How To Care For Philodendron

I finally found the perfect beginner houseplant even if you have a black thumb! See how to care for philodendron plants and get rid of that black thumb!

Yes, you are in the right place! I am going to teach you how to care for philodendron plants!

It may come as a surprise to see some plant lady posts on my blog.  It’s kind of surprising to me, actually!

I’ve really always had a black thumb.  I can sort of, kind of, maybe sometimes keep outdoor flowers alive.

But, just yesterday I took the kids outside and one of my hanging baskets had the droopy look with some of the branches even a little crispy.  

Didn’t I just water that yesterday?  Apparently not.

If you are wondering how to care for philodendron plants follow along with this guide and you'll have a big green plant you can be proud of

It’s not that I don’t want to have a green thumb.  You go to peoples’ homes and there are beautiful flowers from the front window boxes all throughout the house.  

Plants can be such a beautiful addition to indoor decor, too.  Heck, my girl Joanna Gaines uses plants all throughout her show!  And I’m SERIOUSLY jealous.  Are you, too?

There are two types of people out there.  The ones with beautiful blossoming flowers and picturesque draping indoor plants and the ones with a “plant graveyard” sign in their yard.

Well, I’m throwing out the plant graveyard sign and becoming a green thumb.

Indoor plants are somewhat of a mystery at times but taking care of them can be easy to do with a little hardwork and a system

Full disclosure: If you know how to keep indoor plants alive, this post probably isn’t for you.

Picking out the Plant

I stumbled across this little philodendron plant at a local nursery (where I want to buy everything.single.plant. they have.  Seriously.)

When I bought it last summer (YES IT HAS BEEN ALIVE FOR ONE YEAR!!!!), it had the cutest heart-shaped leaves but wasn’t draping over the sides yet.  To be honest, I didn’t even know it was a plant that draped.

Philodendron plant on rustic shelves in indirect natural light is the best way to help it grow and become a focal point for your decor

Learning How to Care for Philodendron Plants

I had it on the DIY farmhouse shelves for a while.  I almost killed it a few times.  In fact, the other two plants on the shelves in the picture below (from July 2016) are both dead.  And actually still on the shelves completely dried up. (Insert 50 laugh-crying emojis)

But, then I moved it to a place with more light.  And forgot about it again.  And almost killed it.  Again.

Most recently, back in March, I moved it to Evie’s nursery.  And that’s when it started to go crazy!

Heart shaped philodendron leaves hanging over a basket and shelves planted on a wall with rustic shelves

To be completely honest, I’m not sure what did it.  The different light, the amount I’m watering it, some type of plant miracle.  I don’t know.  But this little guy is now a perfect draping plant fit to be on Fixer-Upper!

Green and lush plant in a basket that is growing healthily and is a great design choice for rustic shelving

So, if you have a black thumb and WANT to have a green thumb this is your plant.

Caring for a Philodendron Plant is Easy

It’s a philodendron plant.  Apparently, there are different kinds of philodendrons but they all look different.  

Look for this one, with the heart-shaped leaves.  

I found this at a local nursery and a quick Google search tells me it’s a popular house plant.  (Did you know you can buy plants on Etsy?!)

I’m going to share my tips on how to care for philodendron plants and keep them alive and growing.  YOU CAN DO IT!!

Looking for ways to keep plants alive stick with a philodendron plant and follow this hot to care for them tutorial

Tip 1. Make sure it gets a lot of indirect sun light

When I first had it on the farmhouse shelves in the dining room, it wasn’t growing at all.  That room is basically a cave (which drives me crazy).  It could be clear blue skies outside, but you need a flashlight to see in there.

Evie’s room is one of the brightest rooms in our house.  It gets afternoon sun. But, never direct sun.  The way the room is facing some parts get direct sun and others don’t.  It’s the PERFECT spot.

Decorated rustic shelves with planter boxes and baskets used as pots for live plants growing in indirect sunlight.

Tip 2.  Don’t overwater the Philodendron

Let the plant speak to you.  I’m laughing as a type that.  But, I’ve found that as a general rule of thumb, indoor plants don’t like a lot of water.

I water all my houseplants (all two of them) every Friday.  So, once a week.

I just recently adopted this practice.  Before, I watered them when they started to look wilted a bit (which is the plant speaking to you – WATER ME!!).  Apparently according to my mom (who has a green thumb) puts too much stress on the plant.

So, mark a day on your calendar once a week and water it.

Its important to never overwater your plants and set a schedule to water them but do not wait for the leaves to start wilting

And, that’s it!!  Not too bad, right?

Since this philodendron has given me plant lady confidence, I’ve recently purchased a few new houseplants which are sure to die.

Healthy greenery is easy when you learn how to care for philodendron plants using these simple steps

I’ll keep you updated on my plant lady / green thumb quest.

If you have a black thumb, you can do it!!  Don’t expect them all to survive.  Even if only one stays alive, it’s a step in the green thumb direction.

Leaves draping over rustic shelves as part of a philodendron plant that is growing and extremely health and not dead
lose your black thumb with this easy to grow plant and say hello to your new green thumb and grow other plants
Close up of philodendron leaves that have been well taken care of and are beginning to hang over rustic shelving

What are your favorite houseplants?  Do you have a green or black thumb?

Well now that you have tackled how to care for philodendron plants branch out and take a look at these other easy low maintenance plants and get some greenery in your home!

I consider myself somewhere between green and black thumbs.  Maybe a dark gray thumb 😉

Wishing you a joyful day!

How to Care for Philodendron Plants

philodendron | black thumb plants | black thumb gardening | indoor plants | indoor plants decor | indoor plants low light | philodendron care | philodendron plant | green thumb | plant lady | houseplants | easy house plants

I finally found the perfect beginner houseplant even if you have a black thumb! See how to care for philodendron plants and get rid of that black thumb!

Active Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Materials

  • Philodendron Plant

Instructions

  1. Make sure it gets a lot of indirect sunlight
  2. Set up a water schedule

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© Making Joy and Pretty Things
Project Type: Plants / Category: Lifestyle

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7 Comments

  2. I needed this! I am also a plant killer which I why I have mostly succulents, but now I’m going on a hunt for one like yours. And your writing just cracked me up in this post! Love it!

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  3. I’m surprised I even read this~ Having a green thumb, I usually find my mum’s plants half dead in my nursery before I revive them. I just found you quite humorous. The only reason why I can keep my indoor/ outdoor/ greenhouse gardens alive, is because I become emotionally attached to each and every plant. My flowerbeds, bushes, orchard and hanging pots all have water systems running through them, but the indoor greenery and garden is all me. How to green thumbs work? Well first off I read stories to my plants. Yup. Weird. but it works! The vibration of my voice and carbonation in my breath lightens the plant’s vibrancy. I tell my plants I love them and one time I spat on a cactus that pricked me, but the spit actually helped it ;-;. SO all in all, treat them like children, pets, family. I love plants~ no, absolutely adore them. Give them the time of day and they’ll live throughout the day in return. good luck my funny little busy bees~

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  4. Killer tip: if you can root plants in plain water, it’s much less likely that you will overwater them. I have plants that I purposely put in pots with no drainage because they Need more than 2x week watering. Your philodendron is one of those plants.

    Multiply your tropical plants by taking cuttings and setting them in a pretty vase around the house. Most of the viney type houseplants root readily in water. Take one of the longer vines and cut it back to a couple of inches long. Root that, and when new leaves start coming out of the short end you left on the plant, cut another long one and root it. Two shoots will come out of the cut place and continuing to do this will keenthe plant bushy and full as well as having nice long pieces.

    Use your fertilizer diluted to 10% for every watering and, if you want to be really hard-core, get a bottle of Super Thrive and use it as directed in your water. You won’t believe how amazing your plants will look. I have this same philodendron and when I quit letting the soil get dry at all between waterings it went bonkers.

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  5. For “black thumbs“ is tone deaf as a title. Especially when literally everyone knows the opposite of a green thumb is a brown thumb. I know you’re trying to emphasize that these are plants are easy to take care of, but this title is problematic for people of colour who literally have Black thumbs. Like me. It implies a completely different meaning. Just saying.

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