Pink Syngonium is one of the commonest household plants that you'd find in most homes across the world. You might have even come across this interesting plant in six to seven homes out of about ten you've walked into.
They're practically everywhere and this is why we have to discuss how to properly care for them.
Now that you're hoping to jump on the same train as others around the world, how can you then care for your Pink Syngonium plant? Relax, it's no rocket science! All you have to do is water them regularly (because they rely on plenty of moisture for survival).
You'd also want to make sure they're getting enough sunlight as well as the necessary nutrients, through fertilizers, for them to thrive and blossom beautifully—even more than you can currently imagine.
This article is a beginner's guide to Pink Syngonium plant care. So, you'll get to learn everything you need to care for this wonderful houseplant.
How to Care for Your Pink Syngonium Plant
There's one thing you have to know about Pink Syngoniums; they're pretty easy to grow. As a beginner, tending to them wouldn't be so much of a pickle as you might have imagined.
If you're the type to spend more time with plants, you'd enormously enjoy growing them. They're crackers!
But, before we discuss how you can care for your Pink Syngonium plants, let's go into detail on what this quite fascinating plant is.
Arming you with everything about this wonderful plant will make it possible for you to better care for them, and we're not going to let this chance slip away.
So, without further ado…
What is the Pink Syngonium Plant?
Pink Syngonium, Goosefoot plant, or Arrowhead plant/Ivy, as it's also called because of the arrow-like shape the leaves form when they mature, is a species of Syngonium podophyllum.
This plant falls under the Arum family (i.e. Araceae) among which are the likes of cocoyam, Mexican breadfruit, peace lily, snake lily, and so on.
Pink Syngonium checks the list as one of the most beautiful household plants in the entire world. No exaggerations! One reason for this is the attractive heart-shaped (or arrowhead-shaped) leaves. These vibrant, pink-toned leaves accentuate the color in your home and also help aerate your space.
Another interesting thing about Pink Syngonium plants is that they come in different varieties with different shades of pink and green.
Pink Syngonium are also climbers. What this means is that they love to spread their large leaves wide and high no matter where or how you decide to grow them. They can grow as tall as three to six feet and as wide as 2 feet.
But, as dynamic and stunning as these plant species are, they can be extremely toxic. If ingested, they have poisonous properties that can cause serious irritation and reactions in your mouth, on your lips, and throat. You must keep out of the reach of pets and children to avoid serious health complications.
Guide to Pink Syngonium Care
Now that we've given you a background to the Pink Syngonium plant, it'd be safe to go on to discuss how you can care for them.
As we mentioned earlier, caring for your Pink Syngonium plants is no rocket science. All you have to do is get yourself accustomed to some of the important requirements that come with growing the plants and you're good to go!
As long as you comply with these important requirements, growing the Pink Syngonium would be a walk in the park, an enjoyable and therapeutic experience you'd begin to recommend to your friends and family.
And what are these requirements?
Water your plants regularly
One of Pink Syngonium plant needs, if you want them to properly thrive, is providing them sufficient amount of water. You have to keep them hydrated at all times.
If they're left for too long without water, their leaves can dry up and the entire plant may even die out eventually.
Even though Pink Syngonium plants are drought-resistant and can survive for a few days without water. They begin to turn brown and dry up when it becomes way too much for them to bear.
To keep them in great condition at all times, a general requirement is to water them regularly during the growing season and th3m reduce the watering rate during winter.
Provide them with sufficient lighting
Just like many other plants, Pink Syngonium also thrives on sunlight.
Depending on the variety you're growing in your home, you'd need to offer them a medium to bright lighting every time to keep them as beautiful as they'd like to be (though some variety would still do well under a low light situation).
Light-deficient arrowhead plants begin to lose their foliages. Their growth also begins to drag and the sparse leaves they struggle to produce will start losing their vibrant colors.
It's also important that you know this: exposing your pink Syngonium plants to direct sunlight can make them lose all their vibrant colors depending on the variety you grow. After some time, their leaves burn will also begin to burn.
So, to avoid over-exposing your plants to sunlight, you can do the following:
Use grow lights that with the brightness you can easily control;
Put your plant pot far away from your window. Expert growers recommend that they be placed on a windowsill facing the north or east;
If you grow your pink Syngonium in a basket, make sure the room lighting is relatively low.
Keep the plants in an area with the ideal room temperature
Pink Syngonium need a room temperature between 60°F–85°F (that's about 16°C–22°C) for them to have a magnificent growth.
Growing them in the appropriate temperature range ensures their speedy growth. However, growing them at a temperature less than the recommended 60°F can make them have a runted growth.
Temperature beyond the recommended range can also cause the arrowhead leaves to fall and dehydrate too quickly. So, always make sure your growing area has the perfect temperature rate when growing them indoors.
You can also take them out occasionally during the summer to enhance the plant's vibrant colors production and overall growth.
Always ensure there's an ambient humidity level in your grow area
Arrowhead Ivy loves a high humidity of about 40 to 50%.
Even if you follow all other requirements and leave the humidity needs out, you'll still experience serious problems growing your pink Syngonium plants. They thrive on humidity as we humans thrive on food.
Since you'll be growing indoors where there's no unstable weather, providing your plants with the needed humidity ratio shouldn't be at all difficult.
Here are a few tips to help you keep the humidity in your grow area up at all times.
- Try to wipe your arrowhead leaves 1–2 times weekly with a moist napkin. Not only does this help you keep the humidity of your plants up, but it also helps you to get rid of dust and all other debris that can settle on your plants' foliages.
- Try to spray the plants every week. You can use a spray bottle for this.
- Use a room humidifier. This can regulate the humidity level in your grow area and even in your house.
Feed them with fertilizers occasionally
The arrowhead plant is not a heavy feeder. But, if you'd like to enhance their growth, you'd want to feed them with fertilizers that contain all the nutrients they need occasionally, say once or twice monthly.
Make sure the fertilizer you give them is water-based. If it's not, try to dilute in water before application.
According to expert growers, you can keep off feeding these plants with fertilizers during winter and fall. These periods are known as their dormant time. So, they do not need to feed.
Soil requirements
The goosefoot plant, as it's also called, loves to grow in slightly acidic soil with an average pH level between 5.5–6.5.
As long as the soil contains the nutrients they need and is not waterlogged, your plants will grow perfectly.
A great way of ensuring your plants are getting the needed nutrients is to mix your soil with perlite, and peat moss. This mixture heightened the moisture level of this plant—and you know how much they love moisture…
The following are some essential instructions on when you have to change plants pot soil;
- If you notice the plant growth rate is abnormal (or stunted);
- When water doesn't drain quickly out of the drainage hole you create in the pot;
- When you notice the soil is soggy.
Conclusion
The pink arrowhead is one of the best options you can make if you're looking to spend more time with your plants.
And, no need to worry. They're not difficult to tend. Just provide them with sufficient water, lighting, soil nutrients, keep the humidity level at a comfortable level and every other thing is easy.
At the start, following these requirements might seem routine or stressful. But, in the long run, you'll come to find them mechanical, therapeutic, and absolutely enjoyable.