Instantly recognizable with fronds that resemble that of a palm, the Philodendron mayoi showcases spectacular looking shaped leaves.
This philodendron type is a perfect addition to any plant collection. It is also an ideal practical choice for starting off your indoor plant collection.
The Mayoi belongs to the Philodendron genus. It is part of the Araceae family or Arum family that are characterized by a Spathe and Spadix according to the University of Connecticut.
It is a dark green tropical plant and is a Brazil native.
Philodendrons are celebrated as some of the easier of house plants to keep and maintain. The Philodendron mayoi is certainly no exception here.
With the best Philodendron mayoi care, this is the simplest of all philodendrons. So, grow it, cut it back, or take multiple cuttings throughout the year – get the care right here, and you are laughing!
Here I offer some of the best tips and tricks of the trade to help you with your Philodendron mayoi care. These should help it to continue to look splendid but ultimately remain healthy and happy for the rest of its plant life.
A Plant Guide to Philodendron mayoi Care
Soil
To offer the utmost Philodendron mayoi care, the soil you choose to plant in here is vital.
Philodendrons, in general, tend to prefer a soil mix that is fast draining. This ensures that the water they receive does not sit in the soil, causing a waterlogged base.
For this reason, I tend to opt for a quality potting soil and one that is preferably high in bark and peat content. I also go that little extra for my plant and place a small amount of perlite into their soil.
Perlite ensures my Philodendron mayoi receives the moisture it so desires, being that of a tropical plant. However, at the same time, perlite won’t encourage a damp and soggy prolonged soil area.
Light
One of the significant advantages of a Philodendron mayoi is that it both loves to climb and trail!
Therefore, when it comes to the light factor here, whether you choose to make your Mayoi a hanging plant or a standing one is essential.
Primarily, most philodendrons, including the Mayoi, prefer the right amount of bright natural light. However, for the best Philodendron mayoi care, this should never be direct light.
That Mayoi’s that I have in a pot sit near many of my larger windows and get a great deal of light each day. However, I ensure there is a net curtain on these windows. This ensures my Philodendron mayoi’s do not burn.
For the two Mayoi’s that I have hanging, I also trail them in front of my windows. Once again, though, I have a denser net here to keep the direct sun off them.
Overall, I offer my Philodendron mayoi around 6 to 8 hours of indirect natural light per day for continued health and growth.
Watering
As a rule, when it comes to the watering aspect of my Philodendron mayoi care, less is often more here!
So, rather than rely on what the top of the soil looks like, I dig in to get a more accurate guide.
A great tip here is sticking your finger into your Philodendron mayoi soil – at about 2 to 3 inches down. This way, you bypass the topsoil and can tell whether the soil beneath is dry or wet.
If the soil at 2 – 3 inches is dry, then you know it is watering time.
By using this rule, I tend to water my Philodendron mayoi around about every 7 to 10 days.
When watering, I work from the top and allow the water to run through, ensuring it drains fully before returning it to its spot.
I also use rainwater, emulating the many conditions philodendrons would face in their native homeland.
Temperature
Due to its tropical origins, Philodendron mayoi care regarding temperature is ideally centered around rainforest levels. This is certainly a sentiment shared by those philodendron lovers who run their own private botanical gardens.
However, that is not always a possibility for most of us! Yet, it is worth bearing Philodendron mayoi origins in mind when you bring them into your home to find their ideal spot.
A Philodendron mayoi thrives in a daytime temperature that is stabilized around the 65°F (18°C) to as much as the 78°F (26°C) mark.
Even during the night-time, these plants love to be kept warm at around 60°F (16°C). This is something to think about if you live in an area or environment whereby the temperature dramatically drops overnight.
Humidity
In the same way as the ideal temperature for Philodendron mayoi is high, so too is the better humidity level.
As a guide, these plants love a medium to high humidity level in the home environment.
But I can also lay claim to my Philodendron mayoi being one of the plant types that don’t seem to be too fussy if you can’t quite offer them such a high rate of moisture.
A tip for increasing the humidity for a Philodendron mayoi is using a humidifier. This is an excellent supplement for all your Philodendron mayoi care if you can offer around 60% plus humidity manually.
Yet, if, like me, you have much wooden furniture around, proceed with caution here when using such devices!
Fertilizer
The Philodendron mayoi is one plant that I like to provide with a nourishing liquid fertilizer at various stages throughout the year. This is usually for me around winter and fall time when the growth rates tend to drop off more noticeably.
During the summer months, I like to experiment with a little more natural feeder type. I have discovered two natural ways of attending to my Philodendron mayoi care when it comes to fertilizer use.
The first is with coffee grounds, sprinkled around the top layer of the plant-soil, or even offered when watering. Many Philodendron mayoi fans swear by these.
This is especially so for those who notice their Philodendron mayoi has slow growth periods. Still, I find them equally as useful during the summer months.
Likewise, dried green tea leaves offer an equal amount of benefits here also. When used this way, they are considered some of the best natural fertilizers.
Propagation
What I love about Philodendron mayoi care, especially, is how natural this plant is when it comes to propagating.
It is easy to end up with several Philodendron mayoi plants in your home! This is because you can simply take cuttings, and then place them in damp soil for propagation.
I prefer the process of cutting a selection of my most mature and established Philodendron mayoi shoots just under the nodes. Then I vary between placing some in water and some in soil to grow on.
Growth
There can be no doubt that if you get your Philodendron mayoi care just right, your plant will offer masses of growth.
Philodendron mayoi is a notoriously fast grower. One big reason for this is that they are the plant that will most readily adapt to their home living conditions!
Therefore, I find myself witnessing new growth every couple of weeks, which is almost certainly down to getting all the above factors spot on.
Stunning Philodendron Mayoi Leaf
Potting
I have found that Philodendron mayoi is the one plant type that does not overly object to being rootbound. For this reason, I allow them to get to this stage visually before I consider repotting them.
This can mean leaving them in their nursery pot for some time when first purchasing them. Or it can be by way of allowing them to visibly fill their current pot out or start to sprout roots from the bottom.
When it comes to Philodendron mayoi care potting techniques, always ensure that you select the next size pot up. This should ideally be no more than 2 inches larger than its current pot.
That way, you won’t be overwatering your Philodendron mayoi, thus leaving its roots to rot in an oversized pot.
How not to kill your Philodendron Mayoi
How to Propagate a Philodendron mayoi – Step by Step Guide
Propagating Philodendron mayoi in Soil
Select a small pot to accommodate your cutting and fill it with a combined mixture of good quality potting soil, perlite, and an appropriate fertilizer.
For the best Philodendron mayoi care in a new plant, choose about 2 to 3 healthy sections from your Philodendron mayoi. Cut them all just under the nodes.
Place these cuttings straight into the pot and gentle press the roots into the mixture with your fingertips.
Water these cuttings slowly until the water drains out of the pot.
When the water has completely drained through, move your cuttings to a bright area that receives a great deal of indirect light throughout most of the day.
Keep an eye on your cuttings to inspect for any problems, alongside a soil check for watering purposes.
Propagating Philodendron mayoi in Water
Once again, choose the healthiest looking sections from your Philodendron mayoi and cut them under the nodes.
Take a small bottle or small glass of your choice and fill it with rainwater.
Place all your Philodendron mayoi cuttings into this water, ensuring the bottom nodes are all fully immersed.
Allow the cuttings a couple of days, possibly weeks, to develop new shoots from the bottom of these roots.
Then, take them from the water and transfer to your pre-made-up soil mixture pot. This allows you to continue with the next Philodendron mayoi care stage required in the propagation process of growing on.
Common Problems with Philodendron mayoi
During my years of tending to Philodendron mayoi, I have undoubtedly encountered two problems. Yet, these are also, thankfully, the more widespread of Philodendron mayoi problems in general, and therefore the more natural to fix.
The first is Philodendron mayoi turning yellow, and the second is thrips. Yet, once you become aware of what causes such matters, you’ll be much better prepared to offer your Philodendron mayoi care. Which is more than I initially was when first dealing with them!
Yellow leaves on Philodendron mayoi is often a result of light – but both too much and too little! For example, if you have your Philodendron mayoi placed in front of a window that catches the full extent of the sun, the result is scorched leaves. Overexposure to sunlight lightens your plants leaves here, turning them yellow in days.
Also, if you do not provide enough indirect light, your Philodendron mayoi may well tell you so through its appearance of the odd yellow leaf.
Fortunately, this is a simple enough issue to resolve. Simply take another look at where you currently house your Philodendron mayoi and move it accordingly.
Try somewhere near a window, but under no direct sunlight and somewhere it can get a good 6 -8 hours of natural daylight.
Thrip on Philodendron mayoi is an encounter I will never forget! Thrip exists to make a plant lover’s life hell – and they do this primarily by sucking the life out of your Philodendron mayoi – or rather its sap!
The worst thing is, thrips like to hide very well indeed. Therefore, you may well bring them into your home unknowingly.
Yet again, this pest is a learning curve that is easily eradicated when spotted.
On a Philodendron mayoi, you may well notice them as white dots and usually clumped together in a group dining out on a big delicate leaf.
For the best Philodendron mayoi care, as soon as you spot thrip, grab a soft cloth and some neem oil and gently wipe down all the leaves on your plant – until there are thrips no more!
Tips for Philodendron mayoi Care to Keep it Problem-Free
Try to visually check your Philodendron mayoi daily to ward off any potential problems.
Do a quick inspection of both your Philodendron mayoi plant and its soil regularly to ensure it is growing and remains in good overall health.
Allow your Philodendron mayoi to become acquainted with indirect light as much as you can and keep it in its established place when it does start to thrive.
An excellent healthy Philodendron mayoi should put out lots of leaves. If you find your Philodendron mayoi getting too leggy, you may want to scrutinize its current care and spot any potential issues here.
Make it a habit to rotate your Philodendron mayoi regularly to ensure it receives an equal amount of indirect light on all sides. This allows it to grow to its full potential and be bushier as a result.
Frequently Asked Questions about Philodendron mayoi
My Philodendron mayoi seems to be dropping many leaves. What am I doing wrong?
Another of the many things I love about the Philodendron mayoi is its ability to tell you how it is feeling. Nowhere is this more evident than in the act of it dropping its leaves.
Fortunately, a Philodendron mayoi that drops leaves is usually doing so because of overwatering. Likewise, these leaves tend to curl around the edges or start to look a bit droopy and sad before they do drop.
If you put your hand into the soil and find it overly moist, then this is a case of overwatering. But – this can be remedied. Simply refrain from watering and allow the soil to dry out before beginning again (using the watering guide for Philodendron mayoi care as above).
My Philodendron mayoi is not overwatered but showing the odd yellow leaf every now and then. What is this about?
Another common issue you may well notice with a Philodendron mayoi is that of yellowing leaves from over time. This is usually an occurrence in those leaves that are older. Older leaves tend to turn yellow as a natural cause.
The way that you can determine that this is old age here is simply by noting how many leaves do this. When it comes to the maturity of leaves, it is usually the odd one or two leaves that do this.
If you aren’t overwatering and the Philodendron mayoi is getting good adequate light, then the odd leaf or two turning yellow is simply a natural indication of the life cycle of your Philodendron mayoi – and nothing to worry about.
Can I successfully propagate a philodendron just from a Mayoi leaf?
If you want to attempt propagation with a Philodendron mayoi leaf, simply place one or two leaves from a cutting onto the top of a good quality soil mixture – but not immersed in it. Leave it on top of the mix for around 3 -4 weeks, occasionally misting until roots become visible. Hopefully, new leaves should form after these roots.
My Philodendron mayoi is dropping leaves?
Another of the many things I love about the Philodendron mayoi is its ability to tell you how it is feeling. Nowhere is this more evident than in the act of it dropping its leaves.
Fortunately, a Philodendron mayoi that drops leaves is usually doing so because of overwatering. Likewise, these leaves tend to curl around the edges or start to look a bit droopy and sad before they do drop.
If you put your hand into the soil and find it overly moist, then this is a case of overwatering. But – this can be remedied. Simply refrain from watering and allow the soil to dry out before beginning again (using the watering guide for Philodendron mayoi care as above).
Why are the leaves on my Philodendron mayoi yellow?
Another common issue you may well notice with a Philodendron mayoi is that of yellowing leaves from over time.
This is usually an occurrence in those leaves that are older. Older leaves tend to turn yellow as a natural cause.
The way that you can determine that this is old age here is simply by noting how many leaves do this. When it comes to the maturity of leaves, it is usually the odd one or two leaves that do this.
If you aren’t overwatering and the Philodendron mayoi is getting good adequate light, then the odd leaf or two turning yellow is simply a natural indication of the life cycle of your Philodendron mayoi – and nothing to worry about.
Can I successfully propagate a Mayoi from a leaf?
If you want to attempt propagation with a Philodendron mayoi leaf, simply place one or two leaves from a cutting onto the top of a good quality soil mixture – but not immersed in it.
For the process to be successful you will need a leaf with at least one node. A node is more important than a leaf in this regard. You can propagate a cutting with a node and no leaf but not the other way around.
Leave it on top of the mix for around 3 -4 weeks, occasionally misting until roots become visible. Hopefully, new leaves should form after these roots.
Conclusion
A fairly forgiving plant, the Philodendron mayoi is the perfect choice for both beginners and those more knowledgeable of plant carers.
With the right Philodendron mayoi care, this is one plant that rewards with some of the healthiest luscious green leaves.
Best of all, with no two leaves ever visibly the same, this striking and ever so simple to care for plant will, if not already, start you off on your future obsession with all things house plants!