Philodendron caramel marble propagation- A step-by-step guide with pictures

Do you ever think of propagating your philodendron caramel marble plant to increase them in number? It may look very complicated to you. But it is very easy to propagate the caramel marble plant.

Philodendron caramel marble can be easily propagated only by stem cutting in both soil and water. You just need to cut a 4 to 5-inch stem having at least two sets of leaves so that at least one leaf node can be grown on it. Then place it in a water pot, as it takes very well to water and after rooting out, place it into a soil pot. You can also place the cutting straight into a new suitable potting mix and take proper care of the plant.

Philodendron caramel marble will appear with unique colorful leaves that will make a special appearance in your house or garden. Now let’s discuss the process in more detail.

Philodendron Caramel Marble Overview

Philodendron caramel marble is consistently chosen as a house plant because of its unique appearance. Take a quick view of some basic characteristics of it here.

Topics	Description
Scientific name	Philodendron x serratum.
Family	Aracea.
Native	Tropical regions of South America, the wild part in Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Plant-type	Vine, tropical, and epiphyte plant.
Types of leaf	Long, marbled, and serrated leaves with multiple color combinations including dark green, caramel brown, yellow, light green, lime, pink, and others at one plant.
Foliage types	Leathery and glossy in texture with a distinct veining pattern throughout the leaves.
Mature size	About 2 feet tall and up to 16 inches in width.
Time of growth	Summer and spring.
Toxicity	Non-toxic but can be harmful if ingested

How do I get to know if my plant is ready to propagate?

Are you not sure if your plant is ready to propagate? Then take a look at some points to get assurance that the plant is ready to propagate before getting to the propagation method:

1. Healthy Growth: A healthy caramel marble plant can grow up to 2 feet tall and the leaves are a little wavy and can be up to 16 inches long with multiple colors at a time. Then you can be sure that your plant is ready to propagate.

2. Rootbound Condition: This plant has a natural tendency to get rootbound in the mature stage. If the root of the plant is formed into a dense soil there will be little space for further growth meaning it is root bound. Then you can propagate it.

3. Maturity stage: If you can see the roots coming out of the water drainage holes of the pot, then it needs repotting. And at this stage, it can be propagated also.

4. Root rot condition: If you see the roots getting white-gray or blackish and damped because of the overwatering, it’s time to propagate the plant.

5. Watering condition: You may find that the soil dries faster than before. So you need to water the plant more often than before.

Here are the steps from which we can know the proper time to propagate the plant as well as repotting.

Tools needed for Caramel Marble propagation

Here I have mentioned some necessary tools which can make the propagation method easier.

Sharp cutting tools: A sharp scissors or a knife is a must and they have to be disinfected to avoid any improper propagation systems.

Water pot: It is used in the water propagation method to do the rooting of the cuttings into the water.

Mixing/Soil pot: A mixing pot is needed in which the soil can be ready by mixing the suitable soil and fertilizer accordingly for soil propagation.

Watering can: A water can is used to keep watering the plants after a certain time to avoid the soil from drying out completely.

Hanging rope: It is used to hang the plant if it is required for proper sunlight or if the homies want to decorate the house with the plants.

How to propagate philodendron caramel marble?

It is very easy and cost-efficient to propagate caramel marble for beginners and is commonly propagated from stem cuttings. As stem cuttings are straightforward, it makes them popular with the homies.

Additionally, the stem-cutting propagation method can be done in two ways. They are 

• Propagation in water.
• Propagation in soil.

Both of these ways can be done with minimal effort. In this article, detailed information on how to propagate philodendron caramel marble will be found. Let’s have a look.

Stem cutting propagation method

Stem cutting is the most popular method and can be easily done even by beginners just following a few steps. Let’s deep dive into the steps

Step-1: Selecting a healthy stem: At first, the most essential work is selecting a healthy stem from a mature and healthy plant having at least two leaves. Keep in mind that the stem has to be free of any signs of fungal infections or disease or pests.

Step-2: Making the clean cut: After selecting the stem, another important step is to make a clean cut in one stroke by using a pair of sharp and disinfected shears or a knife.

You should cut the stem about 3 to 4 inches below the leaf node. Make sure to sterilize your cutting tool before and after use to prevent any kind of infection.

Step-3: Prepare the cutting: Then remove the lower leaves from the cutting, leaving at least two leaves at the top. This will focus its energy on the developing root.

Then dip the cut stem into a rooting hormone. Though it is not a must, it can be done for a faster and healthier rooting process.

Step-4: choosing the propagation way: (1) In case of water propagation: Place the cut part into a water pot containing fresh water at room temperature. Keep it in bright and indirect sunlight.

Ensure that the node is underwater and the leaves are out of the water. Keep changing the water about once a week. Then after 2 to 3 weeks, the cut starts growing roots about 2 to 3 inches.

Then, transfer them to a well-draining, moist, and peat-based potting mix. You should keep in mind that it may need some time to adjust to the transition from water to soil. So, you should start caring for the cutting like a normal plant.

(2) In case of soil propagation: Place the prepared cutting directly into a soil pot containing suitable potting mix instead of placing it into the water like water propagation.

Make sure that the soil must be moist, but not soggy and at least 2 to 3 inches of the stem containing at least one node must be buried into the potting mix. But all the leaves should be out of the mix.

When a root system develops, start treating your cutting like a normal plant. Then pot it up into a bigger and more permanent pot.

Step-5: Provide optimum conditions: Finally, you should keep in mind that the pot should be in a place having plenty of bright and indirect light. Because direct sunlight causes sunburn or damage to the plant.

You should maintain humidity and consistent moisture in the potting mix and avoid overwatering. In about 4-6 weeks your cutting may develop roots and begin to grow new leaves.

Following any of these procedures, you can easily increase the number of philodendron caramel marble plants to enrich your home garden and also to gift the beautiful plant to your near and dear ones who love plants. 

Precautions during propagation

Though the propagation of philodendron caramel marble is very simple and easy, some precautions have to be taken care of.

• The cutting scissors or the knife should be sharp enough to cut the stem from the knife smoothly.
•  The cutting scissors or, the knife should be disinfected so that the cutting stem should not get affected by any kind of bacteria.
• The cutting stem has to be at least 4 to 5 inches long with a minimum of 2 leaves on it.
• The leaves should be removed from the bottom of the stem and not from the top of the stem.
• The stem should be placed in the water in such a way that the exposed nodes will be under the water for rooting.
• The water used in the propagation should change at least once a week to give fresh water to the plant for healthy growth.
• We have to keep in mind that the soil used in the propagation should not dry out completely. So we should check and water the plant accordingly. 

Tips to take care after propagation

Philodendron caramel marble needs very little ongoing care. Still, some special care should be taken to the newly potted caramel marble for proper growth and maturity. They are given below.

• Location with sunlight: To grow, philodendron caramel marble requires plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. Ideally, it should provide a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day. But, if you grow them outdoors, you have to keep them away from direct, and excess sunlight to prevent sunburn.
  Again, indoors, the plant has to keep to the brightest area like the sunny south-facing window.

• Types of soil: The rich organic, airy, and well-draining potting soil is ideal for this plant.
  Always make sure that you use soil with good drainage as this will allow the soil to drain excess water quickly and prevent root rot after watering.

• Water: Caramel marble is very sensitive to water. So we should take care to avoid overwatering.
  Water them once part of the soil dries. It is important to let the soil dry between waterings because the plant is susceptible to too much moisture.

• Temperature and humidity: Philodendron caramel marble can grow in regular household temperature and humidity, as they are epiphyte in nature, and humidity is not a requirement. But we should keep them away from extreme temperatures.

• Fertilization: Philodendron caramel marble gets benefits from regular fertilization during its growing season (spring and summer). Use a balanced fertilizer every 2 weeks to provide the necessary nutrients.
  Besides, for foliage growth, we should use fertilizers that are high in nitrogen and when the blooming time comes, change the fertilizer containing a high amount of phosphorus for better blooming.

• Control pests: Sometimes few pests attack healthy plants and these are – spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, etc.
  To control these pests, we should use insecticides or, neem oil or, or a mild soap water solution by spraying them on the plants.

• Control common problems: Though philodendron caramel marble grows very easily, it may face some problems or diseases like leaf spots, leaf drop, stem dieback, root rot, faded leaf color, etc. due to improper care and precautions.
  To avoid these problems we have to take very special care and precautions for healthy plants.

Final thoughts

Gradually, I reached the end of my details. Finally, we can see that the philodendron caramel marble is very easy to propagate. From the entire discussion, let’s recap what we get from this article.

• The philodendron caramel marble propagation system is undoubtedly a simple process as you need not gather much equipment.
• Besides, your home garden or room corner can also be decorated by colorful and small-sized plants of philodendron caramel marble.
• You need to give a little attention to maintenance. But a pretty look will be provided in your room by their green glace.

Understanding all the points, you just need to take little care and precautions with the plant to avoid damage, choose the best one for yourselves, and have a delightful journey with a philodendron caramel marble plant.

Wait!! Wait!! You are reaching the end of the article. You can also read our step-by-step Propagation Guide on Philodendron cordatum.