting hormone and plant stem cutting in the pot.
- Place the pot in a warm location in bright light.
With this method, stem cutting will take 2 to 3 weeks to grow roots. Once the stem grows roots the cutting will start growing new tiny leaves.
Troubleshooting Problems
Pests
Mealybugs and spider mites are common pests. To catch the problem before it gets worst. Always check your plant leaves after watering them.
Check the undersides of the leaves and look for pests.
If they are present then use rubbing alcohol, clean cloth, and wipe the leaves. Rubbing alcohol is safe to use on philodendron. But it is deadly for houseplant pests.
If insects are present in a large population and you see small holes in your plant leaves. In this condition use insecticidal soap and rinse your plant.
It is a safe and very effective method of killing plant pests.
Bacterial Infection
It is a leaf disease that causes mushy lesions on dark lord philodendron leaves. Overwatering is the main cause of it, sometimes-excessive use of spray bottle also triggers this disease.
The only way to save your plant life is by using fungicides. But before using fungicides prune the infected leaves.
Improve the aeration in the room to prevent this problem.
If the roots are also infected then by repotting your plant you can save it.
Droopy Leaves
Dehydration is the cause of drooping philodendron dark lord leaves. When there is not enough moisture in the soil. The plant roots shrink their size and the lack of moisture causes droopy leaves.
You can easily fix this problem by supplying a good amount of water to your plant.
Remember that the leaves that are turned brown and crispy will not turn green again. You have to cut them from your plant.
Less Variegation
If the leaves of your plant are dark green with minimal variegation. This means you need to adjust the light conditions.
Immediately change the place of your plant and expose it to bright indirect light.
You can also expose it to morning sunlight to heal it in a short time.
Low light also triggers stretchy growth and fewer leaves. If your plant has less variegation, longer stems, and small size leaves.
Low light is definitely the cause behind it.
Conclusion
Philodendron Dark Lord needs bright light and a good amount of fertilizer to grow. You can easily grow it with a little bit of knowledge of fertilizers.
Choose a sunny window to give it a sufficient amount of light. Do not expose it to direct sunlight.
For more information on dark lord philodendron, you can mail us or leaves us a comment below.
