Stylish Syngoniums, also known as Arrowheads, may start off as cute, compact leaf candy perfect for an indoor plantscape, but don’t be fooled by their good behaviour — they’re wild at heart and prolific growers, so don’t be shy when pruning them back! They love to be tamed. Here’s how to keep them looking fabulous.
-
Choose soft lighting
Arrowhead vines like bright light, but no direct sunlight — direct sun will scorch their leaves. Although they’re pretty tolerant to low light environments, they’ll grow faster and gain more vibrant colourings and markings if grown in medium to bright indirect light. Diffused light is best.
-
Dry out before watering
To keep your arrowhead happily hydrated, water regularly during spring and summer and less so in winter. Just let your potting mix dry out partially in between waterings, but make sure it’s never completely dry. It doesn’t like to be too dry or too wet. If left dry for too long the lower leaves will dry up and turn brown. If you notice any browning on the leaves, soak the soil with diluted Grow Concentrate, and let the plant rehydrate.
-
Give them a taste of the tropics
These voluptuous vines prefer warm, humid environments, so if you can, keep them away from any drafts and let the temperature err on the tropical side. They also love moisture, so try to up the humidity levels in your home with these handy humidity tricks.
-
Choose the right soil
Arrowhead vines are prone to root rot, so choose a well-draining soil-based potting mix. Give it a good boost by mixing Support Pellets through the soil. Read about well-draining soil here.
-
Don’t let them go hungry
Feed your arrowhead with Grow Concentrate every time you water throughout the year, and give their leaves a boost with Protect Spray every fortnight to ward off nasties.
-
Perfect your pruning skills
To keep your vine full and bushy, prune back the older, climbing stems as they grow — they actually get fuller the more you cut them back. If you cut them back in early summer, you can propagate the stem tip cuttings in water with a tsp of Support Pellets, as these indoor vines grow roots at lightening speed.