Question
QUESTION: Hello.
I have an anthurium (red flower) and its doing pretty good, getting new leaves and flowers. But the small leaves on the bottom of the plant are getting yellow and brown tips. Pot size is 6 inch and roots are starting to show on top of soil. Plant is located 3ft away from a south window. 62% humidity. 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
I mist the leaves everyday. I water when the top soil gets dry. Only have fertilized it once.
Thanks in advance for your great advice!


ANSWER: Hi Aaron,

Small leaves at the bottom of an Anturium are usually just suckered growth and are not important. They can be trimmed off without harm to the plant.

From your description, it seems that you plant is doing well otherwise. The appearance of roots on th surface is not a cause for concern for Anthuriums because in nature, Anthuriums are epiphytes, meaning that they have roots that attach themselves to the surface of wet tree bark, not in soil. So they are perfectly fine on the surface of the soil.

One other comment: with a humidity level of 62% you don't need to increase it. Misting is often assumed to be an effective way to raise humidity, but it is not. So if you get tired of misting everyday, you can stop without any harm to your plant.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions. If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your advice. It really helped me. I will rate your answer for sure!
Just one more question if its not so much trouble. I am thinking of repotting this anthurium from 6in to 8.5. By following to my description, do you think its a good timing to do it? Do you need pictures to judge it?
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Aaron,

Apparently your Anturium is healthy and doing well and you haven't offered a reason to move it to a larger pot, so I doubt that it is a good idea. More often that not, up-potting is unwarranted and causes problems. A photo would help.

I have written an article on repotting. Send me an email request if you would like to have a copy.

~Will