Before making a purchase, one should always have a checklist of factors to take under consideration.
These include checking the requirements of the product, its uses & benefits, and evaluating how it influences you.
The same reasoning process applies to the process of buying a new plant.
Before choosing a new plant for your patio or dining space, you need to make sure that the plant complements its surroundings and those living in them.
For this reason, you always need to look into the benefits of the plant, its maintenance needs as well as its disadvantages if any.
Anthurium Lutheri is an epiphytic plant. This means that it grows in the air and absorbs nutrients from a host, which may be a tree or another plant.
Known for its rare occurrence, the anthurium species come in many shapes and sizes.
As far as the Anthurium Lutheri is concerned, its leaves are incredibly long and are usually found drooping to the ground.
Anthurium Lutheri belongs to the Araceae family and the Anthurium genus. It is an epiphytic plant, having the luxurious feel of a soft and velvety fabric.
This plant is native to Ecuador and requires a strict environment of nutrients, sunlight, and water, to survive.
While the leaves are tiny during the initial growth stages of the plant, they grow exponentially as the plant develops into a mature epiphyte.
To help you further learn about this rare species in the Anthurium family, we have discussed all the essential requirements and ways to help your plant grow quickly.
Table of Contents
Anthurium Lutheri Plant Care
Provide a soil medium that’s specially made for aroids while applying a well-balanced fertilizer. Maintain temperatures between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1-32.2 degrees Celsius). Water should only be applied when the soil’s dry to the touch, and use bright indirect sunlight.
Soil
To ensure quality growth for Anthurium Lutheri, the most appropriate potting mix is aroid soil. This soil is made from bark chunks and organic material to ensure the best emission.
The soil used for this plant should possess a sound drainage system as the plant becomes defenseless, and a substantial risk of deterioration exists if it retains the water inside the soil.
Moreover, the soil used should have an airy texture. It should also be gentle and absorb all the water instantly to prevent waterlogging.
However, if the soil mixture is heavy and foggy, make sure you go through the process of repotting as soon as possible.
To get the best results, you can use charcoal on the top layer of the soil to boost growth and stimulate blooming.
Water
Watering the Anthurium Lutheri is tricky as it requires the use of a proper technique for checking whether the plant requires water or not.
One thing that should be kept in mind is that this plant only needs to be watered when the soil is dry to touch.
This can be achieved in the following way; simply dip your finger inside the soil and check for humidity. If the finger’s dry, water your plant.
If the finger is not dry, then hold the watering process unless it does.
Anthuriums have a great affinity for water. It absorbs all water immediately when you pour water on its leaves or into the soil.
However, it has the tendency to hold the water in the middle layer of the soil, which can cause the roots to rot.
Therefore, it is vital to check the level of moisture in the soil properly before watering the plant again.
Light
Although Anthurium Lutheri can absorb sunlight that comes directly from the sun, keeping it under the blistering sun for an extended period can lead to the discoloration of leaves.
It can also damage the soft velvety texture of the plant.
The best practice to follow is to keep your plant away from the scorching sunlight as the intense UV rays can lead to the leaves rotting or turning yellow within a short period of time.
Read up on light levels for plants if you’re not too sure what these light terms mean.
To ensure optimal growth of your plant, always prefer the bright indirect light of the sun. To do this, you can keep the plant near an east-facing window.
Temperature
This plant can survive at a low temperature; however, it is not always the best practice.
The best temperature for this plant is 70-degree to 90-degree Fahrenheit (21.1 to 32.2 degrees Celsius).
Furthermore, if the temperature goes below 15 degrees Celsius, the plant will suffer from temperature shock. It will then need artificial heating in winter.
Set your thermostat to the correct temperature in winters so that artificial heating can compensate for the absence of sunlight.
The plant’s location can also be adjusted to ensure that it gets enough indirect sunlight.
Fertilizer
To choose the right fertilizer for your Anthurium Lutheri, go for the rich 20-20-20 fertilizer in liquid or powder form.
Make sure that you use its diluted form as solid portions of the fertilizer can cause root rotting and the yellowing of leaves.
You can also use homemade fertilizer, which includes eggshells, sand fibers, and coconut water. This will help the plant to quickly gain strength and show a notable increase in length.
However, in winters, you may minimize the fertilizing frequency to once every month as most plants’ growth is relatively stunted during the cold season.
Repotting
Only repot your plant when it needs to be repotted. You can transfer your Anthurium Lutheri to a larger container, say, once in two years.
You are advised to buy a new potting mix for your repotted plant so that the soil is also active. However, if not available, the current potting mix can also be transferred to an adjacent pot.
You can also find wonderful tips on how to reuse potting mix here in the blog.
After fertilizing your newly potted plant, allow it to grow for a month before fertilizing it again. Mist at regular intervals and water once weekly.
Also, you need to make sure that you repot the plant during the months of active growth (spring till summer) so that the plant has the potential to gain strength in its new pot.
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Common Problems for Anthurium Lutheri
Yellow Leaves
Yellow leaves can be a major problem for those taking care of Anthurium Lutheri.
This plant is susceptible and may react fiercely to conditions such as excessive watering, low fertilizing, or inadequate soil mix.
However, the most common reason for yellow leaves in your plant is excess water. It can be either due to watering too much and/or too frequently.
Make you’re growing your A. Lutheri in the right pot. The pot should have huge drainage holes at the bottom so that water cannot stay inside the soil for an extended period of time.
Moreover, do not water your plant at all if you feel that it is dry to touch. Anthuriums should be afforded plenty of time with the dry soil before they are watered again.
This allows them to enjoy sunlight properly, have adequate drainage, and prepare for the following watering schedule.
No lumps should be formed in the soil, and it should be kept light and airy. After giving the soil ample time to rest without water, it is time to water your plant.
Damaged Leaves
While the leaves of Anthuriums can tolerate the early morning or late afternoon sun, it does not guarantee that keeping your plant outdoors under the bright light of the sun will always be a good decision.
Keeping your plant entirely outdoors is not advisable as the plant lacks the capacity to tolerate the scorching sun.
However, if you still need to move your plant outdoors in order to make room indoors, there is a way around it. You need to slowly and gradually build your plant’s tolerance level by applying the process of acclimatization.
Under this process, you get your plant to become accustomed to a new surrounding with different conditions by slowly exposing it to desirable weather.
First, you put this plant in the mid-day sunlight for an hour. Once an hour is finished, quickly move your plant indoors.
Do this for another six days and then increase its exposure to sunlight. Keep the pot out for two hours a week and then increase the duration to four hours, and so on.
In this way, your Anthuriums will be able to build tolerance towards the heat without going through a drastic impact on the leaves.
Pests
Anthurium Lutheri is generally resistant to pests such as thrips, spider mites, or mealybugs. Should these harmful insects attack them, proper care has not been provided to the plant.
To protect your plants from these pests, you can easily clean the leaves with a wet and soft cloth dipped in a solution of vinegar and warm water.
After that, wipe the leaves with a dry cloth. You can also mist the leaves after cleaning them to provide humidity and brighten up the color of the leaves.
Frequently Asked Questions about Anthurium Lutheri Plant Care
Are Anthuriums safe for children?
Anthuriums can be highly poisonous if ingested. They trap toxic insects in their leaves which can lead to food poisoning, sudden vomiting, and other issues if eaten by humans and pets. Therefore, the recommended practice is to keep it away from kids and pets.
Can I use Anthurium Flowers to decorate my place?
Anthuriums tend to stay alive and appear fresh, giving your place a vibrant look for 2 to 3 weeks after being cut. However, please do not put the flowers in a vase for more than three weeks as they may produce a foul smell when they deteriorate, causing suffocation.
Where is Anthurium Lutheri commonly found?
Native to tropical regions of America, this plant is usually scattered from Mexico to Argentina. However, a few species are also found in West Indies, the Caribbean, and Ecuagenera.
Should I constantly water my Anthurium Lutheri?
There should always be a sufficient gap between watering your plant. It is not recommended to water the plant immediately after you feel that the soil has gotten dry. It is best if you let the soil stay unwatered for at least two days after watering it again.
Where should I keep my Anthurium Lutheri?
There are high chances that your plant will suffer damage with its leaves starting to fall off and roots becoming rotten if you expose your plant to intense sunlight. Be mindful of precisely where you are putting your plant, as it should never be exposed to extreme sunlight and high wind.
Do Anthuriums like to be misted?
Since the anthuriums thrive in higher humidity levels, it is best to mist them every once in a while. A pebble tray can maintain the proper levels of humidity for your plant.
What benefits can you get from Anthurium Lutheri?
One incredible benefit of this plant is that it can act as an air purifier. It purifies the air by constantly keeping an eye for insects and bugs.
What can Anthuriums be used for?
Since Anthurium Lutheri is a plant species with specific needs, you will need to take proper care of it. You can place your plant at the entrance of your house or beside your couch as long as you make sure that it does not receive direct sunlight.
How should I maintain the cleanliness of my plant?
It helps if you prune it once in a while so that the plant does not lose its color. You can start by cutting the brown leaves as well as leaves that have developed large holes in them. It is recommended to cut these off with sterilized scissors in to prevent the spread of these rotten leaves.
Can I use coffee grounds on my plant?
Do not use coffee grounds directly on your plant in large quantities. For Anthurium Lutheri, you can use thinly ground coffee diluted in water to form a liquid solution. Fill this up and spray the leaves and soil with this solution once every two weeks.
Conclusion
Anthurium Lutheri is unique and rarely occurs in nature, which is why it deserves to be taken care of in the right way.
If you can regulate factors such as temperature, humidity, water, and sunlight, this plant can do wonders for you.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.