Philodendron Micans Plant Care

Are you searching for an ideal small space plant for your home or office? This stunning velvet leaf philodendron is suitable for you.

This attractive plant’s velvety-textured, heart-shaped leaves are to die for! The leaves are borne on long, elegant vines. The Philodendron plant can appear dark green, light green, or bronze, depending on how the light falls on the leaves.

When new leaves emerge, you can see that they are pinkish-purple in hue. Want to know more about these Philodendron plants? Find out more below!

Philodendron Micans Plant Care Basics

Before we’ll learn the best tips for your Philodendron micans, and explain each of those, know first the plant’s overview:

Got fueled up and ready to learn the tips on how to take care of this Philodendron? Please don’t cut your excitement by stopping here; we’ll explain it all below!

Soil Requirement

Philodendron micans need a high, well-draining, loose potting mix that is rich in organic matter. Don’t have anything like that? Don’t lose hope yet! A standard potting soil mixed with peat moss, vermiculite, or perlite will best suffice your plant.

Pro tip: Be careful when using standard potting soil because it can cause root rot and hamper their root development.

Water Requirement

Always scan the top layers of the soil when you want to give this house plant a drink. The goal is to avoid overwatering while simultaneously avoiding entirely drying out the soil. Water the plant at 1-2 week intervals, considering it has suitable drainage holes.

During the spring and summer months, make sure to keep the soil moist. However, the soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings throughout the winter months.

When watering the Philodendron micans, you can use tap water. But! Keep an eye out for salty water, which can accumulate in the soil over time and cause problems. When you have a water filtration system, you can rest assured that you will utilize the water.

Lighting Requirement

The necessities for your Velvet leaf philodendron include a bright, indirect light source with no direct sunlight. You can place it near the windows with blinds that reduce the sun’s intensity.

While they may thrive as an indoor plant in low-light environments, they will have smaller leaves and become more stemmy during their growth. Unless the plant is quite old, you give it too much light if the leaves become yellow. Retrieve it and place it somewhere else, or the sun might burn the leaves.

Temperature Requirement

Your Philodendron micans will grow all year at average room temperature. Specifically, the plants best flourish in temperatures ranging between 65° and 75°F (18.3° and 23.9°C). 

Pro tip: Ensure that this Philodendron is not exposed during winter or cold drafts, as it cannot resist frost.

Humidity Requirement

Keep in mind that Philodendron micans is one of the plants that is a Mexican and Caribbean native. They have a particular month cycle in which the least humidity is expected. And that is in March. However, in January, moisture is abundant in their environment.

The annual percentage of humidity might reach 82 percent. And an indoor temperature would make this challenging to recreate. But don’t lose hope; instead, you can mist your plants early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

Treating them as outdoor plants is also helpful during the summer. Make sure to place them in a partly shaded area in your patio or garden.

Remember that when Philodendron micans do not receive the proper amount of humidity, their heart-shaped leaves will turn brown or yellow, wilt, and become crispy. And we don’t want that to happen to our beauties, don’t we?

Fertilizer Requirement

The Velvet leaf philodendron plants don’t have a lot of preferences when it comes to their food. Still, balanced liquid foliar fertilizers containing macronutrients are suggested. This is especially beneficial if it is done regularly, such as once a month.

Your Velvet philodendron will be in full bloom from June to September, and this is the time to take advantage of it. No need to worry because Philodendron micans is a fast-grower plant. 

Propagation

Micans, like other vining plants, can be quickly grown in water via stem cuttings. The optimal period to propagate Philodendron micans is in the spring or summer. 

To propagate Philodendron micans:

• Make a cut of 1/4 inch below its node on a portion of the vine with a few leaves. Always use a clean pair of scissors.
• Settle the cuttings in a container with room-temperature water, making that at least one node is submerged.
• Then, stationed it in a bright, indirect light source. When the water level drops, top it up and change it when it becomes murky or slimy.
• Later on, you will see that the roots grow from the nodes. Wait until the roots have grown to a length of two to three inches. After that, put the cutting into its permanent container. Water it well, and there you have it! You have your newly grown Philodendron micans.

Growth Zone

Outdoors in USDA zones 9b to 11, these plants can be grown. They are, however, appropriate for indoor plantations in a variety of zones ranging from 4 to 11.

Potting

A glazed ceramic pot, plastic pot, or hanging basket is perfect for the Philodendron micans plant. Bear in mind that the pot should have suitable drainage holes below to drain the water.

Because these indoor plants can grow up to 12 inches in height in a short amount of time, you should expect to repot them after a year or two.

To avoid oversizing the pot, choose one 2-3 inches larger than the existing one. For a reason that watering complications can arise if the pot is too large.

Pruning

This house plant will benefit from frequent pruning to keep its size fuller-looking and retain its lushness. It’s because clipping the ends off of stems fosters new growth from the side of the stem just above the cut. If the plant is not pruned, the single strands will continue to grow without branching.

And we don’t want that to happen in our precious Philodendron micans.

Philodendron Micans Varieties and Similar Plants

The Philodendron micans are a vast genus of plants belonging to the Araceae family. Philodendrons exist in a wide range of forms and sizes, and each one can look quite different. And indeed, these plants will catch your eyes, and you will love to have them! We’ve narrowed down some of those beautul philodendron varieties below:

Philodendron Brasil

The Philodendron brasil is a vining plant that grows quickly and easily. Its heart-shaped, elegant leaves are dark green with golden variegation in the middle. This trailing plant looks great on top of bookcases or in a plant hanger where the tendrils can ‘spill’ down. 

Philodendron hastatum

For its gleaming, silvery leaves, Philodendron hastatum is also dubbed Silver Sword Philodendron. It has a slender-pointed heart to arrow-shaped, grey-green to grey-blue in color and long leaf blades.

Philodendron verrucosum

Philodendron verrucosum is a beautiful plant with velvety, dark-green leaves with vivid, light-green veining when mature. Even the undersides of their leaves, which are faded burgundy in between the veins, demonstrate the plant’s capacity to adapt to its original tropical conditions.

Philodendron Micans Diseases & Pests

Philodendron micans plants are susceptible to a variety of typical houseplant pests. This includes mealybugs and aphids, which are frequently caused by overwatering, and scale (a common issue for umbrella plants). A sticky excess around the plant is a strong symptom of scale. Spider mites can be kept at bay by misting your plant with chilly water.

An insect outbreak can be treated with insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Leaf spot disease can be an issue too, and they’re frequently brought on by insufficient watering. Examine the container as well as your watering schedule. Ensure the pot has drainage holes in the bottom and Poured off any extra water in the saucer.