2 Ways to Recover a Leafless Anthurium (or Bald😁)

Question: I have had an Anthurium for 4 years and it grows and flowers well, but it has gone bald at the base of the stem. I know I need to replant, but can I do it by hiding part of the bare stem with potting soil?
Clelia

Perhaps, you are in the same situation (or a very similar one) as Clelia, you want to retrieve a leafless anthurium, because although he does not have another health problem, the aesthetics leaves much to be desired.

In the following paragraphs, we will deal with how to transplant an anthurium without leaves, so that he recovers and we will also talk about how make an anthurium cutting, so you can recover two plants instead of just one.

How to recover an anthurium without leaves

Anthurium (Anthurium) is a popular houseplant, capable of flowering year-round.
It has an inflorescence in the shape of a spathe (modified leaf), waxy and leathery, red, pink, white, purple, green or bicolor in color, with a narrow yellow to cream spadix (spike) in the center. Its leaves are heart-shaped.
There are more than 1000 species of Anthurium.

In many respects, anthurium is like a phalaenopsis orchidsince it produces like her thick aerial roots on a stem gradually lengthening, thinning at the base over time.

When it comes to recovering a leafless anthurium, yes you bury the bare stemNot only will the plant appear shorter and denser and therefore more attractive, but the buried roots will lengthen and give the plant renewed vigor.

Also, after several years (more than 3), the old soil is probably compacted and contaminated with mineral salts. Therefore, it is better to remove much of it when transplanting.

How to transplant an Anthurium with the stem without leaves

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First of all, you can transplant an anthurium in any season, but the best time is in spring or early summer, since then it recovers very quickly.

Also, you need a very aerated potting soil, maybe a normal soil for houseplants mixed with an orchid soil. You can transplant into a pot about 4-8 cm bigger than the original.

Water well a few hours before transplanting:

This reduces the shock to the roots and will also allow us to manage the root ball better. Also remove the stem stipules (small brown growths that remain on the stem).

To remove the plant from its pot, invert the pot holding the stem between your fingers and firmly tap the bottom of the pot. This should release the root ball. Then, tug on the container to remove it.

If the plant won't budge, try running a knife between the soil and the pot. Sometimes you will have to break the pot to remove it.

The roots are likely to be all over the root ball (this is typical for anthuriums) - if so, pull them to spread. Remove as much of the old soil as you can and cut off any dead or rotten roots with pruning shears.

If there is more than one plant in the pot (this is usually the case), you can take advantage of this transplant to divide your plant. Spread the plants a bit and just untangle their roots. Then, fill them in individually.

The plant has likely produced such a mass of roots that it is difficult to transplant it properly. If so, removes roots from the lower third of the root ball. Yes, it reduces the height of the root ball by a third. Do not be afraid to do it: it will not bother the plant, but will stimulate a better recovery.

Add some substrate to the bottom of the new pot, and then place the plant in it, pushing it down if necessary to bring it to the desired level. Do you want to bare stem is almost buried at the end of the transplant process.

Keeping the plant in place, add the soil, pushing it through the roots with a toothpick or your fingers. You want the plant to be "nods firmly”-That it stays in place without you having to hold it- in its new environment.

Next, water well and place the plant in the shade for a few days, and then in your preferred setting, which is good light, but not too much direct sun.

If there is a lot of bare stem, make a cutting of Anthurium

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Sometimes the leafless anthurium has grown so large, producing such an elongated bare stem - 10, 15, 20 cm or more! - that it is not possible to replant by covering the bare stem with soil.
In this case, it makes more sense take cuttings from the top of the plant than simply replanting the plant.

For cut your anthurium without leaves at the base:

• • Cut the stem to a length of 8 to 15 cm.
  • Again, give it a good cleaning, removing the brown stipules (such as mini-works), some lower leaves, and all the flowers as well.
  • Use the same potting soil as suggested for the adult plant.

• Fill a clean pot the size of the original with potting soil to 1 inch from the edge and use a toothpick or pencil to poke a hole in the center.
• Insert the cutting into the hole and fill with a little substrate to keep it upright.
• Water well.
• The plant should be grown in a greenhouse (under plastic) with moderate light and good heat until you see new leaves, a sign that the cutting has taken root.

Nevertheless, do not throw away the base of the plant, If not, transplant it as described above. After a few weeks, a new stem will emerge from the old one and the plant will grow back.

Then you will have two anthuriums instead of one!

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]In the future…

Get in the habit of transplanting your anthurium every 2 years or so, when the bare stem is still relatively short and easy to bury and before the soil has had time to become contaminated. In this way, your anthurium will always be beautiful and you will not have to look for how to recover an anthurium without leaves.