20 Incredible Philodendron Minima Care Tips You Should Know

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Philodendron Minima is a tropical plant with unique features that make an excellent addition to any plant lover’s collection.

To keep your Philodendron Minima happy, read this post. It will go over what to do and what not to do and how to keep your plant healthy.

If you’re looking to buy one for yourself, we’ll discuss various options to check out. Read on to learn more about the exciting attributes of this plant special.

What Is Philodendron Minima?

Philodendron Minima is a perennial from the Araceae famous because of its unique foliage.

This tropical plant is also known as Mini Monstera, Philodendron Ginny, and Mini Split-Leaf. This plant’s other internationally known common names are Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma, Philodendron Piccolo, Monstera Minima, and Dwarf Monstera.

This vining plant will grow well in hardiness zones 10-12 when outdoors.

Origin And Family

The Mini Monstera belongs to the Rhaphidophora genus in the Araceae family of plants. It comes from Southeast Asia, specifically the tropical rainforests of Malaysia and Southern Thailand. This plant has become popular in recent years, thriving in most households with high humidity.

Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, a British botanist, discovered the Mini Monstera in 1893.

Where To Buy

You should be able to find Philodendron Minima at your local nursery or a home improvement store. If you want to avoid driving, aisle-scanning, and carrying a plant to your car, visit Etsy online. We’ve had great success buying our houseplants there!

Prices for the Philodendron Minima can be pretty expensive, depending on what you want. Starting at $20 for small plants and $50 for larger or more mature plants, the prices can soar to up to a thousand dollars if you want some rare, variegated type. In fact, in 2020, an extremely rare variegated Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma was sold on New Zealand’s most important trading site at $8000!

Philodendron Minima Plant Size

The Philodendron Minima is a fast-growing houseplant when placed near an east or west-facing window. It can reach an average height of 4-5 feet and an average width of 3-6 inches in homes.

Philodendron Minima Care Needs

While easy to care for, developing your Ginny Philodendron to its full potential necessitates particular circumstances. The Philodendron Minima, with its unique foliage, loves humidity and needs relatively moist soil to thrive.

Water your Rhaphidophora when the top two inches of the soil are dry. Don’t be scared to soak the soil during watering cycles to properly hydrate the roots. This incredible plant prefers solid indirect light.

Learn about your plant’s more specific care needs by reading our in-depth guide below!

Care Difficulty

In terms of care difficulty, the Philodendron Ginny is easy-to-care-for. The most important factors for this beauty are drainage and sunshine.

Over the past few months I’ve been learning a bunch about plants. And I haven’t killed one yet! My philodendron minima is seriously loving life and has put out two new leaves in the last week or two! I’m so proud of myself. Not the best comparison pics but look how big she is! 🥰 pic.twitter.com/3AMttzoRvL

— Flaaffy 𓃵 (@JustFlaaffy) January 16, 2022

Growth Rate

The Mini Split-Leaf plant grows 4-5 feet in height when grown to its maturity indoors. It blooms in the spring and summer.

Most Rhaphidophora species, including the Minima, have a fast growth rate.

Potting

You can use a medium-sized plastic, terracotta, or clay pot for potting. The vessel must have at least one drainage hole, and leaving your Mini Monstera in wet soil for extended periods could kill your plant.

As an indoor plant, this is commonly grown as a tabletop plant. As it grows, it can become a floor plant and trained to grow on a moss pole, trellis, hoop, piece of bark, etc.

The unique fenestrated leaves of this plant are best displayed, dangling elegantly in hanging baskets.

Repotting

As your Philodendron Minima develops, you should consider moving it to a larger pot; you see it getting top-heavy, and roots are pushing out of the drainage holes. Repot it every 2-4 years due to its rapid growth.

When repotting your Rhaphidophora, use a new batch of soil to give its roots more nourishment.

Soil

The Philodendron Ginny does best in a standard commercial potting soil. This plant’s roots prefer a damp environment; therefore, choose components that retain moisture well. Use peat, perlite, coconut fibers, or coco peat to create your own soil mix.

Drainage can help prevent root rot and other problems. Soil aeration can be improved by introducing chunky and grit materials.

These are some excellent substrate options for your plant:

pH

A soil pH of roughly 5.0-7.0, which is neutral to acidic, is ideal for the Mini Split-Leaf. You can test your soil’s pH with an inexpensive pH meter.

To reduce pH, use sulfur or aluminum sulfate. CaCl2, Dolomitic Lime, and ‘Wood Ash’ can raise pH.

Water

Your Mini Monstera will want the soil to stay relatively moist between watering schedules. Finger-test the dirt to see if the top two inches are dry. Thoroughly saturate your plant until water seeps out of the pot.

Overwatering kills indoor plants. When in doubt, dive underwater Mini Monstera. To avoid root drowning, use well-draining soil and a pot with drainage holes.

Light

This easy-to-care-for houseplant prefers bright indirect sunlight for approximately 6-8 hours a day. If there’s excessive light, its small glossy green leaves may turn yellow. If there’s a lack of light, its vines become leggy, and its foliage is sparse.

If your Philodendron Minima isn’t getting enough light, you can move it closer to a window or consider investing in LED grow lights. Here are recommended products for you to choose from:

Avoid putting your Philodendron Minima in direct sunlight, as this could severely damage or even kill it.

Fertilizer

Many indoor growers overlook fertilization, believing that water and indirect light are good sources of nutrition. In reality, soil nutrients are equally as vital to plant health.

Every month in the spring and summer. Your Philodendron Ginny needs a water-soluble fertilizer. If you’re using a more potent fertilizer, dilute it first.

You don’t need to fertilize at all throughout the winter months.

Propagating Philodendron Minima

Philodendron Minima can be propagated in several ways. Follow the steps outlined for each technique to increase your chances of success.

At least my plants are all happy and growing new leaves (philodendron minima, Monstera adansonii, Monstera deliciosa) pic.twitter.com/M17hgZeYYO

— Smith (@DevonAnnaSmith) April 14, 2020

Stem Cuttings In Soil

Propagating Mini Monsteras is as simple as planting stem cuttings into the soil. This plant’s growing season is from the early spring to fall, so it’s best to take cuttings.

1. Cut. Cut a portion of the stem with new leaves and at least one node attached. Without a node, your cutting won’t be able to sprout fresh leaves.

2. Disinfect. If available, dip the cutting into cinnamon or rooting powder to disinfect the wound and encourage faster rooting.

3. Plant. Stick the cutting into the sterile potting mix. Make sure that the nodes are buried.

4. Water. Moist (not soggy) soil is required.

5. Maintain. It should grow roots within 2-3 weeks if kept in a sunny shady spot with sufficient airflow.

Stem Cuttings In Water

Water-propagating the Philodendron Ginny is an essential part of taking care of it.

1. Cut. Find a healthy plant part with at least one node, and trim it with sharp shears.

2. Submerge. Place your cutting in a clear water container. Make sure no leaves are submerged.

3. Maintain. Keep your cutting in a well-lit, well-ventilated place while it grows roots.

4. Refill. Refill the container when it’s empty or dirty. To produce roots, the plant nodes should be constantly exposed to water.

5. Transplant. After 2-3 weeks, check to see if your cutting has enough roots to be planted in the soil.

Humidity And Aeration

Philodendron Minima is a popular perennial that loves high humidity. We recommend keeping the air humidity levels around 60% or higher for best results.

Your plant will need water from its roots and the moisture in the air. You can either keep bowls of water nearby to evaporate or buy a humidifier that will improve humidity for your plant. A pebble tray can help increase the moisture.

Temperature

Like most Rhaphidophora plants, your Mini Split-Leaf will do best in a warm location. Keep the temperature between 68-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because houseplants are sensitive to temperature changes, keep your Mini Split-Leaf away from heat sources like vents, hand dryers, furnaces, and other appliances. In the same way, it is a good idea to keep it away from chilly drafts and frost spells during the winter.

Toxic

Watch out for minor children or pets. The Philodendron Ginny is poisonous to both pets and humans. If ingested, symptoms include oral discomfort, mouth, tongue, and lip swelling, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. This plant is usually non-lethal.

Pests, Diseases, And Other Problems

This section lists the most common diseases, pests, and problems in your home and the best ways to deal with them.

Spider Mites

Houseplants can occasionally introduce pests into your home. One is the spider mite, and adult mites can be observed scampering around when startled.

Spraying diluted neem oil on plant leaves can help kill spider mite larvae. Adult mites can be killed with organic Pyrethrin sprays. When spraying pesticides indoors, use materials that are safe to inhale.

White Flies

It may attract whiteflies, a delicate-bodied winged bug. When they do this, they make eggs. Once the eggs are born, they turn into larvae that eat the leaves of your plants.

Additionally, horticultural oil, neem oil, and insecticidal soap are excellent organic alternatives, and they do not pollute the environment either.

Scale Insects

Scale insects show as lumps on your Philodendron Minima stems or leaves. These tiny bugs (green, gray, brown, or black in color) usually remain sedentary once they’ve latched onto a plant.

Some neem oil and water will discourage scale insects. Spritz the plant thoroughly.

While neem and horticultural oils may not kill bugs, they will surely harm them. There are numerous insecticide sprays against scales regarded as safe to use indoors.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs may infest your Mini Split-Leaf. These tiny parasites damage your Rhaphidophora by inserting a feeding tube into the plant tissues and sucking on the sap, and they can eventually weaken or even kill your plant.

Soak a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol to get rid of them, then use its tip to manually remove each mealybug. Bugs can be killed by spraying the leaves with neem oil.

my bf bought me a philodendron monstera minima and it’s my pride and joy rn🥺 pic.twitter.com/ZUYJb8du4h

— ⓙ (@_njazmin) July 23, 2020

Brown Leaf Tips

Occasionally, you might notice brown leaf tips on your Mini Monstera. Typically, this indicates that your plant is underwatered or is quickly losing moisture from its leaves through the process of transpiration.

Improve the humidity levels in your indoor growing space, or water your plant as soon as the topsoil dries out.

Brown leaf tips might also point to an issue with the plant’s roots, so make sure your plant has a breathable, well-draining growing medium.

Drooping Leaves

Your Philodendron Minima will look wilted and droopy if it is stressed. Overwatering, underwatering, too much light, not enough light, and low humidity are all possible causes of drooping leaves.

Yellow Leaves

Sometimes, you might see yellow leaves on your Philodendron Ginny, which can signify that something is wrong with your plant. Moisture stress, poor lighting, nutrient imbalance, insect infestations, bacterial or viral infections, and many others can cause this problem.

You’ll need to think about any recent changes in the weather or how you take care of your plant to narrow down the problem.

Root Rot

Root rot is a typical cause of Mini Split-Leaf mortality. Indoor gardeners often overwater or fail to provide sufficient drainage for their plants. Root rot is difficult to treat; hence prevention is preferable.

Give your roots some air by using an aerated soil mix. These materials will help your plant drain better.

Climate is another factor to consider while watering your plant. If your plant isn’t getting enough sunlight or ventilation, moisture will take longer to evaporate. Always check the soil halfway down the pot for dryness before giving your plant water.

Similar Plants

Love Mini Monstera? Try these more similar plants:

Monstera Albo: – Monstera Albo is a beautiful and easy-to-care-for indoor plant that can brighten up any space. Because of the unusual appearance and texture of its gorgeous split leaves, this houseplant is well-loved among plant collectors.

Monstera Deliciosa: – Often called the “Swiss Cheese Plant,” this perforated beauty carrying the most famous monstera form is sure to create an exotic vibe in the middle of a tropical garden in your home.

Philodendron Squamiferum: – This fuzzy-haired cousin of the Monstera plants is known for its thick and leathery foliage, and it’s a must-have if you want to have the best rare collection of tropical plants.

Conclusion

With its unique foliage, the Philodendron Minima grows beautifully indoors.

It’s easy to care for. It loves bright indirect light, high humidity, relatively moist soil, and warm temps.

Follow these procedures to grow your own Philodendron Minima to add to your collection or create an indoor garden!

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