Dark green and glossy variegated leaves are the prime properties of Aglaonema. Especially, Red Aglaonema can pour the heart out indoors, which is easy to grow.
This article will address a list of conditions that must be met to care for your Aglaonema plant properly.
Table of Contents Show
Overview of Red Aglaonema
Red Aglaonema boasts of being a no-fuss tropical plant with red and pink touch in the glossy foliage. Look below for more information.
| Indicator | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aglaonema commutatum |
| Family | Araceae |
| Native | Southeast Asia |
| USDA Zone | Zones 10-11 (may vary depending on specific species) |
| Plant Type | Perennial, evergreen |
| Grown For | Ornamental foliage |
| Plant Size | Varies depending on species, typically 2-3 feet tall |
| Leaves | Glossy, large, heart-shaped leaves with vibrant red color |
| Flowers | Arum-like flowers with a white or yellow spadix |
| Plant Lifespan | Indeterminate |
| When to Plant | Can be planted year-round indoors, in tropical regions |
| Level of Care | Moderate |
| Availability | Widely available |
How to Care for Red Aglaonema
Most gardeners or people prefer Red Aglaonema as the tabletop houseplants. Besides, you use a low-floor plant until it grows taller and wider.
Take the following expert advice to grow and care for your Aglonema.
1. Bright Indirect Light
Aglaonema prefers dappled, diffused, medium, or bright indirect light, so you need to locate it near the east and west-facing windows.
If you keep your plant outdoors, grow it under an umbrella tree so that it remains safe from sun burn.
Ensure that your plant gets 75-90% shade or 1250-3000-foot candles of light.
Aglaonemas with variegated leaves require more light than those with deeper green foliage. However, the majority of them do well in partial shade.
Nonetheless, during winter, you may need to relocate the Aglaonema to a brighter spot. The cooler weather and shorter days may slow the plant’s growth.
2. Proper Watering Habits
While excessive watering would hurt the Aglaonema plant, it prefers moist soil, not wet.
Before watering a Red Aglaonema houseplant to attain this proportion, allow the top 25 – 30% of the soil to dry up properly.
It would help if you watered your Aglaonema more frequently during the summer and warmer months.
Watering should be reduced throughout the winter or cooler months to minimize root rot and tipping.
3. Ideal Temperature
Aglaonema will be particular about the temperature and humidity of the air it breathes. However, they are susceptible to cold.
Aglaonema flourishes in a warm, humid, and light environment.
They should never be placed in an area where the temperature drops below 60°F since the plant will begin to show signs of cold damage if it does.
It is best to keep the temperature between 60°F and 75°F.
4. Tropical Humidity
As a tropical houseplant, Red Aglaonema prefers high humidity, so you may install a humidifier if you live in cold places.
If you want to raise the humidity level for the houseplants, practice the following tasks.
- Make a table tray and place it under the planter.
- Mist the Aglaonema leaves 3 to 5 times a week with quality water
- Place the houseplants in a bathroom and kitchen with ample light.
5. Soil Mix
This green-leaf infant grows well in a standard houseplant mix.
It’s best to use peat-based potting soil with plenty of perlites. The soil for Aglaonema plants should be able to retain enough moisture without becoming wet.
The most crucial thing to remember is that the soil must drain effectively and be nitrogen-rich.
6. Fertilizer Requirements
When Aglaonema plants are fertilized regularly throughout the year, from spring to fall, they thrive even more.
It’s critical not to overfertilize the plant. Overfertilizing your houseplants can produce salt build-up, which can cause the roots to burn.
A 20-10-10 NPK is recommended if you’re utilizing a synthetic fertilizer.
One part of houseplant soil, one part peat moss, and one part perlite can be mixed. You might also add some orchid bark to improve drainage and organic matter.
7. Repotting the Plant
You only need to change pots every 2 to 3 years because Aglaonemas are slow-growing houseplants.
Fresh soil should be used to repot Aglaonema. This not only replenishes the soil but also allows you to divide or increase the size of your plant’s pot if desired.
Too much water in the soil might cause root rot and drown your plant.
Plants are at their strongest during the growing season; thus, repotting should be done in the spring or summer.
8. Pruning
Cut the stems to 2 -3 inches (5 -7 cm) above the soil line for grooming.
Trimming encourages the growth of a bushy houseplant and removes any dead foliage.
Cut off dead leaves or leaves with brown tips if Aglaonema needs to be groomed. Cut the stem near where it grows out of the earth to remove these leaves.
9. Rotating Frequently
Crop rotation is utilized to keep your soil healthy and fertile while reducing pest damage and limiting the spread of plant diseases.
So, rotate your plant regularly to guarantee development on all sides, and dust the leaves frequently to ensure effective photosynthetic efficiency.
This is especially crucial if the plant is in a low-light environment, as the plant’s ability to photosynthesize is reduced.
Red Aglaonema Foliage & Flower
Because Aglaonema blooms aren’t particularly beautiful, they’re frequently mistaken for leaves.
Their flowers are made up of a white or green spathe (a spoon-like shell) and a spadix (pollination site).
If you are unaware that these plants can blossom, you may never notice the flowers because they differ significantly from normal flowers.
Blooms can last up to five days and are most noticeable in late spring and early summer.
Tips to Take Care of Red Aglaonema Flowers
- Nurture the roots to ensure healthy plants and plentiful blooms, and keep in mind that it is through them that plants acquire nutrients and water from the soil.
- Conditioning the flowers by removing the foliage causes all of the water’s energy to go to the flower’s head rather than the leaves, allowing the blooms to absorb more water.
- Water moderately, as excessive watering encourages foliage growth, whereas a lack of water may cause the plant to lose its blossom buds.
Red Aglaonema Problems
Though Aglaonema plants are hardy with the draught condition, they are susceptible to some plant issues.
1. Pest Infestation
While the Red Aglaonema is not particularly sensitive to pests or diseases, it can occasionally succumb to common houseplant problems like scale, mealybugs, or spider mites.
| Pests | Symptoms of Infestation | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Scale Insects | Scale insects deplete the sap of essential plants, making them feeble and causing their leaves to yellow and fall off. | To remove and kill damaged plant components, scrub scales from twigs with a soft brush and soapy water, then rinse. Dormant oil or summer oil spray should be used to treat larger infestations. |
| Spider Mites | Because they feed on plant liquids, they zap a plant's vigor by causing leaves to turn yellow, brown, or gray and drop off. | Saturate plants, especially the undersides of leaves, with insecticidal soap, neem oil extract, or a sulfur-based pesticide, or spray with insecticidal soap, neem oil extract, or a sulfur-based insecticide. |
| Mealy Bugs | They eat the sap from the leaves, causing stunted and distorted growth as well as, in certain circumstances, plant death. | A cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol can be used to remove individual mealybugs. It's also possible to apply an insecticidal soap spray. |
| Aphids | They are found on the underside of the foliage and take the vital fluid off of red aglaonema. A large number of aphids will stunt growth, distort leaves, and cover the plant in honeydew. | Wipe indoor plant with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing oil, spray water hose on the outdoor plant to force aphids off the plant, and use insecticidal soap for a larger infection. |
Before the plant begins to wither down with pest invasion, regularly inspect for insect eggs and apply a neem oil as prevention.
2. Plant Diseases
Root rot is not an actual disease but a symptom of overwatering. However, it can cause other plant diseases or fungal or bacterial attacks.
Besides, fungal spots including anthracnose and myrothecium spots can be common in Red Aglaonema.
These fungal symptoms invite brown scars and identical holes in leaves.
All you need to do is spray a copper fertilizer on the leaves but ensure to keep it soaking overnight.
3. Other Plant Issues
- Brown leaves
- Fading leaf color
- Yellow leaves
- Limp leaves
These unhealthy symptoms are the result of old Red Aglaonema. If not, they are only the consequence of the lacking plant care, which you must fix after diagnosing each cause.
How To Propagate Red Aglaonema
Aglaonema stems cuttings are very easy to reproduce in water or soil.
Steps to Propagate Red Aglaonema
All you have to do to propagate a Red Aglaonema is follow the steps below.
- Carefully remove the root ball from the pot.
- Look for sections with at least two or three leaves developing on them.
- Make a diagonal incision below a leaf node in the shoot’s stem with a clean, sharp blade or gardening shears.
- Remove a couple of the cutting’s bottom leaves.
- If you are using the soil method, fill a small plant container with well-draining potting soil.
- Soak the dirt, then make a hole a few inches deep with your finger or a pencil and plant the cutting.
- To secure the cutting, carefully pat the earth around the root.
- If you use the water approach, fill a glass or jar with enough water to cover the leaf nodes.
- Then submerge the cutting in the water.
Planting your cutting in water is not only a quick and easy way to reproduce, but it’s also a fascinating way to watch the roots grow.
If you’re trying the water approach, make sure you replace the water when it gets hazy. In four to six weeks, the plant should have new roots.
After that, continue to look after your plants as usual.
Toxicity of Red Aglaonema
According to the ASPCA, Chinese Evergreen or Red Aglaonema plants contain insoluble calcium oxalates.
If swallowed, these poisonous crystals can irritate mucous membranes. Furthermore, when the juice comes into contact with the skin, it can cause an unpleasant rash and discomfort.
If anything mishaps, contact the following details:
- Pet Poison Helpline: 855-764-7661
- Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA): 888-426-4435
From Editorial Team
Conclusion!
Red Aglaonema helps growers with poor indoors and gives out reddish coloration.
To grow and care for it, consider the tropical requirements, including weekly watering, high humidity, indirect bright light, and monthly feeding.
