Philodendron Goldiana is a plant with golden leaves. Its leaves make it a beautiful and extraordinary plant. This is the reason it is commonly found in indoor gardens.
If you want to decorate your indoor space with golden leaves. Go for this golden philodendron. But before that, you must learn about its care and maintenance needs.
Generally, it is a low-maintenance plant but there are some plant problems that are common with this philodendron.
Below is the complete guide on growing and caring for Goldiana Philodendron.
What is Philodendron Goldiana Plant?
Philodendron Goldiana is a result of crossing two extraordinary philodendrons.
Philodendron Erubescens and Philo. Wilsonii are its parents. In the initial stage of growth, you will see light green leaves.
As the plant grows mature, its leaves start turning into golden yellow color. The intensity of light energy increases the golden variegation.
350 FC is the minimum light requirement of this plant for variegated healthy leaves.
To increase the number of leaves per stem. You should prune it regularly and follow the general fertilizing rule.
In the ideal growing condition, it grows 2 to 3 feet tall with 8 to 12 inches long leaves. Sometimes its leaves do not develop golden variegation.
This happens due to the lack of light. Increase the amount of light and it will heal in a short time.
The glossiness of leaves depends on the moisture stored in them. This is the reason you need to keep the humidity high for this plant.
Also, keep eye on the potting soil, and water immediately once the top layer of soil becomes dry.
The combination of bright light + moderate water + limited fertilization is the secret to success. Pay close attention to the below part to find out what are the exact growing needs of the Golden Philodendron.
Philodendron Goldiana Care:
Just take care of the below-growing needs and grow a healthy and thriving Philodendron Goldiana plant. Make notes of important sections.
Light Needs
Light energy will decide the level of golden variegation on its leaves. In low light, you will not see leaves turning yellow-golden. They will stay dark green.
In sharp bright light, you can expect lots of golden leaves on your philodendron.
It needs light energy between 350 Fc to 500 Fc. For maximum results keep it above 400 FC. To measure the light energy it is receiving use a light meter.
It is an inexpensive device but is very helpful in growing houseplants. With the help of a light meter, you can decide the best place for your plants.
Just measure the light energy in different places in your home and choose as per the results.
Make sure your Goldiana is growing in bright indirect light. Because it is a variegated plant and needs lots of light to complete photosynthesis.
In low light, its leaves will turn back to dark green and it will lose its variegated looks.
Potting Soil
Goldiana needs a good amount of moisture in the potting soil regardless of the season of the year. It is only possible if you give lots of water to the plant.
But the problem is its roots are prone to root rot. This means you cannot give lots of water to it.
Therefore, you need a better solution and well-draining soil is what you need.
This type of soil holds enough water without being waterlogged and heavy.
Go to Amazon and search for a well-draining potting mix. You will see lots of options choose any that has organic ingredients along with perlite.
Perlite is the best ingredient to make soil well-draining and moisture-rich.
For homemade soil mix add Perlite, Orchid Bark, and Vermiculite in equal parts.
Watering Goldiana Philodendrons
Simply use filtered water and pour it directly into the plant soil. Do not use tap water or any other type of spring water.
Your main focus must be on preventing overwatering the soil. You can do so by checking the soil moisture before watering.
I use a soil moisture testing meter. It helps growers to prevent root rot and yellowing of leaves due to overwatering.
Gently and slowly insert the probes of the soil moisture meter into the potting soil.
Turn it ON and wait for 5 seconds for the results. The needle will tell you the reading. Green reading means the soil has a good amount of moisture.
Red indication means lots of water in the soil and needs to be fixed soon.
Yellow indication means the plant is going out of the water and it’s time to water it.
Fertilizing Goldiana
Variegated philodendrons like Philodendron Florida Beauty, Philodendron Domesticum, and Goldiana need lots of nutrients.
Variegated leaves absorb less energy and convert less water into plant food. Separate supplementation is a must to keep the plant healthy and thriving.
Spring and summer are the 2 best seasons for fertilizing Philodendron Goldiana.
Buy a liquid fertilizer, follow the instructions, dilute the liquid solution and give it to the growing plant.
To prevent overfertilization use a liquid nutrient solution once in 30 days. Stop feeding nutrients to Goldiana in the winter season.
It is dormancy time and it does not need nutrients, also needs less water.
Pruning
Trimming is an essential part of a perfect plant care routine. Use a sharp and sterilized knife to cut the dead and infected parts of your plant.
This way you can prevent many houseplant diseases and bacterial infections.
Remove yellow, dry, and dead parts only, do not cut the healthy growth.
Temperature
The ideal temperature for healthy growth is above 55 degrees F and below 85 degrees F. Try to keep the temperature above 60 Degrees F for best-growing results.
Temperature fluctuations directly impact the growth rate of a plant.
Cold temperatures below 50 Degrees F damage the plant leaf tissues. The moisture in leaves gets freezes and leaves develop dark spots.
On the other hand, temperatures above 90 degrees F increases the respiration rate in plants. This doubles the use of water and increases dehydration.
Move your plant to a warm place in the winter season. The summer and spring temperature is not a problem for it.
Humidity
Keep it above 50% all the time to keep goldiana vibrant. In low humidity, your plant will lose its shine. The leaves become dull and develop brown tips.
This indicates low air moisture and to tackle it use a humidifier.
It is good to invest in a fully functional plant humidifier. With its help, you can save your costly plants on low-humid days.
If you do not correct the low humidity your plant will lose its stored moisture and die in 10 days.
Pebble trays and misting water are old-school methods. They are not effective for this plant because it needs consistent high humidity.
Don’t think about placing it in your bathroom. This will worsen the conditions because a bathroom is not an airy place.
Lack of fresh air and high humidity results in bacterial infections.
Toxicity
Unfortunately, like other philodendrons, this Philodendron Goldiana is also toxic to humans and animals.
The ingestion of its parts results in toxicity.
To prevent it use gloves while pruning your plant and grow it at some height. In short, away from the reach of your kids and pets.
Skin redness, irritation, sore throat, and burning mouth are common toxic symptoms. Call the poison control center immediately.
Repotting Philodendron Goldiana
The good news is no frequent repotting is required because it is a slow-growing plant. The root ball of goldiana is small compared to other plants like philodendron el choco red and Philo. dark lord.
But for its good health and shining leaves, you need to repot it once in 2 years.
For repotting use a new pot and fresh soil. A 2-inch deep and wider pot is enough for this process. Gently take the plant from its pot and shift it into a new large pot.
Also, use fresh soil in a new pot, this way you can put new life into your plant.
Repotting Signs:
- Visible roots over the top soil surface.
- Roots coming out of the drainage hole.
- Soil comes from the drainage hole.
- The soil becomes dry in less time.
Philodendron Goldiana Propagation
Stem propagation is the only best and easy way of Philodendron Goldiana propagation. In this method, we use stem cutting for developing new plants.
Carefully cut the healthy stem near about 5 to 6 inches long. Remove the bottom leaves and don’t touch the top leaves.
Take a glass of water and place the cutting in it. Place the glass in a bright place away from sunlight.
Regularly change the water and keep eye on the stem. In 15 to 17 days your stem cutting will develop new roots.
Shift your cutting to the potting soil once the roots grow more than 1 inch long.
Troubleshooting
Pests
Mealy Bugs and Aphids are common culprits of the Goldiana plant. They build their colonies under the leaves and near the nodes.
To kill them at once use rubbing alcohol and wipe each leaf manually.
If the problem is served and you need a quick solution then use insecticidal soap. It comes in liquid form and sprays on the entire plant.
Then use tap water to rise your plant.
Do not use fertilizer for 6 days after the treatment. Let your plant heal a little bit then use fertilizer to boost its health and speed up the healing process.
To prevent pest attacks, use neem oil spray and also keep the plant leaves and their surroundings clean and hygienic.
Dark Green Leaves
Goldiana leaves turning dark green means it is getting less light than required. Low light is reverting the leaves back to green color.
To correct this condition simply move your goldiana to a bright place. Where it can get plenty of indirect bright light for 7 to 8 hours per day.
No need to use a heavy dose of fertilizers because it is a myth that fertilizers help to regain variegation. This will only stress your plant. Because it is already suffering from low light conditions.
Moving it to a brighter place is the only safe solution.
Cracking Leaves
Cracks in leaves indicate dehydration, it is hard to save the life of the dehydrated plant. If only one or two leaves are cracked then immediately give it water and it will heal itself.
After 3 to 4 days of watering remove the cracked leaves.
But if all its leaves have cracks and are also brown then you cannot save your plant. Propagation is the only option left for you.
Dark Spots on Leaves
Wet leaves of Philodendron Goldiana result in dark spots. It is a bacterial infection that is triggered by water droplets that are left on its leaves.
Warm weather and humidity speed up the formation of bacteria on leaves.
The only solution is to use copper fungicides and keep infected plants separate from other healthy thriving plants.
Root Rot
Decaying roots are the result of wet soil. When you use the wrong kind of soil it holds the water for a long time. This invites root fungus bacteria.
A rotten smell and yellow leaves are confirmed signs of rooting roots.
To heal your plant cut the infected roots with a sterilized knife and repot it in the new pot and fresh soil.
It will take less than 10 days to heal properly if only 30% of roots are infected. If the entire root ball is turning black, quickly propagate it and save it.
