I’m still a novice when it comes to houseplants. I’ve had this baby philodendron florida ghost for a little over a month, and we’ve been having some issues.
So when I got her, I transferred to a semi hydro setup in perlite (she had sad, spindly little roots, and I was thinking it would be gentler than pon as the semi hydro roots developed). Then I put the thin, fragile thing under a grow light and scorch the few tiny green leaves that are actually photosynthesizing.
Anyway, yesterday I noticed mold on top of the perlite and it finally clicks that the perlite was holding way too much moisture. All my other plants that I transferred directly into pon are showing really impressive root growth.
I take it out of the pot and realize that there is zero new root growth. Zilch. So, I panic and repot in a very chunky mix.
As you would imagine, she is not happy, and I’m not sure what to do. I’m worried that the shock of going back into soil will cause the plant to croak, but I’m also afraid to mess with it anymore. Any advice would be appreciated!
You damaged remaining roots and put it under a grow light. This caused severe dehydration.
It's hard to say if you can still save it. But with these steps, you might:
Since you said semi hydro, do you want to use a submerged setup, or something else? Submerged is best with LECA or bigger pumice rocks.
Pon or perlite wicks too much when standing in nutrient solution, which will keep the surface constantly wet and causes a toxic fertilizer crust to form, plus algae and mold.
I also had the experience that they are not aerated enough and I had to struggle with root rot. They require different setups, e.g. Lechuza pots or wicking pots, plus dry periods.
I personally strongly prefer LECA for myself and my setup.
All of that is a huge pain. That's why I always try to get cuttings of plants I want first and then, as a second choice, convert it into hydro.
Great post. Thank you for being on lemmy. You are making the internet/society a better place!
I'm baffled. Thank you so much!
It's way too rare seeing people complimenting each other, and sometimes/ often it feels like most of my effort is just wasted.
Rarely, I receive compliments like these. But, very often, just at the right moment.
Thank you stranger 💚
Thank you so much for your very thorough response! It is very helpful. ❤️ Hopefully, the plant will recover. I’m trying to keep in mind that if it doesn’t, I still will have learned a lot through these mistakes.
That's the spirit! The best way to learn something new is often to break it first, and then to fix it and see how it works underneath.