Flamingo flower gets brown leaves | How to help your anthurium

The graceful flamingo flower is a popular house plant that shows its beautiful red flowers all year round in the best conditions. But if the leaves turn yellow or brown, the plant is showing that something is wrong. It can be because of the wrong care as well as the wrong location or the wrong conditions in the immediate vicinity that the anthurium communicates this via the leaves.

Wrong care

The flamingo flower requires a lot of care. If the water or light requirements are not right when caring for, the leaves can quickly turn brown. But mistakes can also be made quickly when fertilizing. If the plant therefore shows yellow or brown leaves, action must be taken quickly. The first thing to do is to research the reasons why the flamingo flower does not feel comfortable. In this way, proper care can be restored and the anthurium saved.

Wrong location

The location is important for the flamingo flower to thrive. Above all, the right light must prevail here. If the first yellow or brown leaves appear, the location should be checked. The following should be observed here:

  • Lighting conditions
  • direct sunlight can cause yellow leaves
  • protect with a light roller blind or curtain
  • a place at a north window promotes yellow leaves
  • no more flowers are formed in a dark place
  • A bright place without direct sunlight is ideal

If the leaves of the flamingo flower have a rich green sheen and produce enough flowers, then the location conditions are usually optimal

Tip: For the correct brightness of the plant, you should also check whether there is a large tree in front of the window facing south or west that would take away a lot of light from the plant. A change of location would also be advisable in such a case

Temperatures

The anthurium neither needs wintering nor warmer temperatures in summer. Therefore, it should not be taken outside, although this is required in many guides. Because of its origin, the flamingo flower is not used to fluctuating temperatures and, above all, not used to different seasons. Therefore, the yellow or brown leaves may well be due to the following errors:

  • strong temperature fluctuations
  • Constant temperatures between 18 ° and 20 ° Celsius are ideal
  • Space over heating not ideal in winter
  • Drafts should also be avoided
Tip: In winter, the anthurium can stand at around 16 ° Celsius for a few weeks to stimulate flower formation.

Substrate

The root ball of the anthurium is similar to that of the orchids. They only have one main root, which is still equipped with small secondary roots. Since it is an epiphyte, the roots should also receive enough air and light. Brown leaves can be formed if the substrate does not meet the requirements of the plant:

  • Earth is too dense
  • Plant was planted too deep in the tub
  • normal potting soil for container plants is not well tolerated

If yellow leaves appear because of the substrate, it usually helps to repot the plant. For this purpose, all old soil is removed from the roots and a new, lighter substrate is selected. Care should also be taken that the new soil does not cover all of the roots.

Tip: The best way to cultivate the flamingo flower is in orchid soil, which allows enough oxygen and light to pass through to suffice for the roots of the anthurium.

Poured too much

Flamingo flowers do not tolerate waterlogging. If too much has been poured over a long period of time and the water may still be in the pot or saucer, then action must be taken quickly. If the leaves are already brown or dry, the roots have already been damaged. In such a case, the following steps should be taken to save the plant:

  • Root rot has already occurred
  • damaged roots can no longer absorb water
  • Plant dries up, even if it sounds paradoxical
  • Remove the flamingo flower from the vessel
  • Remove soil at the roots
  • remove all damaged roots
  • let dry a couple of days
  • insert into new substrate
  • Pour only moderately

Only lime-free water should be used for watering, as the anthurium does not tolerate lime. Trapped rainwater is ideal here. If this cannot be obtained, filtered and stale tap water can also be used.

Too little poured

Even if the anthurium does not want a lot of water, it should not dry out. Because too little water can lead to yellow and brown leaves. The flower stalks and leaves grow directly out of the rhizome and therefore must never dry out. So if the flamingo flower lets its leaves droop, it is high time to give water. You should proceed as follows:

  • Always let the soil dry on the surface
  • then pour moderately
  • Pour out the collecting plate after half an hour
Tip: A flamingo flower should only be watered very sparingly. The thumb trick helps here. Only when the soil is dry after the thumb test, it may be poured moderately again.

humidity

In addition to moderate watering, the flamingo flower should also be supplied with sufficient moisture from the air. The plant does not tolerate dry air, especially in winter when the heating is on, and shows this through brown leaf tips and brown leaves. In order to increase the humidity in the room and in the immediate vicinity of the anthurium, you should therefore proceed as follows:

  • 60% – 65% humidity is ideal
  • use a humidifier for this
  • this can be set precisely
  • alternatively, place a bowl of water next to the plant
  • Spray daily with water
Tip: Humidifiers are ideal for maintaining constant humidity. So if you have little time to take care of the plant intensively, you can use such an air humidifier. Also ideal if several plants have been cultivated.

Fertilize

Anthuriums can either be over-fertilized or receive too little fertilizer. So the errors in fertilizing from the plant are indicated as follows:

  • Nutrient deficiency is shown by brown leaves
  • then it should be fertilized immediately
  • an excess is indicated with yellow leaves
  • better avoid fertilization for several weeks
  • remove any discolored leaves
  • these also weaken the plant

If you regularly fertilize with liquid fertilizer from the trade, you should add it every two weeks with the irrigation water. However, only half the amount of fertilizer recommended by the manufacturer should be used here.

Tip: It is ideal to use orchid fertilizer for the flamingo flower as well. Because both groups of plants belong to the category of weak consumers. Here you can act according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top