Rhaphidophora Decursiva Complete Plant Care Guide

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Looking for a unique houseplant that changes shape as it matures? Rhaphidophora Decursiva is a plant that transforms into something entirely different over time. Put a young plant next to a mature plant, and you’ll think they’re two entirely different plants. Rhaphidophora Decursiva is incredibly easy to take care of and makes for a great houseplant for beginners.

Rhaphidophora Decursiva main care directions.

Light. Place this plant in bright indirect sunlight, near a south, east, or west facing window. This plant also works under plant grow lights like T5 Barrina grow lights (what I use and keep my plant under).
Water. Stick your finger in two inches deep into the soil – if it’s dry, it’s time to water your plant.
Soil. This plant should sit in a well-draining potting mix. Use a homemade recipe or a high quality potting mix like Fox Farm Ocean Forest.
Humidity. No special humidity requirements. I keep my R. Decursiva in regular household humidity (20%).

Rhaphidophora Decursiva thrive in the home with these care tips.

Light

This plant thrives under bright light conditions. Bright light conditions would be a spot near a south, east, or west facing window. If you’re not sure which direction windows you have, use a free compass app on your phone.

Morning sun typically comes into north and east facing windows, and it’s known to be the weakest, least amount of sun. West and south facing windows get a ton of intense sunlight making this a great spot for plants. However, if you put a plant right next to a south or west facing window, make sure to place a sheer curtain on the window to create some dappled sunlight. You never want your houseplants sitting in direct sunlight (unless it’s a cactus, of course).

Don’t have a lot of sunlight coming into the home? No worries, use plant grow lights like I do. I have two greenhouses and one shelf that store about 100 plants. They’re all growing under T5 Barrina plant grow lights. T5 Barrina plant grow lights is a full spectrum sunlight replacement.

They are incredibly easy to install and haven’t raised my electricity bill a noticeable amount. You can even use these lights for plants in a seedling, vegetative, or flowering cycle. These lights include double-sided tape, clips, and cable ties. I use the double-sided tape to stick the lights on.

Water

Rhaphidophora Decursiva need a good drink when the top two inches of soil dry out. There are two popular methods for figuring out your plants soil moisture level. The most common is using the free method, which is sticking your finger into the plants soil. If the soil feels wet, hold off on watering and come back in a few days. If the soil feels dry, it’s time to water.

If you have trouble knowing when to water your plant, I find a moisture meter really helps. I use this moisture meter and it’s easy and convenient to use. This handy tool doesn’t require batteries and helps me check plants in hard to reach places. Insert the moisture meter probe about 2-5 inches into the soil. If the meter reads on the dryer side, it’s time to water the plant.

Soil

Rhaphidophora Decursiva thrive in well-draining soil. When a plant lives in well-draining soil, this allows oxygen to flow around the plants roots, leading to a healthier plant.

What does well-draining soil look like? Something like Fox Farm Ocean Forest potting mix is a great option for those of us that don’t want to make our own potting mix. This potting mix has a blend of earthworm castings, bat guano, sea-going fish and crab meal, forest humus, moss, and other key ingredients.

If you do want to make your own potting mix, an easy recipe calls for 40% coco coir, 25% perlite, 25% orchid bark, and 10% vermiculite.

If you have a ton of houseplants you need to repot in new potting mix, your money goes further if you make your own potting mix instead of buying a pre-made bag.

Temperature

Rhaphidophora Decursiva thrive in temperatures between 60°F and 85°F (15°C and 29°C).

Fertilizer

If you want your Rhaphidophora Decursiva to grow into a massive plant, make sure you’re regularly fertilizing. This is one of those plants you definitely want to see get larger and mature because the foliage changes shape.

There are many fertilizers on the market to choose from and it can get a little confusing, so I’m going to keep things as simple as possible. You can choose from a granule-based fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, or natural fertilizer like worm castings.

It doesn’t really matter which fertilizer you use, but there are key things to know. If using a synthetic fertilizer (you’ll know if it’s synthetic if the NPK ratio is something like 20-20-20) you need to dilute the recipe in half. This is because synthetic fertilizers are really strong and can damage your plant.

It’s also important that you only fertilize during the active growing season. This is typically March through October for many of us.

How often you fertilize is up to you. I fertilize every watering because this keeps things simple for me, but you can choose to fertilize every other watering, bi-weekly, once a month, etc.

You’ll notice some plants need fertilizer more than others. For example, Monstera Deliciosa is one of those plants that are heavy feeders.

I use both Liqui-Dirt (plant food, not technically a fertilizer but it has everything your plants need to grow healthy) and Dyna-Gro fertilizer. With Dyna-Gro, I get a spoonful and mix it into a gallon of water. I use this gallon to water my houseplants.

Humidity

One of the best things about this plant is that it doesn’t require any special humidity. I have my plant in a room getting about 20% humidity and it’s growing with no problem.

If you decide to give your plant extra humidity, that’s not going to hurt. You’ll probably even see some faster growth because you’re doing this. I don’t give it extra humidity because it’s thriving without it (and I can be a bit lazy when it comes to my houseplants, which happens when you have over 150 of them).

Here are my best tips for increasing humidity around your plants.

Place a humidifier near your plants and run it daily
Group plants together – this creates a microclimate of higher humidity
Place a tray under the plant and fill with rocks and water – the water evaporates around the plant
Put your plants in a greenhouse (I made a greenhouse with an IKEA cabinet and it stays around 50% humidity with plants, no humidifier necessary)

Propagation

Rhaphidophora Decursiva has nodes on the stem making it very easy to propagate this plant. If you want to create a ton of plants to share with friends, this is a great plant to do that with.

With clean cutting sheers, cut below a node on the stem of the plant. Nodes look like little hard pimples on the stem. Submerge the node underwater and in a few weeks, the node will have roots growing out of it. Once the roots are a few inches long, move the cutting to your preferred substrate. This plant loves well-draining soil, so something like Fox Farm Ocean Forest potting mix will work great.

Related read: How To Get Free Or Cheap Houseplants

Rhaphidophora Decursiva common questions

Is Rhaphidophora Decursiva rare?

Rhaphidophora Decursiva is not a rare houseplant. In fact, you can find this plant almost anywhere, even big box stores (if you’re lucky).

How much is a Rhaphidophora Decursiva?

This plant really varies in price depending on how mature the plant is, what size pot the plant is, along with where you buy it. I believe I bought my 6 inch pot of R. Decursvia for around $25.

Is Rhaphidophora Decursiva hard to take care of?

Rhaphidophora Decursvia isn’t hard to take care of at all. This plant can live in regular household humidity and only needs bright indirect sunlight and water when the top two inches dry out.

How do you care for Rhaphidophora Decursiva?

Caring for this plant is easy. Place Rhaphidophora Decursiva in a spot getting bright indirect sunlight (south, east, or west facing window) or under plant grow lights. Water when the top two inches of soil dry out. Fertilize regularly during the active growing season.

Do Rhaphidophora Decursiva leaves change?

Rhaphidophora Decursiva leaves change as the plant matures. a young plant doesn’t have defined or unique foliage, but as the plant matures the leaves turn into something wild.

Is Rhaphidophora Decursiva a fast grower?

If given the best growing conditions (bright indirect sunlight, regular water and fertilizer) the plant grows fast. Give your plant extra humidity and you’ll probably see even faster growth.

Can Rhaphidophora Decursiva grow outside?

You could probably grow this plant outside as long as you don’t place it in full sun. Rhaphidophora Decursiva thrive in temperatures between 60°F and 85°F (15°C and 29°C).

Do Rhaphidophora Decursiva like small pots?

This isn’t the type of plant that you need to repot all the time. I’ve had my plant for about a year and have never repotted it. Once your plant gets root bound, it’s time to repot into a bigger pot 1-2 inches larger.

Should I mist Rhaphidophora Decursiva?

You can mist your Rhaphidophora Decursiva but know that this is not necessary.

How big do Rhaphidophora Decursiva get?

Rhaphidophora Decursiva get massive, but what’s even cooler is when the plant matures, the foliage gets crazy and it becomes an entirely different plant.

How do I make Rhaphidophora Decursiva bigger?

To encourage growth on this plant, make sure to place it in a spot getting a good amount of indirect sunlight. Ideally this is near a south or west facing window or under plant grow lights. Feed your plant the nutrients it needs with a high quality fertilizer.

Related read: Best Houseplant Books For Plant Lovers

Does Rhaphidophora Decursiva climb?

Rhaphidophora Decursiva love to climb so grab a support pole or trellis and encourage your plant to get huge.

Is Rhaphidophora Decursiva toxic to pets?

Yes, this plant is toxic to pets. You can get more information on toxic and pet-friendly plants at ASPCA here.

Prevent Pests

Rhaphidophora Decursiva get pest pressures just like any other houseplant. It’s important to keep bad pests away because these little suckers literally suck the life out of your plants and kill them.

Best pest prevention tips:

Use a natural or synthetic pest killer to prevent pests
Check your plants once a week for pests
Make sure not to overwater your plants (overwatering can lead to fungus gnats)
Quarantine new plants for a week or two before putting them with the rest of your plants
Regularly clean your plants foliage with a mixture of water and a drop of dish soap

Common issues

Brown tips: If your Rhaphidophora Decursiva has brown tips, this can be a sign that your plant is receiving too much direct sunlight. Make sure to place this plant in a spot getting bright indirect sunlight. If placing near a south/west facing window, place a sheer curtain between the window and the plant.

Curly leaves: If your Rhaphidophora Decursiva has curly tips, this can be a sign that your plant is thirsty. Check your plants soil moisture either with your finger or a moisture meter.

Yellowing leaves: If your Rhaphidophora Decursiva has yellowing leaves, this can be a sign that you’re overwatering your plant. Always check the plants soil before watering your plant.

Key Points To Remember

This easygoing plant is a ton of fun since it transforms overtime. I also love how the plant naturally grows horizontally. Rhaphidophora Decursiva is an affordable plant that grows into a unique houseplant. Get one if you don’t have one already!

Main things to know for Rhaphidophora Decrusiva.

Place in a spot gettin bright indirect sunlight
Water once the top two inches of soil are dry
Fertilize every watering, bi-weekly, or once a month