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One of my favorite and easiest plants is the Scindapsus “Exotica”. This plant is not only resilient and a great beginner plant, but produces the most beautiful silvery foliage.
Here are the main things to know to care for Scindapsus Exotica.
- Water. Give your plant a thorough watering when the top two inches of soil are dry. Or you can do what I do, which is stick a moisture meter in the soil. If the moisture meter reads all the way to the dry side, I’m watering my plant.
- Light. Give your plant bright indirect sunlight. For me, that’s a southwest facing window behind a sheer curtain.
- Fertilizer. Feed your plant the nutrients it needs during feeding season, typically March-October. I fertilize every watering with Dyna-Grow and a couple drops of Liqui-dirt mixed in the water.
- Humidity. This plant doesn’t need a ton of humidity. My plant is growing in 20% humidity.
Scindapsus Exotica thrives with these plant care tips.
Light
Scindapsus Exotica is a hardy plant that survive and thrives in a variety of lighting conditions.
For maximum growth, place this plant in a spot near a south or east facing window.
If placing near a bright window, make sure there’s a sheer curtain between your plant and the window. This is to ensure the plant gets sufficient sunlight but also doesn’t burn from the intense sun. When I had my plants by a south facing window with no sheer curtain, many of the leaves burned even though the plant was a few feet away from the window.
If you decide to place your plant in a spot getting medium light, your plant will grow slower. Medium light would be somewhere like a north facing window that doesn’t get much light throughout the day.
Water
Scindapsus Exotica is one of those plants that will let you know when they need water.
The plants leaves will start to curl and that’s when you know it’s time for a watering. This is about once a week for me.
I personally water my houseplants with a mixture of fertilizer and pest preventative. This way I never have to think when is the last time I fertilized or used pest preventives on my plants. I use a mixture of Blue Butterfly Fertilizer and Azamax.
Soil
Scindapsus Exotica need well-draining soil in order to grow healthy new leaves.
When your plant has well-draining, chunkier soil, this lets oxygen get to the roots and provides circulation. Well-draining soil is also great for those of us that tend to be over waterers, as this gives the plant less chance to suffer from root rot.
An easy well-draining soil recipe is 50% coco coir, 25% perlite, and 25% worm castings.
To create an even chunkier mix, I recommend using orchid bark. Orchid bark is large and chunky and provides a ton of aeration.
Temperature
Scindapsus Exotica thrive in temperatures of 60 degrees F to 90 degrees (15 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius).
Fertilizer
One of the most important things you can do for your houseplants is feed them a high quality fertilizer.
Fertilizer gives your plant the nutrients it needs that it would otherwise get in the wild. When plants are brought inside, they no longer get the nutrients they need.
There are several fertilizer options when it comes to feeding your plant. Some people decide to use slow-release granules. You sprinkle these granules on top of your plants soil. Every time you water your plant, the granules soak into the soil and feed your plant.
Other people decide to use something like Dyna-Gro. This is a fertilizer that you mix in with water, so every time you water your plants, you’re also fertilizing them. This is the feeding method I use.
You can also use something like Liqui-Dirt. This isn’t classified as a fertilizer, but many people find it to be a miracle in a bottle and helps grow their plants like crazy.
Humidity
This is a plant that doesn’t need high humidity, but if you decide to give it high humidity it sure wouldn’t hurt it.
If you decide you want to raise the humidity around your plant, here are my best tips.
- Place your plant near a humidifier.
- Place your houseplants in a group and this will naturally raise the humidity around your plants.
- Place a pebble tray full of water underneath your plant.
- Place your plant in a bathroom that gets daily showers and baths.
I keep my Scindapsus Exotica in around 20% humidity and it’s actively growing and happy.
Propagation
Propagating Scindapsus Exotica is simple.
All you have to do is take a stem cutting with at least one node on the stem. This is where the roots will come out and help grow your new plant.
With clean sheers, take a stem cutting off your plant with at least one node. Place this node under water and position it in a spot getting some good sunlight. I do not recommend placing this plant in water with fertilizer mixed in because your plant is already in shock from the cutting.
In about 3-4 weeks, you’ll notice pretty good sized roots.
Once the roots are at least three inches long, transfer the cutting to your preferred medium. This medium may be well-draining soil, leca, lechuza pon, or you may decide to just keep the plant in water. I keep many of my plants in water they grow just fine.
Scindapsus Exotica Common Questions
Is Scindapsus Exotica rare?
Scindapsus Exotica is not a rare houseplant. You can find this plant in any big box store and plant shops for an affordable price.
How much is a Scindapsus Exotica?
A 6 inch pot of Scindapsus Exotica typically goes for around $25.
Is Scindapsus Exotica hard to care for?
Scindapsus Exotica is one of the easiest and most forgiving houseplants. This plant is resilient and doesn’t need high humidity, making this a great houseplant for beginners.
How do you care for Scindapsus Exotica?
Place this plant near a bright window (east, south, west and I’m sure even north facing would be fine).
If placing near a south facing window (which gets the bright, hottest sunlight of the day) make sure to place a sheer curtain on the window so the plant doesn’t get scorched from the sun.
Water your plant roughly once a week when the soil is almost completely dried out. Fertilizer during the active growing months which is typically March through October. Pause fertilizing from November to February.
Is Scindapsus Exotica a fast grower?
Scindapsus exotica is a fast grower if given adequate growing conditions.
Since this plant is so easy to take care of, your plant should grow fast. I recommend placing this plant in a brightly lit spot so the plant receives enough sunlight to grow.
How big do Scindapsus Exotica get?
Scindapsus Exotica can get massive in the home.
Expect the plant to trail a few feet and encourage growth with a trellis or moss poll. Even the leaves get surprisingly large.
How do I make my Scindapsus Exotica bigger?
To make your Scindapsus Exotica bigger, I recommend providing the plant with the best caring conditions.
This means placing your plant near a window getting sufficient bright indirect sunlight (think south, west, or east facing windows).
Make sure to regularly feed your plant with a fertilizer. I feed my plants diluted fertilizer every watering.
To increase growth, you may even decide you want to ramp up the humidity around your plant with a humidifier.
Does Scindapsus Exotica climb?
Scindapsus Exotica climb and as the plant grows taller, you may notice the leaves get even larger.
Use a trellis or moss pole to encourage your plant to grow taller and you’ll be rewarded with larger Scindapsus Exotica leaves.
How do you propagate Scindapsus Exotica?
Take a stem cutting with at least one node on the stem. You can take a stem cutting with or without leaves, it’s totally up to you.
Submerge the node under water and in about 3-4 weeks, you’ll notice the stem growing roots. Once the roots are at least 3 inches long, transfer the stem cutting to your choice of potting medium.
Is the Scindapsus Exotica toxic to pets?
Yes, this plant is toxic to pets. You can get more information on toxic and pet-friendly plants at ASPCA here.
Common pests
Scindapsus Exotica is prone to pest pressures just like any houseplant. I’ve never had any pest issues with this houseplant but that might not be the case for you.
If you spot pests on your plant, it’s time to use a pest preventive and possibly even a pest killer. You can go all natural and use a mixture of 2 tablespoons dish soap and 1 gallon of water and use this to spray and clean your plant or you can go the synthetic route.
Many people decide to use Bonide Systemic Granules because it’s so effective. Sprinkle the granules on top of your plants soil. This gets rid of many pests and is the best way to get rid of fungus gnats. I have over 200 houseplants and never have a fungus gnat problem.
As a pest preventive, I also use Azamax which is a natural pesticide. I mix 1 tablespoon of the solution into 1 gallon. I put this mixture in a spray bottle and spray my plants regularly with this mixture.
Common issues
Brown tips: If your Scindapsus Exotica has brown tips, this may mean your plant isn’t getting enough humidity. I’ve never had this problem despite keeping my plant in 20% humidity. However, where did you get your plant from? Maybe it came from a place getting 70%+ humidity and now your plant is living in 20% humidity and shocked. Place a humidifier by the plant or place your Scindapsus in a bathroom which gets consistent humidity all day long.
Curly leaves: If your Scindapsus Exotica has curly leaves, this means your plant is thirsty. Any time my plant gets curly leaves I know it’s time for a thorough watering.
Yellowing leaves: If your Scindapsus Exotica has yellowing leaves near the base, that’s usually okay. These are old leaves dying off because they’ve completed their job. If your entire plant is yellowing, this may be a sign of root rot (overwatering) and a sign to scale back on watering and even repotting your plant with new soil. If you have trouble knowing when to water your plant, it’s a good idea to get a moisture meter.
Key Points To Remember
Scindapsus Exotica is one of my favorite plants because of the ease of care and stunning foliage.
Scindapsus Exotica is great for beginner houseplant enthusiasts and would even make a great gift. Remember that this plant is not pet-friendly so if you have any furry friends around, make sure this plant is out of sight for them.
I love how this plant lets me know when it’s time to water just by curling its leaves.
Read more about houseplants:
- How To Get Free Or Cheap Houseplants
- 15 Creative Ways To Display Houseplants
- How To Build A Self-Sustaining Terrarium
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