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by Callum
(Leeds)

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This it the remainder of my first pink princess philodendron. I have propagated all the other nodes in February and left this stump in the soil hoping it would come back.

It hasn’t done much and since the roots have decayed. I want to bring this wet stick back to life but I’m unsure whether there is any hope at this point. However I love a challenge and I want to bring her back!

This is what I have done so far and what I intend on doing, please share your suggestions 🙂:

  • I took it out of the substrate, and thoroughly rinsed the roots.
  • I pulled the dead, mushy roots. There are still some ”hairy-looking” roots that were the inside of the previous roots. Let me know if I should cut those as well 🤔.
  • I thought about sprinkling some cinnamon on the roots since it is fungicide.
  • I want to put the whole thing in some moist sphagnum moss with a tiny bit of worm castings and, maybe, some mycorrhiza (I heard/read somewhere that they aid in plant recovery? Please let me know if this is untrue or would be unnecessary/detrimental)
  • then I will put it in a clear plastic cup and cover it with cling film to maintain the humidity.
  • it will go to my rehab room, which is literally my boiler room with some grow lights, so it will be kept warm, moist, and will have light as well.

Is there anything else you would suggest? I’m out of hydroxide peroxide or physan20 so I don’t know if I should maybe sanitise the whole thing any other type of way?

I would love to hear your suggestions 🙂

Comments for Pink princess philodendron stump recovery

Apr 23, 2022

Above and Beyond
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

You are more determined than I would be! I probably wouldn’t hold out a lot of hope that this will cling to life and recover to make a thriving happy plant, but you’re doing everything possible to make that happen.

I might cut off any roots that don’t look viable, as they could spread the rotting to the healthier parts.

Use cinnamon by all means. I prefer natural fungicides to chemical.

For the mycorrhizae, what the heck, it can’t hurt. I’ve never seen any reports of adverse reactions by the plant to the fungus, so give it a try.

Please let me know if this works and the plant recovers its zest for life!


Apr 24, 2022

Auxiliary bud?
by: Callum

I have researched further on this and I can’t really see an auxiliary bud. How can I identify it and do plants grow one even if you can’t see it?


Apr 24, 2022

You may not see it
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

You may not see a bud, because there isn’t one, but just in case there is, this is when you will stand back and let it be. Yes, sometimes the auxiliary buds are not developed much and too small to see. If there isn’t one, the plant can’t grow.

I’ve seen leaves of plants like Hoya kerria, which are heart shaped, rooted, but there is no way the plant can grow as there are no buds, so this is a dead end. The plant (the leaf) survives for a while because it has roots, but nothing else will ever happen as there is no bud. So it’s just a novelty item.

Be patient!