# Problem with Anthurium



## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

I currently have both Anthurium pentaphyllum and A. gracile in my paludarium. Neither seem to be doing very well. The pentaphyllum has just been sitting around for a few months, occasionally a leaf would die and any new growth did not replace the lost leaves fast enough. It recently sent up a small shoot but the leaf part wilted. The anthurium gracile also sent up a growth and the leaf part wilted in a few days. I've been misting almost daily and the viv has only a few gaps for air exchange. The areas near the lights do get dry so perhaps the humidty is not high enough? Would sealing most of the stuff off and then adding a fan help?
Thanks!


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2007)

These are both epiphytic plants. You are growing them in that way correct? I currently have an _A. gracile_ in a pot with sphag. Its doing fine. I don't even mist it too often. So Im not really sure how much humidity they really need. Then again, I keep this one next to a sink where it can get some humidity. 
The other one I think gets pretty tall, and possible a montane plant, needing some cool moist conditions. I know this sounds counter intuitive, but I would actually put a fan in there and try to circulate the air a bit more. Lets see if other chime in.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I've had better luck with Anthuriums when keeping them on the dry side. They don't seem to appreciate too much water although humidity and air movement are important.

Good luck with them.


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

They don;t need really high humidity, 60% or so so I'm wondering if something else is going on. I'm not even sure if you can kill gracile so it's strange that it is growing like this. A pentaphyllum can be sort of tricky at times but once eother get adjusted they tend to grow well. I have found that A gracile when happy will almost always be in flower. What is the medium they are growing in. Both do well in pure LFS.


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## SeaDuck (Nov 8, 2006)

I would check the roots for rot. My bet is they have been too wet. They really don't like wet feet! Robert


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

I will dig up the pentaphyllum tomorrow after reading this. Its rooted mainly in coir which I recently ladded coco chips over. Figure I might as well. What is odd is that when I got it in July I put it in a sealed ziploc bag end stuck in some coir and it just sat there. I later transferred it to another sealed gallon ziploc bag with sphagnum and it smiled and rooted and sent up new leaves. Then it got moved to the viv where it froze and slowly died back to the point it is at now.

You can see the gracile in this photo ontop of the manzanita log. I was worried about the roots drying out as this semed to be happening to a few after a few days so I added sphagnum and coco chips around it. The gracile did have a flowerstalk(thats what I'm guessing it was as it was a stem with a bulbous tip)but that dried up also. It is currently developing yet another leaf so I hope it gets going. Is gracile a fast grower? If taken good care of how long should it take before I get a big plant on my hands?


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

One thing about coir. Depending on where you get it the salt content could be significant. Even if you get it from a horticultural source. So, that could be one of the problems. I have had gracile sit in a pot for 2 years and hardly change size at all but it was not feed and was only growing in sphagnum. Well, I say it didn't grow but it grew massive roots. My main plant is about 3 years old growing in a 6"hanging basket and has leaves about 1'.


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## Guest (Mar 24, 2007)

Your kidding me!! One Foot large!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: 
I currently have one with an 8" leaf blade size. The spadix has berried up, the berries are light orangy pinkish in color. When will they be ready to pick? Thanks!


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

Yes but that's long not wide.


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## Guest (Mar 24, 2007)

Oh ok, good.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

I poked around/lightly tugged the pentaphyllum and I don't think the roots are the problem. It has a pretty big root system and the roots are healthy. It has grown a few roots down into the false bottom water section even.

So I'm guessing the problem is air circulation? I don't see how lack of air circulation would cause the problems I am seeing. I also noticed that old leaves on the Begonia glabra get darkened on the tips a bit.

On the coir...this was Eco-earth sold at Petco and similar stores. Most of the other plants are doing well so I don't think this is the issue. 

Harry: So your mother plant is 3 years from seed? What feeding regime do you give Anthuriums? I'm assuming it isn't needed/wanted in a viv though.


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

I must say I'm pretty slack on feeding so it gets a bit of slow release in the pot and not much more. Also I have seen gracile flower and produce seed from a seedling when the leaves are about 2". It means to reproduce!


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Do you think it would help to feed these anthuriums in the viv? Also, any comments on air circulation/experiences would be most helpful.


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

My experience with Anthurium has not shown that air circulation is a must. I have had seedlings grow and get rather large in a completely close container for over a year. It was opened only occasionaly (weekly maybe) to access plants but was then closed.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Hmm so what else could be causing it besides those factors? It seems to be affecting the foliage mainly as in at least the pentaphyllum the root system appears to be pretty good. Most of the old leaves have died off and the plant seems to be just sitting there at the moment however.

The gracile could just be adjusting to the new conditions, so we'll see how it goes.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

*Anthurium in a viv*

Listen to Antone and Harry. 

In a vivarium, these guys don't like to be too wet. I and other people I know grow them epiphytically, and they do well--but they are slower than molasses to acclimate (they can be mounted like phalaenopsis or ant plants). I mean, you will get some seedlings orchids to grow to blooming size before these aroid clowns adjust! But once they finally do, they are nigh-indestructible (I have had success with scherzianum, scandens, 'Mini Purple'). 

Just be very patient.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

I heard from the seller that pentaphyllum was a pretty fast growing plant and to expect to have to cut it back alot. I sure wish it would do that as it has some very cool looking leaves.

I haven't found my other aroids this bad as far as sitting and doing nothing. Syngonium rayii is always doing something, whether it is putting out a new leaf, or if it gets shaded it shoots up a vine that goes looking for a place to start new plants. A Monstera obliqua that came with the gracile is rooting vigorously.

To the credit of the gracile, it is growing new roots. The pentaphyllum has too actually. But I'm waiting on leaves!


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Ok, the last leaf on the pentaphyllum has fallen off. What now? Leave it and hope for the best, pull it up, or what?


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

If it was me I would pull it from the tank and pot it up and see what happens. If the stem is solid it may induce it to produce more leaves but it may also just kill it. I have found this Anthurium to be sort of tricky and mine always look sort of crappy. I have had stems in a pot with no leaves for over a year and all of a sudden it send out a new shoot. Vining aroids are pretty tough.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Hello Harry,

Do you know anyone who has had good success with pentaphyllum? The plant is still alive, but I am not expecting much(top has browned, lower stems and roots still alive). Could use some advice and maybe a source for another cutting. I really like this plant.


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## harrywitmore (Feb 9, 2004)

It does best I think if allowed to ramble in a high humidity environment. I can most likely get you either a small plant or cutting to try again. But, let me tell you this story. Last year I cleaned out a greenhouse which had this plant growing in various places, As it rambles it tends to lose it's leaves everywhere but the end of the vine, So, you end up with allot of stem and no leaves. Well, when I removed it I chopped the stem up and place it into pots. It was green stems sticking in a pot since and that's been about 9 months. I just notices the other day that it is now growing new leaves, Not from the end but from the part under the soil. So, don't give up.
PM me if you want me to look for another plant.


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## Guest (Apr 25, 2007)

Interesting life history for that one!!!


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

An update.

Man Harry, you basically told the future of this plant. I decided to leave it, and sure enough it has sent up 2 leaves from somewhere in the middle of the plant. I'm thinking that now the viv has heated up it is taking off(sometimes the viv gets to 86 or degrees, thankfully no frogs are in it yet). 

The gracile is growing, but I don't think it is settled in yet.


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