Philodendron gigas

Philodendron gigas is a real climbing Philodendron as it is one of the biggest growing species out there in the wild, it can grow up to 20 metres! The petioles grow very winding and are pale green to more dark green coloured. Philodendron Gigas is native to tropics of Panama. Newly emerging leaves of Philodendron Gigas start out copper-coloured with white veining and gradually the colour will change to dark green and the veins become light green of colour. But still a red/copper glow may be visible around some veins on the leaves. Philodendron Gigas is a very popular plant and is therefore rather hard to get. Araflora does advises to place this plant out of reach from pets and little children, since Philodendrons are toxic when consumed. Philodendron Gigas will like some support during its growth from something like a moss pole, because it’s a viny climber.

Philodendron Gigas prefers bright light conditions, but it should be strongly filtered or indirect sunlight. It will also do fine with lower light levels, but this will result in smaller leaves and longer stems. Araflora thinks this plant is best placed at an south-, east- or west-facing window but with enough distance from the window or with a sunscreen. Philodendron Gigas prefers a higher humidity level of around 60% to 80%, but it will do okay with lower humidity levels too. To keep the humidity at a sufficient level, the plant should be misted multiple times a week. Araflora uses a well-draining soil mixture with a sufficient water holding capacity that has a neutral pH of around 6.0, but if the pH rises up to 7.5 it is also still okay. The soil should be kept moist, watering is best done every 5 days during the growing season, spring and summer, but the frequency can be lowered during the colder months. Water when the top soil is dry to touch and avoid giving the plant wet feet, while this will cause root rot. The minimum temperature for Philodendron Gigas is 10°C, the plant will thrive with temperatures ranging from 12°C to 30°C. Araflora advises to provide Philodendron Gigas with some well-balanced regular water soluble houseplant fertilizer on a weekly basis during spring and summer, but reduce the frequency to once a month during the colder months. It is important to dilute the fertilizer to only half of the recommended dosage in order to prevent overfertilization.