The Philodendron tortum is prized for its long, fern-like leaves the get larger with each new leaf. I have documented my P. tortum over a 3-year period (so you can trust that what I’ve done works) with some important details that should help you on your journey.
As is typical with imported plants, there was a delay in processing the shipment. Plants that are shipped between countries must be shipped bare-root so the shipper needs to ensure the roots are healthy and kept slightly moistened (usually by wrapping the root system with a moistened paper towel followed by plastic wrap to retain the moisture). It’s a fine line between drying out and rotting!
While it may be disheartening to receive a plant with all yellowing leaves, try to keep a long-term perspective: it’s less about buying perfect leaves and more about buying a healthy root system! While most of the current leaves were yellowing, I didn’t see any rotting in the root system so I was hopeful this plant could make a comeback once potted up.
Long-term perspective: a healthy root system is more important than initially perfect leaves
House Plant Journal
When starting with a juvenile plant, the first 5-6 leaves will be small and not too impressive. Still, I was curious to see how these new leaves emerge so I put the plant through my time lapse setup!
Light: Grow Light Settings for Philodendron tortum
White LED measuring 200-400 FC (40-80 µmol/s/m²) at the leaf for 12 hours a day (DLI will be 1.7 to 3.5 mol/day) is adequate for a P. tortum. You can push the growth with more light – for example 800 FC (160 µmol/s/m²) for 16 hours to get 9.2 mol/day – just be sure keep up with watering/fertilizing.
Once you start measuring light, you’ll realize the term “bright indirect light” is meaningless. Learn here
Light: Indoor Natural Light Settings for Philodendron tortum
With the plant sitting right in front of my largest window, it grew quite nicely with the following indoor natural light situation: about 2 hours of direct sun and indirect light in the 200-400 FC (40-80 µmol/s/m²) range. If the plant would receive more than 3 hours of direct sun, I would recommend blocking it with a white sheer curtain.
WHEN to Water:
For Philodendron tortum, water when the substrate is about halfway dry.
HOW to Water:
Fully saturate all parts of the substrate and allow excess water to drain away.
Fertilizing:
Since you’re growing the P. tortum for its leaves, a high nitrogen fertilizer with ratio 3-1-2 will be suitable. With good light, you can add fertilizer with every watering. Fertilizer article here
Substrate:
As with most aroids, Philodendron tortum appreciates some porosity so I’ve been successful using a standard potting mix (coco coir/peat moss, perlite) with some added bark chips. About 3 parts potting mix to 1 part bark chips works fine.
Propagation & Restructuring:
Philodendron tortum propagates easily from node cuttings. It’s very easy to make node cuttings for friends by putting the cuttings into a sealed propagation box filled with moist sphagnum moss. They don’t need much light while propagating: indirect in the 100-200 FC (20-40 µmol/s/m²) range or 100-200 FC x 12 hours by white LED grow light will do.
Using a Propagation Box:
The great thing about using a closed propagation box is that it retains moisture so I was able to close it, place it near the windowsill, and forget about it. I ended up giving the fully rooted cuttings to a friend 6 months later.
Any of the typical houseplant pests are fair game: mealybugs, spider mites, scale…but thrips seem to LOVE aroids. I’ve had a low-level thrips infestation for a while since there were some plants that I simply refused to part with – my Philodendron tortum being one of them.
For more photos and treatment methods for thrips: read this article
I’m very happy with how the plant has grown – the current leaves come out huge and the overall plant has a nice whimsical shape. Some people like mounting the Philodendron tortum to a moss pole but I prefer the “shrub” shape so I will keep propagating the top as it keeps getting longer. I anticipate it will need to be done every 2 or 3 years.
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Good luck on your Philodendron tortum journey!
