How to Grow & Care for Philodendron 'Rojo Congo' (2023)

Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ is a plant that originated from South America and you can see them in the understories of the jungle where it is warm humid. Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ is a species that is a cross between two plants such as the Imperial Red Philodendron and the Tatei. If you are thinking of planting Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ then in this article you are guided on how to grow and care for them.

Quick takeaways:

Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ is a plant having large foliage having a deep burgundy red hue.

Their color changes to dark green after they get mature.

They do love the same environment that wild family members of plants love.

Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ leaves grow up to 12 inches wide and 18 inches.

The following images show some important points that you need to consider while growing Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ that is further explained in detail below:

Grow & Care for Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’

For growing Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ there are some important requirements you need to fulfill as they are understory plants that love the warm and humid environment. The following are important requirements for growing Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’:

Light
Watering
Temperature
Humidity
Soil
Fertilizer
Potting and repotting
Pruning
Propagation

Light:

If the plant is grown in the forest the light comes to the plant by a tree canopy and the rays of the sun pass on their way to the forest floor.
If the plant is grown at home then the light requirement is from 10,000 to 20,000 lux which is bright, indirect light.
Planting the Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ in the North or east window is suitable for meeting the light requirement
If you plant them in a South or west-facing room you need to find a place out of the full sunlight as that will damage the leaves of the plant.

Temperature:

The temperature requirement for planting Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ ranges from 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you plant them at a higher temperature they grow faster and tend to have bigger leaves.
The temperature tolerance of Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ is below 55°F.
Avoid the plant from the cold windows that can damage the plant.
They don’t have any first hardiness so the freezing temperatures will kill the plant.

Watering:

You need to Water the plant Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ to keep the soil moist but don’t let them sop wet.
When we compare it with rainforest planting the rains are regular and the soil drains quickly so the root of Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ is never submerged in water.
When you notice that the top two inches of the soil is out you need to water them. There is no need for a regular watering schedule; rather than that you can check it with the finger to find how wet the soil is.
You should water the plant with distilled or rainwater.

Humidity:

The humidity requirement of Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ is moderately high.
The ideal humidity for Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ is 60% or more.
If you find that the leaves of the plant are turning brown on tips or margins on leaves then that is high time to provide the plant with high humidity.
If you provide the plant with misting it will help the plant to boost up the growth and the wet leaves will help you to foster disease.
You can also use a water-filled with pebble tray and keep plants on it.
Another option for maintaining the humidity is by buying a humidifier.

Soil:

In case of fulfilling the soil requirement you need to consider two key things such as the soil needs to stay moist evenly and needs to be drained well.
The plant is not able to grow or tolerate the soggy soil.
You need to have the ph level of the soul that is from 5.5 to 6.
The perfect condition of the soil is 100% peat moss which is able to retain moisture and helps roots from being drowned.
If you add well rotted compost then there is no need to add fertilizer for Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’.

Fertilizer:

In case, if you have not added any compost to the soil mix then you need to use fertilizer.
You can use the balanced fertilizer ratio in 3-1-3 or 3-1-2 and will make leaves grow.
You can add liquid fertilizer by diluting it to half-strength and use the mixture once a month.
Always add fertilizer after watering Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’.
You can add the fertilizer monthly during the growing season such as in spring and summer and don’t add it during fall and winter.

Potting & Repotting:

You need to repot the Philodendron Rojo Congo every year unless the plant grows to the full size.
You will find the roots are growing out of the drainage holes as it is high time for repotting the plant.
For repotting a plant you need to change the pot and move the plant to a larger pot size.
To choose the pot you need to just increase an inch Or 2 inches as choosing a larger size will not be as good for their growth.
You need to make sure that the pot has enough drainage holes.

Pruning:

The Philodendron Rojo Congo is able to grow into its natural shape and does remain compact and neat and doesn’t need shaping.
If you find any dead leaves on the plant you need to trim it off so that it doesn’t spread the infection to the whole plant.
If you find brown edges along the margins of Philodendron Rojo Congo you can cut the whole leaf using small, sharp scissors rather than cutting the whole leaf.

Propagation:

The Philodendron Rojo Congo can be propagated by dividing the offsets because most of the work is already done by the plant already.
You can propagate the plant when you are repotting as that time you have removed the root ball from the pot.
You need to check small plantlets that you can find around the edges of the mother plant.
While propagating you need to make sure they got both roots and stem.

Conclusion:

For planting the Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ growing you need you need to properly maintain the environment for growing them and I have properly explained it according to my experience in gardening.

Author
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Becky Decker

Howdy, I am Becky, I love dedicating my time to Gardening Hood to help you learn about experiences that I faced by Winning or Losing strategies applied in my Gardening Experience.
I am usually trying new strategies to increase the success of new plants in the Garden, I try my best to publish those on Gardening Hood as soon as possible.

How to Grow & Care for Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ (2023)