Philodendron Micans Care Guide – How to Grow Velvet Plant

Providing philodendron micans care can seem like a daunting task at first glance. After all, these plants are quite sensitive. Common mishaps that new gardeners often make can result in the plant’s growth being negatively affected, and sometimes even in its death!

While the guide will provide more detail about everything we will cover, here is a quick insight into its content. Philodendron micans prefer moderate amounts of light, preferably indirect. They need to dry out properly before being given more water. Both the pot and soil must drain quickly and offer enough space for the roots to expand. They thrive within temperatures ranging from 16-24ºC. They prefer high humidity but can also survive without it. Feeding should be done every month unless it is winter. Propagation is done through the stem cutting method, and pruning is usually done for aesthetic purposes. Most of the pests that can infest them can easily be removed through insecticides and specialized oils.

It might seem like a lot of information at first glance, but there is nothing to worry about as soon you will find out how easy it actually is to care for these majestically beautiful plants.

Light Requirements for Philodendron Micans Care

As is the case with most members of the philodendron family, your velvet leaf philodendron’s requirements include getting some light exposure each day as long as it is not direct.

Its leaves are exceptionally delicate. While they can live perfectly well with lower amounts of light than most indoor plant species, it will suffer from having smaller leaves and becoming more stemmy. This means that the distance between the leaves will grow, making the stems more sparse.

Your best bet is to stick to giving it medium levels of light, preferably with some method of making it indirect. Placing it near your windows whose curtains diminish the sun’s intensity is a good idea.

If your leaves start going yellow- unless the plant is old, you are giving it too much light. Remove it and give it a new location, or else the leaves might burn! On the other hand, if it is not possible to provide enough light, it can still survive in darker environments. However, it will not thrive.

In short, mimicking their natural environment by giving them ample but indirect light will get you the best results.

Watering Philodendron Micans

We are stepping into a seemingly straightforward but tricky category. From the very beginning, you must remain vigilant for any sign of overwatering.

This “notorious indoor plant killer” has been the bane of thousands of houseplants of all species. For the most part, this results from their owners lacking sufficient knowledge on how to check if the plant does need water.

Luckily for us, this is quite simple and can be done with the following method. Whenever you want to give the plant a dose of water, check the soil’s top layer. If it’s dry, you are in the clear. If not, let it dry out naturally. All in all, give it water between intervals of 1-2 weeks, taking into account other factors.

A unique danger presents itself in situations where the opposite occurs. If you let the soil dry out too much, it can start shrinking away from the planter’s sides. This might not bring negative consequences at the beginning. However, if you continue to neglect it can have dire results.

This process can create gaps through which water can run down, reach the bottom of the pot, and deny the roots even a drop of water. It spells doom for every plant, especially your delicate philodendron scandens micans!

This is not a factor to get overly worried about as it can be avoided quite easily if you are careful. Watch out for droopy leaves as another sign that you are either giving it too much or too little water.

During winter periods, you can go so far as to water the plant every month. Depending on its needs, based on factors such as light intake, overall moisture, and temperature. Keeping it slightly moist during summer is a good idea, while bone dry soil in winter is recommended.  

As a general rule, you can quickly check the soil’s status by placing a finger one inch into it. You can use both chlorinated and tap water.

Temperature Requirements for Philodendron Micans Care

Velvet philodendron prefers to live in a specific temperature environment, preferably in the ranges of 16-24ºC.

During night time and cold winters, your mican philodendron can survive temperatures of 12.8ºC. Going lower than that will deter normal functioning and might even invoke the plant to enter dormancy.

Anything beyond these temperature ranges and the thriving of the plant itself will be affected, in most cases, negatively.

For this reason, move your velvet leaf philodendron around and keep it in places where the temperature is the most suitable for its needs.

Philodendron Micans Humidity Requirements

To survive periodic droughts that sometimes occur in its natural environment, this velvet philodendron has excellently adapted to become resistant to prolonged periods of dry air and an overall lack of moisture. However, this is not a setting that will promote growth.

They originate from Mexico and the Caribbean. They have a specific month cycle where they expect the least amount of humidity during March.

The opposite applies in January, during which an enormous amount of moisture is present in their habitat. The annual humidity percentage can go up to 82%.

This would be quite hard to replicate in in-door conditions and, the best part is, you don’t have to!

What you could do instead is mist your plants during the early morning hours and the afternoon. This is a temporary but practical approach, nonetheless.

More permanent options include using humidity trays and humidifiers. These are known methods used by gardeners to counteract insufficiently moist locations.

Speaking of locations, this might be the quickest and possibly most effective approach to counteracting low moisture levels.

By placing your plants in the kitchen or the bathroom, you might find a permanent residence for a couple of them with sufficient light levels. At the same time, more extensive gardens might need dedicated space allocated for them.

Soil Requirements

The soil’s attributes are the same as those set for the pots. Enough room for proper aeration and quick-drainage capabilities.

The worst attribute your soil can possess, however, is water retention. Being so prone to issues concerning the root system, too much buildup of water or salt will expose the plant to a high degree of risk of dying out within a short time.

You can get a solid combination by combining regular potting soil with the following additions:

Or combine all of them- it is affordable and easy to make!

Best Pots for Philodendron Micans Care

The essential characteristics of pots chosen to house a velvet leaf philodendron are good drainage and enough space for its roots to expand unhindered without curling up into a ball.

Glazed ceramic pots are excellent for this task and can house the plant for many years to come.

You can also choose a plastic pot, but be wary of potential overwatering. These types of pots can be a double-edged sword due to keeping moisture for a prolonged period compared to other containers.

For creative gardeners who like to keep their plants hanging in their rooms, hanging baskets provide an excellent option.

They will turn your space into a full-fledged garden! As long as it gets enough water, humidity, and light, it will thrive as quickly as it would in any other pot.

When picking out potential candidates that you might get for your micans, make sure to put at least an inch of additional space for your first pot.

As these plants can grow up to 12 inches in height within a short period of time, you can expect to repot within a year or two following its fast growth.

Repotting Philodendron Micans

As your philodendron micans grows in size, its root system will also keep expanding. Without enough space, it might curl up into a ball and drastically reduce future growth while also posing a threat to its health.

This is a clear sign that your micans Philodendron is in dire need of a new pot, which can occur more often if the right conditions are met, allowing it to keep growing in height. That is a good thing, as long as you can accommodate it with sufficient space.

When you decide to fit your plant into a new pot, schedule it before a new growing season starts (early spring if possible).

As you will need to dislodge the plant, it is a good idea to use an abundant amount of water the day before you repot it, as it will minimize stress.

Whenever you do repot, pick a size that adds at least 2 inches. This way, you will reduce the chances of root rot occurring due to accumulated water within the soil.

Good drainage is always a must, so be sure that the new pot can disperse excess water as well as the previous one or better, if possible. This can be an issue for some hanging baskets, yet you can implement one by following this guide.

Fertilizing Philodendron Micans

Using fertilizers during their growing phase is a fantastic way to exploit the plant’s natural growth cycle and get it to its maximum heights with a minimal amount of time. It makes philodendron micans care easier.

From June to September, your velvet philodendron will go through its growth phase, and this is what you should exploit.

They aren’t too picky regarding the type of plant food they receive. Balanced liquid foliage fertilizers with macro-nutrients are recommended nonetheless. This is especially good if it is consistent- usually every month.

During winter and fall, set the schedule for giving your micans plant food from 6-8 weeks. While you may not notice much change when administrating fertilizer to it at this stage, it is essential for keeping its beautiful foliage and health by providing magnesium and calcium.

Pruning Philodendron Micans

This houseplant will definitely appreciate regular pruning to maintain its size and lush. Through pruning, you will boost its growth and allow for beautiful, bushy leaves to form.

The great part about the micans Philodendron care is that pruning remains mostly an aesthetic activity that can be done regularly without causing any issues. This allows you to mold the plants look to your liking.

Philodendron Micans Propagation

After taking care of this plant for some time, you might want to propagate it and extend its beauty further.

This is an easy process that is friendly for newcomers, so even if it is your first time, you will quickly get a hand of it.

The most commonly employed method involves removing cuttings with a minimum of 2 leaf nodes still attached to it. You can also harvest viable cuttings whenever you are pruning the plant.

After that is done, remove the leaves located at the bottom, place the cuttings in water or a potting medium, and wait for the roots to form.

If you put it in water, replace the water often, while if you decide to use potting medium, make sure that it is always moist.

After you notice the roots forming, you can place the plant in a pot. It will start the process of growth shortly after.

Related: 35+ Indoor Gardening Propagation Hacks that Will Blow You Away!

Pests

Few indoor plants are spared having to deal with many pests that are just waiting to cause damage. While they can be problematic, you will rarely have too much trouble when it comes to eliminating most of these threats.

You will mostly encounter the already famous 4 intruders: mealybugs, spider mites, scales, and aphids. They can cause a variety of unwanted effects to disrupt the growth of your velvet philodendron. Still, there are a couple of useful ways to get rid of them.

Using horticulture oil, insecticidal soaps, and neem oil, you can drastically limit infestation chances. Giving your plant a light bath and manual checks every so often can deter infestations that are sometimes invisible to the naked eye.

For more delicate cleaning, use a cotton ball that was soaked in alcohol beforehand, and gently clean the leaves.