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I am the third maybe fourth owner of this beautiful Split Leaf… | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta community

PhiloMena

I am the third maybe fourth owner of this beautiful Split Leaf Philodendron. The last owner couldn’t keep the plant but wanted to keep the pot. So she put it in an old plastic pot that her Oleander came in. Here’s the issue/plant-math problem: I believe the pot is far too big for this plant. Makes watering skewed and seems A bit much. In order to determine the proper pot size I under stand that I should aim for slightly (2”) more than the previous one. Or one that an accommodate the root ball with some room for growth. I don’t know the size of the root ball, and don’t want to unnecessarily stress the plant out just to find out without having a proper new pot ready. My brain hurts. Before I give up and guess, I was hoping someone far more qualified could please help and make an actual rational suggestion. Helpful Specs.: Current pot size: 17”x 17” Plant size: (from root to leaf tip) : 3-4ft. The plant is set down by about from the top of the pot: 7” *for reference I used my husbands 48” ruler in one of pics.

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6 comments

  1. Alyssa

    Yeah I’d go down to a 16 or 15 inch diameter pot. Make sure to get it in a chunkier mix (orchid bark, perlite, maybe some pumice) seems a bit dense and hydrophobic now which is probably why the watering is skewed. Also when repotting, make sure it’s not as far down from the rim as it is now. Plants that are planted too deep in their pots or whose nursery pots are in cache pots that are too deep is a recipe for bad airflow, fungus gnats, mold, all of which can cause root rot over time. So I aim for no more than two inches down from the rim.

    2 likes
    • PhiloMena

      I was thinking 15” seemed reasonable, especially if I don’t submerge below the rim as is now. Thank you!

      2 likes
  2. Sunny

    Take the plant to Home Depot, Lowes, or your local garden center. You will find a pot with the perfect width and height. Plus, the garden pros can help. If you’re in a cold climate that might harm the plant, then, only take the plastic pot. (Bag the soil/roots to keep in moisture.) Just mark the plastic pot where the height of the soil reaches and note the width of the soil. Take photos showing the gap and soil consistency in the pot.

    1 like
    • PhiloMena

      The plant is massive, and I’d feel uncomfortable lugging it into Lowe’s of otherwise, but I could bring pictures. More concerned about the stress to the poor tropical plant. I was trying to avoid.

      3 likes
  3. Pierre

    I wouldn’t be too worried: they are though. If it was up to me, i’d bring it in a much smaller pot and trim the roots

    1 like
    • PhiloMena

      I thought about trimming the roots while trimming, so thank you for confirming that.

      1 like