Hi all.

I am in desperate need of advice. I have a young Anthrium, which was given to me during a very bad spot in life, so it means a lot to me. Recently I've been having issues with it an I'm so scared its going to die.

I have identified a potential pest - a tiny, tiny brown crawling insect. The damage looks so severe for the size of the insect?

It started off looking as if it was being over watered, I've since then religiously watered it with 6 ice cubes a week only. I've repotted it. I've trimmed back the dying parts. It was flowering, but then wilted and died. Stems going weak. New growth is dying. I am now down to just two, small, leaves and I'm so scared if they die the plant is gone. See photos attached and help!!

I can't see any bugs but, give it a bath in some warm soapy water. Stop using ice cubes to water. When the soil surface dries, water. Anthuriums are tropical plants - they don't like cold.

Do you have the plant in a sunny spot?

DaisyI said:

I can't see any bugs but, give it a bath in some warm soapy water. Stop using ice cubes to water. When the soil surface dries, water. Anthuriums are tropical plants - they don't like cold.

Do you have the plant in a sunny spot?

Hey. There's defiantly bugs, some tiny tiny spider/mite looking things. They were in a sunny spot about a month ago, but since then I've kept it in indirect sunlight.

I agree with Daisy...ice cubes are not the thing.

Are there little webs too? Look up spider mites. Same advice though, give it a bath in warm soapy water. Make sure you wash both sides of the leaves and the stems.

Whatever bugs you are seeing are not the cause of your Anthuriums decline. When you repotted you put it in a pot that is too large. In addition, the potting mix you used is the source of the insects and probably is not a good quality potting mix for an Anthurium. The overly large pot and the potting mix are conspiring to keep the soil around the roots too moist for too long and causing them to die. The ice cubes have aggravated the problem.

Your plant is honestly on very shaky grounds right now, I'm sorry to say. I suggest that you very gently unpot it, remove the potting mix, and see if there are any healthy roots remaining. If so, move it into the SMALLEST pot that the roots and barely enough potting soil to cover them will fit into. That is likely to be a pot that is only 3 or 4 inches in diameter. Use a potting mix that is 2 parts peat moss and 1 part perlite. Try to keep that potting mix just barely moist at all times. Move the plant to a warm and moderately sunny indoor location.

You can also grow this as an epiphyte, no soil (the way they do in Hawaii). I have grown a lot of the Anthurium andreanum (flamingo flowers) and Obake types in nothing but a mix of orchid bark, lava rock, and aliflor (compressed clay pellets).

You can also grow Anthurium in a vase of water.

I just bought my first Anthurium. I might have a chance with this plant cause I tend to not water. There appears to be 2-3 plants in this little pot. Do you think I should put it in a slightly bigger pot? Would a terra Cotta pot be okay for this plant?

They don't mind being in small spaces. Anthurium andreanum multiply by making offsets. Over time you can get a clump. Over time they also trunk, and the offsets will start to grow off the trunk vertically and send roots down into the soil to anchor themselves. You can carefully cut these rooted divisions off and start new plants.

Thanks Gina. Do they grow fairly slowly?

It depends on their conditions. If they get a lot of light (bright indirect not burning sun) and lots of water without being waterlogged, and are fed regularly, they will grow fairly quickly. These plants, while retailed as terrestrial (and certainly they can be grown that way) are really epiphytic and lithophytic. That is what they have his growth habit where they kind of stack themselves on the trunk. If you plan to keep it in a container use a really good quality potting soil and amend it heavily with stuck like perlite, orchid bark, even lava rock. The soil needs to be moist but drain very well. I stick them into the crevices of pieces of driftwood between the wood and the soil and shove lava rock and orchid bark in there and they are quite happy

Jeanne - Unless you are experienced with potted Anthuriums, I suggest that you leave it in its existing pot and potting mix. It looks like it is double-potted. If so, take the plastic inner pot to the sink once per week and give it a good soak and then return it after the excess water has drained through the bottom holes. Provide warm temps and lots of bright indirect sunlight such as on a north or east windowsill.

Don't be in a hurry for it to get bigger. Enjoy it as a flowering plant.

@WillC Thank you for the advice. I will keep it in an east window and will leave it in it's existing pot. I will give it a good soaking once a week and watch for it to keep blooming.

Jeanne may you be rewarded with many blooms!