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Sometimes a flue of nature results in something truly awful .
Such was the case with the Philodendron ‘ Rojo Congo ’ ( fil - Ohio - DEN - dron ROH - jo KON - go ) , a popular cultivar first created in 1996 .
One leaf on the works spontaneously mutate to show unique variegation .
The folio was clipped and circulate successfully , lead in a surprisingly stable variegated athletics name Philodendron ‘ Birkin ’ .
Such tales within the Araceae kin come about more often due to how democratic aroid plants are , but it ’s still a relatively rare natural event to get a unchanging one .
The repeated ‘ Birkin ’ has quickly grown in popularity since its presentation , and it ’s sometimes have-to doe with to by the byname “ white-hot waving . ”
Philodendron ‘Birkin’ Care
Size And Growth
‘ Birkin’isn’t the largest character of philodendronby any substance , but its moderate growth charge per unit and bushier form make up for this fact .
When properly supported , they will usually achieve a maximal acme of around 19″ to 32″ column inch .
Their not climbers and the support is in the main needed to help forbid them from tilting under their weight .
The main draw of this flora is its vary , evergreen foliage , which place bright yellow to creamy white-hot pinstripe on a dour green background .
The leaf form are ellipse to heart - shaped with a gentle point and may develop scandalmongering margin .
Young leaves miss this variegation and are a lighter refinement of green , adding additional layers of contrast .
On rare occasions , leaf may even develop in scarlet or ointment tone of voice .
tote up to that blockheaded lime hydrate - green stem , and it ’s easy to see why ‘ Birkin ’ is so well - loved .
Flowering And Fragrance
As with most philodendrons , ‘ Birkin ’ wo n’t bloom indoors outside of very rarified instances .
Light And Temperature
Your Philodendron ‘ Birkin ’ has the same tolerance to partial wraith as its kin group , but you may wish to stick to the bright side of things .
Avoiding verbatim sunlight , stick your ‘ Birkin ’ near a cheery window , rather with collateral , dappled , or diffused light exposure for 6 to 10 hours per day .
Grow lamps are an fantabulous stilted option , although a combining of fluorescent and incandescent lighting will work to a less point .
observe that dark conditions will have the variegation to fade .
As with most philodendrons , ‘ Birkin ’ prefers a somewhat high humidness of around 60 % percent but can handle most humidness conditions .
If you ’re uprise it in a particularly waterless room , try providing your ‘ Birkin ’ with a pebble tray or low personal humidifier .
Just be sure to keep the humidifier or other potential draft sources confront away from the industrial plant , as it does n’t like sudden temperature changes .
talk of temperature , your ‘ Birkin ’ has the same temperature range as most philodendrons — ideally between 60 ° and 75 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
Anything over 85 ° degrees Fahrenheit or below 50 ° degrees Fahrenheit can stunt your industrial plant ’s emergence and possibly even damage or toss off it .
Plants , like people , need some variation between nighttime and say for both lighting and temperature , so a good pattern of thumb is to make the room 5 ° to 10 ° degrees Fahrenheit cooler at Nox than during the day .
It ’s rarified to see most philodendrons uprise outside in the US , although plant owner often bring them outdoors during the summer calendar month .
Likely , you wo n’t be able to grow the plant in the ground without a cold-blooded frame or some other form of winter security , but philodendrons are well make love as houseplant anyway .
Watering And Feeding
Like most philodendron like humidity , ‘ Birkin ’ truly prefers the sauna to a bath .
In other words , it has a little more sensitiveness to wet dirt than its kin .
That ’s not to say you should let the soil dry out out completely .
rather , expend the soakage - and - dry method to help ensure your ‘ Birkin ’ become just the right amount .
Simply send your fingerbreadth in the soil to assure how dry it is .
Philodendrons generally call for tearing when the soil is dry 1 ” column inch down , but ‘ Birkin ’ will likely choose 1 ½ ” to 2 ” inches .
If the plant life evidence signs of dehydration when watering at 2 ” in , try doing so at 1 ½ ” inches .
Also , keep in mind that around 98 % per centum of the water system industrial plant consume go to transpiration ( similar to sudation ) , so the more humid the room , the less piddle the works will need .
During the develop time of year , philodendrons broadly profit from a piece of fertilizer .
Use a balanced melted houseplant plant food ( organic , when possible ) once per month , but be trusted to dilute back in fall and winter – even though the flora is evergreen , it still has a respite menstruum .
If want , you could supply some coffee grounds ( be sure to admit an organic portion such as tear up the coffee filter ) or other N boosts at the beginning of spring to help encourage new ontogeny .
Soil And Transplanting
Although in effect drainage is a must , most received potting mixes will go well for your ‘ Birkin . ’
Philodendrons like an acidic to neutral pH , and this cultivar will be happiest around 6.5 to 6.7 .
To improve drain , you may wish well to amend the grime with an aggregate such as perlite or common sand .
as well , organic matter such as cocoanut coir or sphagnum moss can help feed the plant while maintaining longer pH level .
you may also use a soilless commixture of sphagnum moss and perlite , peat moss and vermiculite , or utilize straight sphagnum moss .
As with other philodendron , ‘ Birkin ’ will need to be repot every 2 to 3 old age , preferably in the spring .
alumna one container size larger if you see beginning jab out of the pot ’s drainage holes .
Even if not rootbound , this is an first-class time to replace the pot medium with fresh textile , as the old mix will be mostly drained of nutrient and likely has a buildup of salts and other toxins .
Grooming And Maintenance
you’re able to prune damaged or pathological farewell in the fall or fountain .
Not only will this help encourage raw ontogenesis , but it will also check the plant keeps a courteous shaggy-haired shape .
Just check that not to get too enthusiastic , as it can take time for ‘ Birkin ’ to grow replenishment leaves .
You will also want to wipe the leaves down each week , using Dawn dish Georgia home boy and water or a neem folio shine .
Avoid using commercial products , as these often contain chemical substance that ‘ Birkin ’ can be sensible to .
How To Propagate ‘Birkin’?
Unlike many other democratic philodendron cultivars , this plant is n’t patented , but propagation is still a fiddling knavish .
Because the plant results from self-generated chimeric genetic mutation , they are most commonly produced via tissue culture .
It ’s a highly stable plant , but due to how new it is , there ’s a chance that spread from seed or even cuttings can lead in the new plants revert to ‘ Rojo Congo . ’
You could also end up with a totally unexpected sport , which may be either fun or frustrative , depending on your goal in circularize the works .
White Wave Pests Or Diseases
As with most philodendrons , ‘ Birkin ’ is tolerant to magnetic declination in humidness .
As a result , it ’s not prone to pests or disease , although the common defendant can still take up hall .
These let in :
Meanwhile , ascendant rot is the bragging disease risk .
High humidity or the presence of honeydew melon can attract fungal contagion , such as :
All philodendron plants bear calcium oxalate crystals , which are toxic to pets ( and not that great for humans , either ) .
Be sure to keep your ‘ Birkin ’ plant away from tiny , curious hands and paws , so nobody gets sick .
Uses of Philodendron ‘Birkin’
This works can be a real showstopper , thanks to its variegation .
While it bet peachy in a hang basket or on a bookshelf or mesa , you ’ll require to give it a piddling funding , so it does n’t set out lean to one side .
As long as it perplex enough light , ‘ Birkin ’ is an excellent choice for the kitchen or bathroom .
It even has the philodendron asset of being a clean atmosphere plant , tot up function to form .
