Philodendron Birkin: 7 Expert Tips For a Thriving Plant

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Philodendron ‘Birkin’ is a stunning variegated Philodendron variety that is easy to care for in the home and quite versatile when it comes to light! Believed to be a sport of the Red Congo Philodendron, it will occasionally produce leaves with red patches.

Let’s get into my 7 useful tips to grow this gorgeous plant, and I will also touch on many frequently asked questions so that you can get things off on the right start with your new plant!

PHILODENDRON BIRKIN CARE

1. LIGHT

Like many Philodendrons, Birkin is pretty versatile when it comes to light. This plant can take anything from zero direct sun to even full sun.

Although you can grow this plant in full sun indoors, I don’t recommended it because the color of the foliage will wash out. On the other hand, no direct sun at all indoors will result in much slower growth and a loss of variegation to some extent.

I find that a wonderful location indoors is one that receives a couple hours of morning sun, or even late afternoon sun. Remember that indoors, the light intensity is far reduced compared to outside, so most plants will benefit from at least some direct sun indoors.

If you don’t have any suitable windows, you can easily grow Birkin under a grow light.

2. WATER

Always water your plant thoroughly and allow excess water to drain away. Never let your plant sit in water! Fortunately, Philodendrons in general are very resilient to drying out, so don’t be afraid to allow 1/4 to 1/2 of the potting mix before watering again.

Try and avoid letting the potting mix from drying out completely. These plants CAN take it, but just don’t let it stay that way for too long.

If you do allow the potting mix to dry out for a long time, immediately give your plant a thorough watering.

3. FERTILIZING

I always say that fertilizing is an important part of houseplant care. But there are a couple things to keep in mind. Fertilization is not a substitute for sub-par growing conditions. It is meant as a supplement, and an important one at that!

The second thing to keep in mind is that if you have your plant in pretty low light, they don’t need much fertilizer. The more light you have your plants in, the more you can fertilize.

I have my own plant in front of an Eastern facing window and I like to fertilize dilutely with every watering.

I love using Dyna-Gro Grow and simply add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water and use this just about every time I water. I have fantastic results from using it and it is a complete, urea-free fertilizer with all the micro and macro nutrients that plants need to thrive.

You will notice a wonderful difference over time with consistent use!

4. TEMPERATURE

Philodendrons love it warm, and Birkin is no exception. Try and maintain temperatures of 60F (16C) and above. Night temperatures of 65-70F (18-21C) or so and day time temperatures of 75-85F (24-29C) are ideal.

5. HUMIDITY

Although quite tolerant of average indoor humidity, Philodendrons are jungle dwellers and would appreciate at least 50% relative humidity in your home. There are many ways that you can easily increase humidity, and I would recommend doing so especially if your indoor air gets really dry like mine does in the winter time and any time our forced air heat is on.

If you are looking for a good humidifier to fit your needs and budget, check out my blog post where we reviewed our top 3 picks for humidifiers.

6. POTTING MIX

My general potting mix that I use for most leafy tropicals is simply about 3 parts of an all-purpose potting mix (like Miracle Gro or Espoma) with 1 part perlite.

This blend is moisture retentive, but airy enough for most plants and is my go-to for most plants.

7. GROWTH HABIT AND PRUNING

Many Philodendron species are vining, but Philodendron Birkin is considered to be a self-heading type. In general, this means that they do not climb, and their stems are sturdy enough to hold themselves up without needing any support at all.

Other than removing any brown or yellow leaves, pruning is generally not needed unless you want to control the size of your Birkin. Since they grow pretty slowly, this won’t be needed for quite a while, if at all.

PHILODENDRON BIRKIN VARIEGATION

New leaves will darken as they mature. To some degree, enough light is helpful for beautiful variegation so don’t place this plant far from a window!

As newer leaves age, they will develop more green typically.

As the leaves age even more, they will turn even more green, but will still retain some beautiful streaks in the foliage.

If you’d like a tutorial on repotting, check out my blog post where I go through repotting Philodendron Birkin step-by-step.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Are you obsessed with Philodendrons? There are so many others including Philodendron Pink Princess, Philodendron Brasil, Heart Leaf Philodendron, and so many more.

Do you have a Philodendron Birkin? Comment below. I’d love to hear!