Arrowhead Plant Care- An Ultimate Guide to To Take Care of Your Arrowhead Plant.

The arrowhead plant, also known by its botanical term, Syngonium podophyllum or Syngonium, is a famous houseplant resident of the tropical rainforests of America. 

Its familiar name, Arrowhead Plant, originated from the arrow-like build of its leaves. Rapid-growing and leafy, the Arrowhead is always spreading new foliage, in types varying from deep green with white variegation to shades of lime and light pink. As the Arrowhead grows, it can create trailing or climbing limbs and bigger leaves. 

The plant does reasonably okay if left relatively unaided, making it a wonderful choice for rookie gardeners or those who just forget to supervise their in-home garden often. But still, nourishing your arrowhead plant with the proper growing conditions will give you a lush and healthy plant. Let’s discuss how you can bring the best out of your plant. 

Quick fact table at a glance:

Basic care tip of arrowhead plants:

The basic care guide for arrowhead plants involves providing a healthy environment so they can grow freely. By matching the soil, light, water, temperature, and placement needs with its native environment you can successfully achieve the perfect atmosphere for them. Let’s see what their basic needs are. 

Water Needs:

Arrowhead plant’s water requirement is medium and it’s important to keep the soil evenly moist. The soil feels like a well-wrung-out sponge. 

Many factors like soil, air circulation, and temperature affect the frequency of water requirements. So instead of having a fixed watering routine, it’s better to use your observation. 

Use your finger and insert it in the soil to feel the dryness. When the upper surface is dry to the touch, they are ready for a drink. For forgetful and new plant owners, a moisture meter will do the job in seconds. Check the soil every four to five days. 

No matter what never overwater your plant. Arrowhead plants are hardy but root rot can easily end them in a span of few days. 

Make sure the pot you are using has drainage holes and the holes should function properly. Water the plant and examine how much time it’s taking to drain out excess water. 

During winter the arrowhead plant goes through dormancy. The whole tree is not fully active during this time. Obviously, the water needs are less as well. But never ever let the soil dry out completely. One effective and quick way to determine this is by observing the state of the leaves. Water-thirsty plants show signs through droopy leaves, once you apply water they will gain their strength back to rise. 

Ideal Soil:

You can plant your arrowhead plant in a regular soil mix available in the market. But one thing you have to keep in mind is that these plants can suffer from root rot very easily, so even though they are not demanding about the soil contained the soil must drain well. 

Peat, perlite, and compost mixed in high-quality potting mix will give that posh environment for your plant. One thing you need to keep in mind in whatever soil you use, the soil particles will break down and make it compact so re-potting with fresh soil will give a fresh root zone. 

If you are feeling a bit creative, you can mix your own soil by taking regular potting soil and mixing it with perlite and orchid bark as drainage components. This particular mix lasts longer.

As drainage is important for arrowhead plants, try to use terracotta or clay vessels as they are known to be the most drainage-friendly pot options. 

Ideal Temperature:

Arrowhead plants grow reasonably well in the identical temperatures that humans prefer, you can also say they are okay with room temperatures. The ideal temperature for an arrowhead plant is anywhere between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t live in a region like this you can set your thermostat to that level and your plant will thrive. If you place your arrowhead plant outdoors during the summer months, it will do well without any complaints. Only be sure to carry it in before the overnight temperatures fall into the 50s and try to keep it out of direct sun. 

Light and Humidity:

Develop an arrowhead plant in an area with medium sunlight. Indoor spaces with east-facing or south-facing windows can usually feed tons of needed light for this plant. They can handle bright indirect sunlight but make sure it’s only for a few hours. If your window is south facing, put the plant back a few feet so the plant is not get revealed to intense direct sunlight, which can be challenging particularly during the high point of the summer. If you left the plant in the direct sun for too long, the arrowhead plant can get sunburn and spot burns. 

Humidity may be a bit more complex to maintain since these plants like a little moistness in the air. Cultivating them in a bathroom or kitchen can help. Or, you can use a drip or pebble tray to increase the ambient humidity in the area near the plant. Use a big plant saucer with 1/2-inch gravel, load it midway with water, and set the potted plant on top. Do not put the plant around a heating or air conditioning vent.

Where to place arrowhead plants?

Places where you can put your arrowhead plant:

• You can place your plant near a window, but place it a few feet away, or use a curtain to filter direct sunlight.

• Arrowhead plants can stay in your bedroom if the conditions match their native land. Make sure the temperature and light requirements are on point.

• If you are planning to use it as an outdoor plant, find a shaded area or provide shade where it can get enough sunlight but filtered. 

• If you don’t have access to natural light, you can use grow light or artificial light to fill your needs.

• If your bathroom or kitchen has a big window, it would be an ideal place for them, as these plants will get humidity and light at the same time. 

Places where you can’t put your arrowhead plant:

• Don’t place the tree near an AC or heated area. 

• Avoid placing the arrowhead plant outside during mid-summer. 

• Avoid placing them outside when the temperature drops drastically as well. 

• Keep the tree out of pets’ and children’s reach as they are proven to be toxic. 

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Advance care tip of arrowhead plants:

Advance care tips mainly focus on extreme care that helps to make the tree more ornamentally appealing. ALL these extra care like fertilizing, pruning, re-potting, and getting rid of pests will give an extra boost for growth while making the tree more lush. 

Feeding:

Arrowhead plants don’t need to be fed, but they profit from regular fertilization. Spread general-purpose houseplant fertilizer, with a proportional mix such as 10-10-10 or 20-20-20, according to the brand’s guidance. 

One of the most straightforward modes to provide arrowhead plants the fertilizer they require is by using a time-release fertilizer three or four times every year. Unlike traditional granular fertilizer, time-release plant food becomes functional for plants slowly to feed them over the period of several months. Beginners can use this without any worry.

Another suitable option is liquid fertilizer. Mix the solution up according to the brand’s instructions. 

Re-potting:

When the roots get tighter in the pot it should be re-potted immediately. 

Arrowhead plant’s roots are vigorous. So, generally, they needed new soil and pots every two to five years. 

No matter in which region you live, try to be done with the transplanting process at least 6 weeks before winter.

The pot size should be slightly larger than the tree itself. Suppose the tree is 4 inches then you should use a pot with 6 inch depth.

For the ideal soil mix for re-potting use potting soil, coco coir, pumice, and compost. 

Now let’s move on to the process;

Hold the plant sideways, aim for the drainage holes, and use some objects like a pen or pencil which can easily go into the drainage holes. Press the root ball in order to take the tree out. There are other methods to take the tree out of the pot. One of the most effective is soaking the soil in water for an hour and taking the tree out when the soil is gentle enough to be disturbed. 

Gently massaged or teased the roots. The tangle-free roots will be free to grow in a new bigger pot. 

In the new grow pot, use a sheer cloth to cover the drainage holes and apply the soil mixture you made earlier. As the tree needs good drainage, you can employ an extra layer of gravel right at the bottom.

Place the plant and cover the gaps with more soil mix. Press the soil with your hand and remove air pockets. 

Tips:

Make sure your arrowhead plant is free from stress before re-potting.

Soil plays an important role in the growth of the roots and tree because the roots also need air to breathe and the soil mix we mentioned earlier can provide it. 

Pruning:

Pruning is a prominent part of Arrowhead Plant maintenance. It gets rid of skinny expansion and encourages new growth. For better results, prune your arrowhead plant during the growing season, meaning in spring or summer. Fall pruning is acceptable, too, mainly if you’re living in a more moderate temperature.

Prune the elongated and leggy branches, taking some of them off altogether. You must do that somewhere when the plant is large and droopy. This isn’t creative pruning, and because these plants develop fast, it’s tough to mess it up.

Perform tip pruning or pinching on the other stems. This is a prominent practice to keep plants from getting too droopy and boost them to grow thicker. This is where you take 2-5 leaves off the backs of the primary stems. 

Cut off some older stems. Those long limbs that were bare of leaves at the top really gave the plant an unattractive look.

Getting rid of potential pests and diseases:

Naturally, the arrowhead plant doesn’t have any problems with pests or diseases. If they are co-residing with other plants, they might get attacked by crossover infestation of common pests such as aphids, mealybugs, or spider mites.

Examine your plants frequently and treat them accordingly if symptoms of pest issues appear. Remove pests by hand manually and wipe down branches and leafage with a rubbing alcohol-soaked towel. Trim out harshly injured plant parts. Sprinkle with a correct insecticide such as a mixture of insecticidal soap or neem oil. 

How to propagate the arrowhead plant?

Propagation of the arrowhead plant should place at the end of April. Spring, summer & fall are suitable times to cultivate because the roots develop quicker in the warmer climate. I will show you three ways of propagation- propagation in soil, propagation in water, and division method. 

Soil propagation:

Soil propagation is a straightforward way to propagate this plant. 

Take a sharp cutting object and trim out some healthy cuttings from the mother plant. It’s better to leave two or three nodes and a few leaves at the top for best results.

Make sure the bottom half of the cutting is clean from leaves. It should have a clean stick to get into the soil. 

Dip the cuttings in the rooting hormone. This step is totally optional but many gardeners love to include this step as they give an extra kick for root growth. 

Make a soil mix with sphagnum moss, orchid bark, and potting soil fill it in a container. The pot and the soil both should have a good drainage system.

Moist the soil, make holes in the soil with a pen or pencil and insert the cuttings. 

Keep the container in a shaded area and moisten the soil from time to time. 

Tip:

You won’t be able to see the root growth in this process, so tug the cuttings lightly to observe how much the roots have established. 

Water propagation:

Water propagation follows similar rules with just a few different steps.

Place the prepared cuttings in a jar or container of water and place it near the window in a warm place. Make sure the plant is not getting direct sunlight.

Change the water every other week and clean the container from time to time if needed.

In this case, you will be able to clearly witness the root growth. 

Once roots start to show up, plant them in their permanent pot. 

Division method:

You can also multiply arrowhead plants by utilizing the division strategy, which starts by drawing the plants and pruning through the root system.

This is not the most favored alternative because mature plants are usually so wide and entangled that it’s just more labor than it’s worth, particularly when it’s so much more straightforward to propagate with stem cuttings.

If you’re re-potting your arrowhead plant anyway and find that it’s getting a bit too big, division can be a convenient method. Just take a clean knife and split the cluster into pieces. All you need to do is plant these up and continue caring as usual, since they’ll already have their root systems established. 

Conclusion:

Caring for an arrowhead plant means providing the right quality soil, maintaining the exact temperature, taking care of its water needs, and encouraging its growth with fertilizer. Other than that pruning, re-potting, and making them pest and disease-free also play an important role. Once you understand all of these, keeping a healthy plant around your house would be easy.