Anthurium transplantation at home: timing, soil, care features

• October 18, 2019
• Flowers
• Natalia Miroshnikova

Growing anthurium, or, as it is also called, the flower “male happiness”, can only be grown by experienced gardeners, because this plant cannot be called unpretentious. Transplanting a crop causes particular difficulties for many. And without certain skills and abilities, it is difficult to understand when and how to conduct this event. From our material you will learn how to replant an anthurium at home step by step, and we will also share the secrets of caring for the plant.

When to replant a flower

Anthurium transplantation may be required for the following reasons:

• The flower was purchased in a store. If you just bought an anthurium, then it needs to be replanted within the first three days. The fact is that in stores, flowers are grown in a special peat mixture, which retains moisture for a long time, due to which the plant needs less care. But this substrate is not suitable for long-term flower cultivation, so it needs to be replaced.
• Planned transplant. Young flowers should be replanted annually until they reach five years of age.
• The pot became small. Anthurium transplantation should be carried out when the roots of the flower peek out from the drainage hole. In this case, the event should be started as soon as possible. Otherwise, the roots will begin to entwine the outside of the pot, and then the chance of injuring the plant during the procedure increases several times. And if several roots of a flower are damaged during transplantation, this can even lead to the death of the anthurium.
• Soil depletion. The need for replanting is indicated by the appearance of a white coating on the soil surface.
• Pests. If, even with proper care, the anthurium looks sickly and lethargic, you need to inspect its roots for the presence of insects. And if pests are detected, you should immediately transplant the flower into a new pot.
• Diseases. If you care for a flower incorrectly, the plant may get sick. For example, due to excessive watering, the roots of anthurium can rot. In this case, only an emergency transplant will help save the flower. Also, the action needs to be carried out urgently if mold appears on the soil. This phenomenon indicates that the plant was either overdried or flooded.
• Planting in the wrong soil. If after transplantation the anthurium does not grow, and its green mass looks deplorable, then this means that you initially selected the wrong substrate. And it urgently needs to be replaced. In addition, the procedure must be carried out if the anthurium turns yellow after transplantation. Most likely, you used contaminated soil, and now the plant is suffering from bacteria and pests.

Possible mistakes

Often, if transplanted incorrectly, problems arise related to the health of the anthurium:

Anthurium does not bloom after transplantation . This is possible for two reasons:

• if the container is too spacious, replace the pot with a smaller one;
• due to poor soil or improper selection of substrate.

The leaves of the flower turn yellow . There are several reasons for this:

• the flower has not yet had time to adapt to new conditions;
• During the transplantation, the root system of the anthurium was damaged;
• The plant's watering regime is not adjusted.

The leaves turn black and the roots rot - a consequence of intensive watering, which should be reduced, and if this does not help, replant.

Thus, in order to help the plant, you should understand and then eliminate the causes of poor health after transplantation.

When is it recommended to replant a flower?

Anthurium transplantation, the care of which we will look at later, is best done in early spring, before the heat sets in. Then the plant can more easily tolerate the stress of the procedure. Of course, if necessary, you can replant the flower at other times of the year. But it is advisable not to carry out this event at temperatures above +30 degrees. In such heat, the roots of the flower stop absorbing moisture normally, which impairs the survival rate of the crop.

Is it possible to replant anthurium during flowering? It is advisable to postpone this activity until the rest period begins. But if the flower gets sick and needs an emergency transplant, then proceed with it immediately. But before changing the soil and pot, cut off all flower stalks. This way the plant will spend energy on acclimatization, and not on supporting buds.

Pot

What is needed to transplant an anthurium? First of all, you need to prepare a suitable pot. Give preference to containers whose depth exceeds their width. As for the material, it is better to choose plastic or glass flowerpots for flowers. As a last resort, a clay pot will do, but only with a glazed inner surface. Otherwise, the roots of the anthurium will grow into the walls of the flowerpot, and you will easily injure them during the procedure.

To choose the appropriate pot size, follow these recommendations:

• When planning a transplant, choose a flowerpot whose diameter is 2-3 cm larger than the previous one.
• If you want to get new flower shoots to use them for propagation in the future, transplant the anthurium into a wider container. This will give impetus to the development of young shoots. But keep in mind that in this case the plant will bloom only after its roots have completely entwined the earthen ball. And this will take a lot of time.
• If you want to achieve beautiful flowering, then give preference to flowerpots with a diameter no more than 2 cm larger than the previous one.
• If during transplantation you also propagate the flower, then for children choose small pots with a volume of 200 g. The mother plant can be transplanted into an old flowerpot, or into an even smaller one if its root system has noticeably decreased.

Once you have decided on the container, do not forget to disinfect it before replanting. To do this, thoroughly wash the flowerpot with laundry soap and then pour boiling water over it. It is especially important to carry out this procedure for pots in which plants were previously grown.

Features of the procedure

Depending on the age and size of the plant, transplantation methods may vary. In addition, the event itself is held for various reasons. Replanting is not always associated with a flower disease or soil replacement. Sometimes an adult tropical crop loses its decorative effect and needs rejuvenation.

Old anthurium with a high trunk

Over time, the old bush of male happiness stretches so that the lower part of the stems becomes bare. To restore the plant to its former attractiveness, it is transplanted into a deeper pot.

The central stem is buried, sprinkled with substrate up to the lower tier of leaves, and the soil is moderately moistened. After some time, the aerial roots located on the trunk are transformed into a full-fledged root system, and the crown becomes lush.

With aerial roots

You can restore the decorative effect of anthurium in different ways. One of them is stimulation of the growth of aerial roots. Thanks to this method, the plant is completely rejuvenated.

Wet moss is placed on the bare trunk of a home flower, which is then tied with cellophane. In this place, young roots will grow in 2-3 weeks. Then the old bush is cut off at ground level and replanted with new roots.

Attention! For intensive rooting, anthurium is watered or treated along the crown with a solution of any biostimulant (Epin, Zircon, Kornevin, etc.).

Priming

The “male happiness” flower prefers loose, fertile soil with a slightly acidic reaction. And this plant will be suitable for a mixture intended for orchids. If you want to create soil for replanting anthurium yourself, then mix the following components in equal parts:

• leaf soil;
• peat;
• coniferous soil;
• coarse sand.

Carefully move all components and remove large parts. After this, disinfect the substrate by placing it in the freezer for a day. You can add a little charcoal and pine chips to the finished soil.

What is better: making the soil yourself or buying it in a store?

Only the owner of an anthurium can answer this question. When you prepare the soil mixture yourself, you can be sure of the quality of the components and their correct ratio.

You can try to purchase a ready-made substrate. Doing this can be problematic. There are not many manufacturers in our country who produce special soil for these plants.

First transplant after purchase

The purchased anthurium must be replanted within the first three days. Why such urgency? The fact is that the sooner you carry out this event, the faster the plant will acclimatize to the conditions of your apartment. Please note that this flower is poisonous, so be sure to wear gloves when handling the plant in any way.

So, how to transplant an anthurium at home step by step:

1. Remove all flower stalks, if any.
2. Carefully remove the plant from the pot.
3. Using a wooden stick, carefully remove all the peat soil in which the flower was grown in the store.
4. Treat the roots with any fungicide, such as Fitosporin or Fitolavin.
5. Place drainage made of broken bricks, pebbles or expanded clay at the bottom of the new container. Please note that this layer should occupy a quarter of the volume of the flowerpot. Cover the drainage with sphagnum moss.
6. Place the plant in the center of the pot and carefully straighten the roots. Fill the voids with substrate so that the growing point is flush with the ground.

The same principle is used to replant anthurium when the roots rot. If the room is warm, you can moisten the flower immediately after the event. If the room conditions are cool, then carry out the first watering 1-2 days after the procedure. By this point, the injured roots will have healed and will not rot when they get wet.

What ready-made mixtures are suitable?

Today there are several such substrates:

• “Polessky” substrate – high-moor and low-lying peat, river sand, conifer bark, coconut fiber and chips, perlite and charcoal (the composition is generally good, but some components are unnecessary);
• ForPro substrate is high-moor peat, agroperlite, bark and charcoal.
• The substrate for “Gardens of Aurika” is peat, pine needles and bark, vermicompost and sphagnum, charcoal. (you will need to add universal soil so that the bark/peat soil ratio is 1:1)

Is it worth buying a purchased substrate for orchids?

Soil for orchids also includes many components that are also suitable for anthurium.

The main property of the soil for these two plants is good air conductivity.

Such a substrate, for example, could be “Aurica Gardens” - a substrate for orchids. But some additional components must be added to such soil to make it more suitable for anthurium.

Is the soil suitable for azaleas?

If you take the soil for azaleas as the basis for the soil mixture, then it will need to be “modified.”

Add components that create an acidic environment. Increase the amount of drainage, because for azaleas the soil is more dense, and anthuriums do not like such soil.

Planned transplant

Carry out the event as follows:

1. The day before the event, moisten the soil well using bottom watering. To do this, place the flower pot in a container filled with water for half an hour.
2. Carefully remove the plant from the old pot. Using a wooden stick, carefully remove the earthen lump, being careful not to damage the roots of the anthurium.
3. Examine the root system of the flower. If you find pests, treat the shoots with an insecticide, such as Actellik. And also remove all rotten and damaged roots. Don't forget to treat the cut areas with crushed charcoal.
4. Remove all inflorescences and damaged leaves.
5. Place a layer of drainage ¼ full at the bottom of the new pot. For these purposes, use brick chips, expanded clay, or pebbles. Cover the drainage with sphagnum moss.
6. Place the plant in the center of the new pot and carefully spread out the roots. Fill the voids with soil, and cover the anthurium with sphagnum moss on top.

Transplantation and propagation

Anthurium can be easily propagated during transplantation. To do this, after you remove the flower from the pot, carefully separate the children from the mother bush. Each of these divisions should have several leaves and a strong root system. Place the children in individual pots using the same algorithm as for replanting adult plants.

Can the container be reused?

There is no point in throwing away a pot after it has been used once. If everything is in order with it, it can last for many years. Before replanting a new plant into a pot, it is important to thoroughly disinfect it to avoid contamination of the new soil with pathogens.

For disinfection, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate , or simply wash thoroughly and treat the pot with steam or boiling water.

Anthurium is a capricious plant, poorly adapted to our climate, however, with proper care, maintaining the required temperature and humidity, and creating comfortable conditions, this amazing flower is able to delight its owner with bright, captivating flowers almost all year round.

Humidity

It is important to create conditions with high humidity for the transplanted anthurium. To do this, install a special device next to the pot - a humidifier. If you do not have such a device, then place the flower in the aquarium. If this is not possible, then at least keep containers of water near the plant. Better yet, place the pot on a tray with damp expanded clay or moss, but make sure that the moisture does not reach the drainage hole. Otherwise the flower will suffocate.

In addition, do not forget to spray the foliage of the crop daily. Use warm and filtered water for this, and during the procedure, make sure that moisture does not get on the anthurium buds.

Should there be drainage when planting male happiness?

To properly organize drainage, it is necessary that there are several holes at the bottom of the pot. Often, in purchased pots there are not enough of them or none at all; a significant advantage of plastic pots is the ability to correct this omission yourself.

Attention! In addition to drainage holes, a drainage layer of fine expanded clay or sand is also required. The thickness of the drainage layer should be at least 15% of the total volume of the substrate in the pot.

If drainage is not organized correctly, sooner or later this will lead to waterlogging of the substrate , which contributes to the development of various diseases, root rotting, and the occurrence of mold and mildew.

How to moisturize a plant

For the first two weeks after transplantation, water the flower regularly, but moderately. If you carried out the procedure in the summer, then moisten the soil with a small amount of water every 4 days. In winter, it is enough to water the plant once a week. And use for irrigation only settled and filtered water, the temperature of which is 2-3 degrees higher than room temperature. Also, do not forget to drain excess liquid from the pan 20 minutes after watering. Otherwise, the roots of the plant will rot.

After two weeks of gentle watering, return to the normal irrigation regime, that is, moisten the flower when the substrate dries 1/3 of the volume.