Philodendron Pink Princess

Philodendron Pink Princess is one of the hottest variegated plants. Pink plants are beautiful and rare and look like their rage in the market, especially for the perfect Instagram pictures.

Pink Princess Philodendron has dark green and bright pink variegated leaves. You may even see this variegation in its stem as well. This indoor plant can be grown in pots or hanging baskets, where its pink leaves create a stunning showpiece.

How do you grow a philodendron pink princess?

It is grown in bright light either indoor or outdoor in a shady area. This variegated philodendron likes to have moist and high humidity air. The soil should also be well-draining. Philodendron Pink Princess has a winning habit and is a climbing aroid with dark leaves and light pink variegated blotches. So it is best to use stake or trellis for her to grow on.

What is a PPP Plant?

Philodendron Pink Princess is a man-made hybrid of 2 philodendrons. It was made in 1970. Its colors and variegation vary from plant to plant and it depends on its maturity and environmental conditions. It is one of the best and perfect Instagram plants.

Its leaves are large pink colored and waxy. Even its stem is blotched with pink. Its leaves can grow up to 9" (22 cm) long and 5" (12 cm) wide. The pinkness is due to genetic mutations.

Philodendron Pink Princess likes to have a bright light

Pink Princess Philodendron grows well in bright light. You can also provide filtered light but not direct sunlight. So it is best to keep it in the east or west-facing room.

You can also place it in a window where it gets bright indirect sunlight. But if your environment is hot, you should avoid it. Otherwise, your pink princess leaves may turn yellow.

If you see pink princess leaves turning yellow, it is a sign of excessive heat or sunlight. You should bring the plant to a shaded and cool area. You should also increase air humidity if it is less.

BTW, with maturity, some leaves may turn yellow, especially near the bottom stem, which is totally normal as long as other leaves are healthy.

The best soil for Philodendron Pink Princess

The Philodendron Pink Princess and many other indoor plants prefer slightly acidic, nutrients rich, moisturized, and well-draining soil. So it won't become soggy.

To make the best soil for Pink Princess philodendron, mix peat-based soil with perlite or orchid substrate. The fertile and organic peat will provide nutrients and hold moisture, while the other ingredients will help drain excess water.

This philodendron also has subterranean air roots. i.e. It can get moisture from the air and it can be grown in a soilless medium like peat-perlite or sphagnum-moss.

How to water Philodendron Pink Princess?

For watering, you should always check if your philodendron needs it. When watering, pour water in the pot, until it drains out of its drainage holes. OR You can also put the whole pot in water and keep it there until bubbles stop appearing on its surface. Then pull the pot out of the water and let it drain all excess water.

Check the top 1"-2" soil moisture. If it is dry then water, otherwise, you are welcoming fungus gnats and other bugs. Because bugs usually live in the top 1" or 2" damp soil.

Over-watering is the number one mistake beginners make to kill their loving plants, and it happens because they try to look after too much.

Over-watering can cause several growing issues in the pink princess plant. It includes root rots, yellowing leaves, and a wilted appearance.

Keep in mind that philodendron and other house plants need different watering schedules based on many environmental factors. These factors include temperature, air humidity, type of soil, and the nature of plants.

In high temperature and low humid air philodendron pink princess needs to water more often. The same applies to its soil as well. If it drains water quickly and does not hold enough, or drys out soon, then it may need to more often water.

For philodendron pink princess most of the time in majority environments, you'll need to water once every 3 to 5 days. But you should schedule your watering times according to those above factors. OR note the timing when it needs watering.

Best temperature for Philodendron Pink Princess

The PPP plant grows healthy at normal room temperature. The temperature range is between 60°F and 84°F (16°C – 29°C). So the best temperature is about 70°F (~21°C). The general rule to remember is this, if you feel comfortable, your pink princess will also thrive in it.

The Pink Princess should be saved from direct heat or cold draft. Keep it away from hot radiators in the cold season and save it from direct air conditioning streams in the summer. The temperature should be moderate.

How to propagate Philodendron Pink Princess?

Pink Princess Philodendron propagation is done by cuttings from a mature plant.

For Propagation, take a cutting from a stem having at least one leaf and just before a node. Node is the area where each leaf meets the stem or vine. It is the area where both roots and new growth will form.

Now add some rooting hormone to the node, and place it in a jar or bottle of water. So it can get the moisture and you can see the growth easily.

Pro Tip: Change the water every week to increase the chances of success.

In about 10 days to 4 weeks, you'll see some roots coming from the stem. When it becomes a little bigger, place your new philodendron pink princess baby in good well-draining soil.

Pro Tip: Shifting from water to soil may shock your PPP plant. It is normal, but you should keep the moisture in the soil a little more than the normal plant. So its roots get it easily. Do it for some time, and gently shift the moisturizing routine to a normal plant.

Which fertilizer should you use?

All of the indoor plants, which are in pots need fertilizer regularly to grow healthy. Because the soil is limited and most of its nutrients are absorbed by the plant. So, either you need to change the whole soil or give the lacking nutrients.

High-quality fertilizer helps to grow your variegated philodendron healthy. For philodendron pink princess, balanced liquid fertilizer with micro and macro-nutrients is best. In its active growing season (spring-summer), feed it once a month.

Giving too much fertilizer is not good for your plants. It can build up mineral salts which can cause root burn to hinder growth.

If you added too much fertilizer, or just want to remove the fertilizer salt for any other reason. You should run the water freely through the potting mix for up to 5 minutes, depending on your pot size. It'll flush up against your potting soil. Usually, you should flush the soil 2 or 3 times a year.

If you notice that your plant is not growing despite waiting for a very long time. Then you can feed the fertilizer once in 20 days or even 15 days. But this should be your last choice.

How to repot Philodendron Pink Princess?

Philodendron erubescens should be repotted once a year at a younger age or once in 2 years if it is a mature plant. Repotting pink princess encourages growth and refreshes its soil. It also helps to prevent the plant from rootbound.

With time the roots grow so much that their pot becomes smaller for them to further grow in. This is called the rootbound. So repotting such a plant in a about 2" larger container encourage its growth and help drain water easily.

The Pink Princess Philodendron is an expensive plant. So it is best to take extra care when repotting it. Follow the below steps for a successful repotting of this Pink Philo.

• First thing first, the plant should be fully saturated before repotting. For this, give enough water. It is best to do it the day before.
• Now prepare about 2" larger container than what you have right now. Fill it half with potting soil.
• Remove the plant from the old pot. Now gently clear the old soil and prune the rotted roots (if available). Healthy roots should be white or light tan and flexible, not mushy.
• Now put the plant in the new pot, and pour the potting soil into the remaining space. Gently press the soil around the stem to support the plant.
• Water thoroughly.

Pro Tip: Repotting should be done in the active growing season or better, just before the growing season. For Philodendron Pink Princess, it is Spring to Summer.

Pruning Philodendron Pink Princess

Regular pruning encourages growth in philodendron erubescens. When you prune any yellowing or dying leaves, it directs its energy to grow other fresh foliages. Pruning should be done just before or in the active growing season, i.e. spring to fall.

To prune the Philodendron erubescens, make a sharp cut just after the node. I.e. The place where leaves attach to the stem. In this place, new pink and green leaves will come out. Pruning also helps to control the plant height if you need it.

Pest and Diseases?

Philodendron erubescens is a hardy plant and mostly safe from pests and diseases. But there are some that it can infect from. In these pests, mealybugs and aphids are the most common and often for this plant. While for the diseases, pink princess suffers mostly due to over-watering or under-watering. Non-suitable soil and too many fertilizers can also make it ill.

How to care for Philodendron Pink Princess?

To care for the Philodendron Pink Princess plant follow the following steps.

• Keep it in a bright light location where it can get indirect sunlight.
• Water when its top 1" or 2" (2.5 - 5 cm) soil dries.
• Keep it in 60°F and 84°F (16°C – 29°C) temperature.
• Feed liquid fertilizer once a month.
• And prune if needed.
• Keep an eye for its insects and diseases.

The pink princess is very easy to care plant. But there are some extra steps that you should take to keep its beautiful green leaves healthy and keep its vibrant pinky variegations. Because it is a lab-grown species, its variegation may be lost in some parts of the plant.

How to make it more pink?

One of the most frequently asked questions is, how to make pink princess pinker. There are some good tips that have helped others and you can take them as well.

Use better Soil

The first thing that you should think about is the soil. Philodendron erubescens should be grown in well-draining soil. Avoid watering more often as PPP prefers to be dried soil. Check the top up to 2" soil, if it is dry, then water.

Following the better soil step will hopefully give you pinker colors.

Give it some bright light

Philodendron pink princess likes to have bright light. But avoid exposure to direct sunlight, as it may kill your plant. Many have found that bright light encourages better foliage colors.

Also, keep in mind that the foliage variegated color is by itself unstable. So you can make no predictions. But, we can give it, what it likes to have, i.e. indirect bright sunlight.

Increase humidity

This is a bit tricky, as in most of our rooms humidity is not enough for the pink princess. This Pink Philo prefers to be in a more humid area. Which you can increase by spraying water on its leaves or better use a humidifier. Pink princess philodendron likes to have 65%+ humidity.

If the humidity of your room is low, its new leaves may find difficult to grow. They may tear or even stuck or deformed. So whenever you see new leaves grow, increase the air humidity.

The easiest way is to use a humidifier. But you can mist the plant, or use a humidity dome or a clear transparent plastic around it.

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