philodendron melanochrysum nz Black Gold - Philodendron melanochrysum

philodendron melanochrysum nz Black Gold - Philodendron melanochrysumBig black velvety leaves that reach over 70cm long when mature? Yes, please. Philodendron melanochrysum is a must have plant in any collection and it only gets better as it gets bigger, but how to get those big mature adult leaves? Trick your Black Gold Philodendron into thinking it's a grown up. Provide a bright room with plenty of humidity and let it climb up a support pole. Once the melanochrysum gets to the top, take a single chunky cutting of the

Big black velvety leaves that reach over 70cm long when mature? Yes, please. Philodendron melanochrysum is a must-have plant in any collection and it only gets better as it gets bigger, but how to get those big mature adult leaves? Trick your Black Gold Philodendron into thinking it's a grown-up. Provide a bright room with plenty of humidity and let it climb up a support pole. Once the melanochrysum gets to the top, take a single chunky cutting of the top few nodes and tip then re-root that segment with the tip facing up. The philodendron Black Gold will get thicker and produce bigger and bigger leaves. Rinse & Repeat across the growing seasons until you've got a big black monster in the living room. This process is best achieved Dec-March when the plant is growing fastest.

Light Requirements: Bright Indirect Light is ideal, tolerant of medium light.

Moisture & Soil Requirements: Prefers evenly moist soil with good drainage in warm seasons - never soggy soil. Grows well in bark or sphagnum. Can handle short dry spells. 

Growth & Nutrients: Climbing philodendron vine, great for training up a support such as a coir pole. Suits apartments or homes of any size. Feed with a general-purpose fertiliser for containers from the start of spring each year to autumn when growth slows down.

Temperature, Humidity & Ambient requirements: Prefers warm, humid environments inside. Mist new leaves during winter, keep away from heaters and air conditioning. Loves a terrarium or greenhouse so try to replicate that humidity with a bag over top, humidity tray and/or by clustering around other plants if your home has dry winter air. Leaves can stick to itself if humidity is low so provide enough moisture in the soil and air to avoid this or stick it out and wait for spring to start your tip propagation again, once the mature leaves emerge, this no longer becomes an issue. 

Toxicity: Toxic to pets and people. Don't chomp down on this ever.