Syngonium plants for indoor gardens and balconies, that can purify air. Especially from a lot of toxins like benzene, formaldehyde etc. that are produced in our kitchens through the burning of fuels, chemical based cleaning liquids etc. We can grow these low maintenance plants easily.
Syngonium podophyllum, the evergreen perennial creeping vines are commonly known as arrowhead plants or butterfly plants. These fast growing plants are natives of the tropical rain forests.
In the wild, these plants grow up to a height of about fifteen to twenty feet, on supporting trees. Through proper pruning, we can keep our Syngonium as garden plants, either in pots or directly in soil.
If grown outdoors, these highly invasive creeper may affect the proper growth of other plants in your garden. Hence timely pruning is very important, for maintaining the size and of your Syngonium plants.
Definitely these low-light plants are the best option for indoor gardening, preferably in tropical regions.
Really Syngonium plants can thrive in places, where sunlight reaches for at least three to four hours a day. Therefore we can keep it anywhere in our home, like balconies, window sides etc.
Moreover, it is one of the most suitable plants for gardening beginners.
By providing extra support using moss poles, we can grow these trailing plants easily in pots.
Surprisingly there are a lot of beautiful varieties of Syngonium plants, that are available with most of the sellers. For example, those with green, pink or white leaves.
Let us see the simple tips for growing Syngonium plants for indoor gardens and balconies.
Propagation of Syngonium plants.
We can use stem cuttings of Syngonium plants, preferably those with one or two nodes, for propagation. Usually aerial roots develop from the leaf nodes, and we can use it directly in the potting medium, and hence a separate rooting process is not necessary. Really it takes only a very short period, for the stem cuttings to develop in to saplings.
Saplings collected through the division of mother plants are also fine, because it is much better for a faster growth of the plant.
Preparation of potting medium
| River Sand | 30% |
| Crushed Bricks | 25% |
| Coco peat | 20% |
| Bone meal | 10% |
| Garden soil | 5% |
| Neem seed powder | 10% |
Mix all the ingredients together and fill 3/4 of the pot with it. Then plant your stem cutting or sapling in it, about three inches deep. Keep the pot in shade for a few days, till the roots are fixed in the medium.
Caring your Syngonium plants for indoor gardens and balconies
Proper caring is very important for the healthy growth of your Syngonium plants. Water the plant moderately on a daily basis to keep the medium moist. But always remember to avoid over watering, because the plant has the tendency to rot faster.
Ordinarily, Syngonium plants cannot withstand direct sunlight. But you can keep it in bright but indirect sunlight now and then for the plant to stay healthy.
Never forget to feed the plant, with some diluted liquid organic manure at intervals of 30 days.
Browning of leaves, is one of the most commonly found problems of the Syngonium plants. There may be many reasons, such as exposure to direct sunlight, over watering or even poor nutrition.
Repotting Syngonium plants for gardens and balconies
You can adopt two methods for replanting your Syngonium plants. Either repotting the plant as such in a much bigger pot, or in different pots by dividing the mother plant. For this, first take the plant out of the pot along with the soil. Using a sharp knife, remove the extra roots, divide the mother plant and repot the plant in a fresh medium.
For this you can follow follow the same steps as stated above, for the preparation of potting medium and caring.
With the above simple tips, you can grow a few Syngonium plants in your garden, either indoors or outdoors. Moreover, you can start your garden with this beautiful low maintenance plant, if you are a fresher in the field.
