Philodendron Florida Ghost, (also called Florida Ghost) is one of the aroid plants that we love. They are one of the prettiest vine climbers.
What makes Philodendron Florida Ghost special is that their new leaves will be white and turn lime green after a few days and become green in their mature leaves. It is so fascinating to see it day by day.
Besides their beauty, the Florida Ghost will help you to clean the air in your room with their natural purifier system.
Before you buy Florida Ghost, better to know how to treat them right that can help them grow healthier.
In this article, we will talk about how to take care of Florida Ghost
How to care for Florida Ghost?
Soil
Based on research by the University of Connecticut, Florida Ghost loves natural soil with good aeration and as organic as possible.
The good aeration of the soil will help water flow better to avoid rot roots. You can try to make your own organic mix with bark, peat, and some charcoal.
Other alternatives, you can use the sphagnum peat moss as soil. It has good aeration and organic without worried about acidity like other regular soil.
Watering
Watering your Florida Ghost would be enough for once a week. But you need to check whether is it enough for them by checking on the hydrometer or see with eyes that the soil is not too dry.
During the summer or hot days, maybe you will be watering them a little bit more often. Too much dry will lead them unhappy and die soon. Watering too much is also not nice since it will trigger root rot.
Keep on an eye, on their behavior to know their water needs.
Light
Florida Ghost will be happy with indirect light. They will have enough sunlight when you put them in north-facing windows.
When you put direct light on them like east-facing windows, their edge their leaves will burn.
If you put them in a dark area, you could use the growing lights. It will help them to do photosynthesis.
For better results, you could give them 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness to mimicking their tropical nature. Since most tropical countries will have 12 hours of sun.
Temperature
The best temperature for Florida Ghost between 65-95°F or 18-35°C. They are not good at handle the cold, better to make them stay warm.
Humidity
Moderate humidity is fine for them. But they would grow best in high humidity like their habitat.
You could add some moisture around your house if you are living in a dry area. Pebble tray will be your best friend since it will add moisture to your house without break your bank.
Fertilizer
Since Florida Ghost doesn’t like the chemical, please don’t use any chemical fertilizer. It will be harsh on them even just a little.
The fertilizer will help Florida Ghost grow better if you have the right fertilizer. Finding the good ones is tricky but you don’t have to worry about it too much.
Most of the Florida Ghost would be fine and grow well without any fertilizer.
Propagation
The easiest and the most popular way to propagate Florida Ghost is by stem cutting.
Growth
Your Florida Ghost could be fully grown between 2-5 feet or 60-152cm. Since they are climbing plants, the support will help them grow tall.
You can use plant support sticks with cocopeat as an alternative natural support. In the jungle, they would climb up the big trees. So, the cocopeat stick would work great to mimicking their habitat.
Repotting
Florida Ghost is a slow plant. Repotting your Florida Ghost is necessary after 2-3 years.
When the roots start to out of their potholes, means that they are ready for repotting. Put them in the right size of the pot will help them thrive.
Common Problems for Florida Ghost
Like other Philodendron, Florida Ghost could get fireblight caused by bacteria Erwinia amylovora.
Fireblight starts when the leaves turn dark brown or black like they get scorched light. Mostly will attack the new growth. In the worst scenario, it will kill your Florida Ghost entirely.
To stop the spreading of bacteria, you could start to remove the leaves that already dark brown or black.
The other common problem for Florida Ghost is the mealybugs. It is a small insect with a white-cottony appearance. They will absorb your plant’s nutrients and can be a problem for plants.
Mealybugs breeding so fast, so when you see it once, get rid of them immediately. Since they are really small and could already lay their eggs around your Florida Ghost, better to use neem oil to control them.
Try to mix 1 oz/ gallon of water and spray every 7-14 days until they are completely gone. Please try a small patch at the beginning to make sure your plants can handle the mix. Because every plant is unique 🙂
Sign of Miserable Florida Ghost
Yellow Leaves means over-watering. You could start to reduce your amount and frequency of watering. You can also check that their roots are still healthy, not rotten.
Brown Leaves means low humidity. As we mentioned before, they can stay in medium humidity but would thrive better in high humidity. You can start to use the humidifier if needed.
Conclusion
For those who are love uncommon shapes of foliage, Florida Ghost can be your next plant adoption. They are not hard to maintain and can clean up your room’s air.
