Philodendron Dodsonii adds nice greenery to a growing place. You can grow it in your home or in your office building.
It grows medium size green leaves. Its dark green leaves look very beautiful in daylight.
Medium bright light, moist soil, and light fertilizers are important growing needs. It can survive in moderate home humidity.
So, don’t need to worry about it and pay attention to other growing needs and common problems.
In this guide, you will learn how to grow it and keep it thriving. How to deal with common problems and prevention.
About Philodendron Dodsonii
Dodsonii is a plant native to Colombia. There it enjoys warm weather and high humidity in rain forests.
You don’t need to mimic the same growing conditions at home. It is also not possible to convert a residential place into a tropical jungle.
Below is the complete care guide, read it carefully.
The normal height of this plant is 20 to 25 inches with 3 to 5 inches long leaves. The size depends on your care techniques.
Keep in mind that overuse of fertilizers will not make any difference in its size and shape.
To keep it thriving you have to take care of all the below written growing needs.
Philodendrons are easy to grow and I am sure after reading this guide you’ll be able to grow a healthy Philodendron Dodsonii.
Light Needs
It is not a low-light plant. Dodsonii needs bright light for 6 to 7 hours per day. If you like to grow it in dark corners then you have to use a grow light.
300 watts of grow light will be enough for it.
Place it close to a sunny window and protect it from direct sunlight. Because the direct sunshine can damage its leaves.
Actually, the sun emits sharp intense rays and Dodsonii leaves are soft. They cannot tolerate intense light for long periods of time.
Slowly the leaves will lose their stored moisture and turn yellow.
To prevent light damage problems, use a light meter to find out the perfect place for your plants. When it shows 300 Fc of light. Place your plant right there.
Potting Soil
Philodendron Dodsonii needs potting soil that can hold enough amount of moisture for a long time. This means you need to choose the soil ingredients carefully.
I use homemade soil for my philodendrons. To make a perfect soil mix I use Perlite, Peatmoss, and vermiculite in equal parts.
I have many philodendrons so it is convenient to use homemade soil.
You can buy standard potting soil if you are going to grow 3 to 4 philodendrons. Just make sure the soil formula that you choose must have perlite in it.
The percentage of perlite does not matter because the companies make balanced formulas.
Watering Philodendron Dodsonii
It needs moist soil which is only possible if you water it frequently. But this can increase the chances of root rot.
So, you need to make a balance of watering sessions.
To make it simple check the soil before watering your plant. Just poke your finger in the soil to check moisture.
Water your plant if the top 2 inches of the soil are dry.
Do not water if you feel the soil has good moisture in it. For new growers, I recommend a soil moisture testing meter.
It makes watering indoors easy and helps to prevent overwatering.
The next thing you can do to prevent overwatering is to use a plant pot with drainage holes. Every type of plant pot comes with 2 or more bottom holes.
Holes allow the extra water to drain out of the plant pot.
Temperature
Normal home temperature is good for the plant. It needs warm weather and you will not face any issues in summer and spring.
The problem comes in the winter season when the temperature drops below 55 degrees F.
Because it is not a frost-resistant plant. Cold winds are harmful they attack the leaf pores.
To prevent cold damage, move your plant to a warm place in the winter season. Place a thick mat under the plant pot and cover it with a warm cloth.
You can use straws to keep the plant warm.
Reduce the watering sessions in the winter season. For perfect protection don’t water without checking the potting soil moisture.
Humidity
Philodendron Dodsonii needs a high-humidity environment to grow healthy. The ideal recommended humidity is 70%.
It enjoys high air moisture in tropical jungles.
But we cannot keep our home humidity high all the time. The good news is this plant can grow in moderate humidity between 45% to 65 %.
Moreover, you have many options to deal with low humidity like pebble try, misting water, grouping plants, and a humidifier.
Pebble tray:
In this method use a pebble tray and add some small rocks in it, and add fresh tap water. Now place your plant pot on it.
The evaporating water gives nice comfort in a dry environment.
Just make sure the water level of the pebble tray cannot touch the bottom plate of the plant pot.
Humidifier:
A plant humidifier is an electric device that is less expensive than a normal home humidifier. Add water to it and place it next to your plant.
Turn it ON and you are done.
Pruning
Pruning is necessary for Philodendron Dodsonii to keep it thriving. In this process, we trim the dead parts of the plant.
If you don’t do so it will increase the chances of bacterial diseases. The dead parts start decaying.
Soil moisture, warm weather, and decaying dead parts result in fungal bacteria. This fungus attack on plant roots and leaves.
Your plant will die in a few days.
Therefore, trim the yellow leaves, dry leaves, and dry brown stems. Dispose them in the garbage.
After pruning your plant, spray neem oil on it.
Fertilizing
Philodendron Dodsonii needs fertilizers like any other philodendron. I have observed that Philodendron Ernestii, Philodendron Caramel Marble, and Dodsonii have the same nutritional needs.
Nitrogen is the main nutrient that they need in high amounts. Potassium and phosphorous come in second place.
It is best if you use slow-releasing fertilizer. They take time to break down and make a continuous supply of nutrients.
Your plant will always have a sufficient amount of nutrients. This helps it to grow healthy and also helps in making lots of plant glucose.
Follow the instructions of the supplement bottle and dilute it in filtered water only.
To prevent overfertilization use nutrient supplements only in spring and summer.
Toxicity
Unfortunately, Philo. Dodsonii is toxic to humans and pets. The sap contains calcium oxalate and this substance is toxic.
It can cause skin irritation, stomach pain, excessive drooling, and many more.
Immediately seek medical help.
Repotting Philodendron Dodsonii
It needs repotting once a year until it gets matured. After it gets matured once in 2 years. Rootbound is a problem and to prevent it repotting in a new pot and fresh soil is the only solution.
If the roots of your plant are sneaking from the soil surface or they are growing out of the drainage hole. This means the current pot is small and it needs repotting.
If you also see small cracks this means immediate repotting is required.
Repotting Process:
- Unpot your plant and remove soil from its roots, wash them with clean water.
- Cut the dry and damaged roots with a sterilized knife.
- Take a 2 inches large pot and a fresh bag of potting soil.
- Use them and plant your philodendron in a new pot.
- Add some water and place it back in its place.
Philodendron Dodsonii Propagation
The easiest method of propagation is stem cutting. You can propagate it using water or soil. I prefer water instead of soil. Because it gives quick results and you can visibly see the progress.
The first step is to choose a healthy stem with top leaves. Make a clean cut just under the leaf node. Do not cut the leaf node because it is the place where the stem cutting will develop new roots.
Then follow the below process:
- Apply rooting hormone at the edge for fast results.
- Take a glass jar and fill it with fresh filtered water.
- Dip the cutting in it and make sure the leaves stay above the water level.
- Store the glass jar in a warm and humid place away from direct sunlight.
- Regularly change the water to prevent fungal disease.
- Transfer the stem cutting to potting soil when you see long roots.
Troubleshooting
Pest Infestation
Pests are a common issue with all types of houseplants. Aphids and Mealybugs are real headaches for growers.
They attack unhygienic plants that grow in dirty places.
These pests make their home under the leaves and near the leaf nodes. Inspect your plant in every watering session.
This way you can catch the problem on time.
Rinse your plant with insecticidal soap to kill nasty pests. Then use neem oil for fast improvements.
Black Stem
If the stems of your plant start turning black this means there is a serious bacterial infection. Again, unhygienic growing conditions and contaminated soil trigger this.
Keep the plant clean and use commercial potting soil mixes. They are sterilized by companies and do not contain pathogens.
Sterilized potting soil can prevent this bacterial disease. Neem oil is the second line of defense use it once in 20 days.
Reddish Brown Spots
This indicates that your plant is under the attack of Pseudomonas. It is bacteria that take birth in warm and humid places.
Fortunately, it is not a very strong bacterium. Use the anti-bacterial spray to save your plant.
To prevent it regularly prune your plant with sterilized tools. Because this bacteria lives on dead parts of the plants.
Conclusion
Philodendron Dodsonii is a beautiful philodendron foliage plant for homes and offices. It needs bright light and moderate water.
General home humidity is enough for it.
Do not mist water on its leaves because this can lead to bacterial leaf spots.
Use general fertilizers to give a nutritional boost.
