Perhaps you’ve owned a Syngonium before, but not a Syngonium Berry Allusion. Or maybe the Syngonium Berry Allusion is your first Syngonium and it isn’t growing as healthy, lush, and bushy as you want or expect. If that is the case, it is usually a sign that your plant isn’t getting the habitat requirements it needs to thrive and grow to its potential.
Thankfully, the Berry Allusion Syngonium isn’t any harder to take care of than most other Syngoniums. The care requirements for your Syngonium Berry Allusion are: once per week watering, bright and indirect sunlight, humidity of 60-70%, and consistent temperatures of 60 to 85°F (16 to 29°C). Add in a little trimming of any sections of the plant that you consider too tall, and you can ensure a bushier plant as well.
If you’ve never owned a Syngonium of any kind before, you may be curious about their care requirements. It is important to take some time to learn about what they need to keep them happy and healthy.
How Do You Care for a Berry Allusion Arrowhead Plant?
Syngoniums are commonly referred to as Arrowhead Plants and Arrowhead Vines. The Berry Allusion Arrowhead Plant is one of several varieties of Syngonium/Arrowhead and it grows very similarly to other varieties. They don’t need anything particularly unique so if you’ve owned a Syngonium before, there’s not too much more to learn in terms of care.
Water
Syngoniums are tropical plants and therefore function similarly to other tropical plants. Syngoniums aren’t known for keeping moisture in their stems like a succulent would, so making sure they have enough moisture in the soil is important.
You don’t want your soil to dry out completely, but you also want to avoid it being particularly wet. Generally, you want to wait until the top inch of the soil (2.5 cm) is dry before watering it. In the spring and summer, this usually translates to every 7 days and every 10 to 14 days in the fall and winter.
Sunlight
You might expect that tropical plants receive a lot of sunlight in their natural environment. While it is true that they do, the light isn’t direct due to a thick overhead canopy.
Plants like Syngoniums are small and grow close to the ground. This means they are often covered by other plants and are usually found in areas where it is bright but where the light doesn’t directly come into contact with the plant.
These are the conditions they prefer when they are brought in as indoor or garden plants. Direct sunlight often causes issues like burning and slower growth. If your plant gets too little sunlight, it may begin to wilt, grow more slowly, or even turn lighter in some cases.
Humidity
As with many tropical plants, Syngoniums need quite a bit of humidity. They may survive in humidity levels below 50%, but around 60% or 70% is usually best.
There are quite a few ways you can increase the humidity levels around your plant. The first is to simply buy a humidifier for the room your plant is in.
Humidifiers can be expensive, but they are simple to take care of. You just have to make sure the machine has enough water and plug it in. You can even set the exact humidity percent you want with some of them, allowing you to fine-tune the controls.
Additionally, you can place a bunch of plants together in one spot. When plants are undergoing photosynthesis and respiration, they will release air through their leaves. When this happens, humidity in the surrounding air increases a little, which helps out all of the neighboring plants.
If you don’t have a lot of plants, or just don’t want them crammed together in one place, then using a pebble tray is another option. You simply take one of the trays that often go under pots to catch excess water and fill it with pebbles or rocks. Fill the tray up with water so the rocks are submerged about halfway, and then just place the plant on top.
Filling it halfway allows evaporation to occur, increasing the humidity but also preventing water from sitting in the soil and causing root rot.
Temperature
While Arrowhead plants can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, they grow differently at different points in that range. Syngoniums can handle any temperature between 50 and 90°F (10 to 32°C). However, their ideal range is between 60 to 85°F (16 to 29°C).
If your plant is experiencing temperatures that are too high or too low, you may start to notice problems such as:
- Yellow, falling, or black leaves
- Wilting
- Leaves that are dry, crispy or look burnt
- Brown spots appearing on leaves
- Brown color along the margins of leaves
Should I Mist My Syngonium?
Misting your Syngoniums is another way you can increase humidity. With plants like Syngonium Berry Allusion, you can often mist them three or so times a week. This allows your plant to have a humid environment, and also promotes new leaf growth.
To increase the effectiveness of spritzing, it’s a good idea to spray in the early morning or evening and focus on the undersides of the leaf.
Does Syngonium Berry Allusion Need Sunlight?
Syngonium Berry Allusion does need sunlight, but not direct sunlight. Instead, they prefer bright, indirect light. Usually, placing them next to a window with a sheer curtain over it provides the plant with plenty of sunlight.
However, if that isn’t an option, try to make sure your plant gets early morning sunlight, as that is softer and less damaging to a plant than the afternoon sun.
What Is the Best Fertilizer for Syngonium Berry Allusion?
The first thing to look at is what kind of fertilizer you should get. Usually, liquid fertilizer is considered the best, as it helps to evenly distribute nutrients more effectively than solid fertilizer.
Then, you want to look at ratios. Fertilizer includes three main minerals. These are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK). For Syngoniums, you are wanting a 1:1:1 ratio. This may look different depending on the brand, such as a 10:10:10, or a 20:20:20.
Using the liquid fertilizer as directed, you can fertilize your plant about once a month during the growing season in summer. Avoid fertilizing during the winter as Syngoniums don’t need the extra nutrients to grow when they are dormant.
When Should I Repot Syngonium?
Making sure your plant has enough space for its roots to grow is also necessary for cultivating a fast-growing, lush Syngonium. You usually will have to repot your plant every two to five years, depending on how fast it is growing.
When you repot, make sure that you only go up one size in the pot, as going up to too large a size can make it harder to properly water your plant. Additionally, you don’t want to repot too frequently or your plant may get stressed, so only replant when you need to.
If your plant is root-bound or it is time to replant it, you may start to see signs. The most common is that the leaves will start to turn yellow, and the plant will dry out a lot quicker than normal. If you can, try checking under the pot. If you see roots coming out from the drainage holes, it is probably time to repot.
What Soil Does Syngonium Berry Allusion Like?
Arrowheads enjoy rich, organic soil, or a potting mix that is rich in fertilizer. Many people find that African Violet Soil Mix is one of the best to use, as it has the nutrients and soil texture that your plant needs to thrive and grow.
The soil should also be well-draining. Ingredients like pearlite, compost, or peat help support drainage. Things that hold on to water, like moss, should typically be avoided because they can cause your plant to sit in too much moisture.
How Do You Make Syngonium Berry Allusion Bushy?
To make your Syngonium Berry Allusion bushy, all you have to do is trim the plant. By cutting off new growth that is growing upwards instead of outwards, you can encourage your Syngonium Berry Allusion to grow thicker and bushier instead of taller.
Summary
Syngonium Berry Allusion thankfully isn’t much different than other common Syngoniums. They are tropical plants, so high humidity (60% to 70%), consistent temperatures of 60 to 85°F (16 to 29°C), and frequent watering benefits them greatly, as does a lot of indirect sunlight.
Your Syngonium Berry Allusion plant also enjoys weekly misting to increase the humidity, well-draining soil that contains perlite or peat, and liquid fertilizer during the summer season to promote new growth.
By trimming your Syngonium Berry Allusion plant to entice it to grow bushy rather than tall, and by giving it the proper love and care, you are setting your plant up to grow thick, bushy, and lush.