Philodendron martianum 'starter'

Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ is native and also solely found in the rainforest of Brazil. In their natural habitat they mostly grow on tree branches or somewhere else in the understory of the rainforest. Due to its appearance it is also nicknamed fat boy Philodendron or Flask Philodendron. Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ is characterized by its chunky petioles and sturdy leaves. These chunky petioles have a water and nutrient storage function in order to survive drier months. Its leaves have a dark green colour while their petioles are more light green of colour. Araflora advises to keep Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ at a safe spot away from small children and pets while it is toxic when ingested. Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ tends to grow in a rosette form and is not a fast grower and it is also a non-climber, but over time its leaves can become impressively large.

Araflora advises to place Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ in a spot that receives indirect sunlight, it can tolerate shady conditions since its natural habitat is the understory of the rainforest. Fertilization of Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ is not really necessary, but it can be done with a well-balanced organic fertilizer every month during the spring and summer months. While Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ originates from the rainforest it likes a high humidity level. Therefore, Araflora also advises to mist the plant multiple times a week especially during winter months when you turn on your heater which dries out the air. Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ is however tolerate to low humidity levels but only as long as its soil is moist enough. Araflora supplies Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ with a well-draining, well-aerated soil and organic rich soil-mix . Water the soil in such a way that it will get completely moist, but not drenched. Watering can be done once a week or even less than once a week during colder periods, but let the soil almost dry out before watering again. Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ tolerates a rather wide temperature range of 15°C to 35°C, but the optimum growing conditions are with a temperature of 20°C to 22°C. Make sure to not let the temperature drop below too far below 15°C during the colder months. So, if you want to keep the plant partly outside, keep it indoors with temperatures below 15°C. While Philodendron martianum ‘starter’ is able to store water in its petioles it can survive drought periods, overwatering is also a common problem with this plant.