Croton Care Guide

Many people like the bold and beautiful style of Croton plants. Their stunning yellow, orange and red accent colors matched with their dark green foliage make them incredibly popular with people looking to add a tropical vibe to their plant collection. Additionally, the Croton houseplant is readily available at a variety of plant stores at affordable prices, making them within easy reach of any plant enthusiast.

The scientific name for the common Croton is Codiaeum variegatum. This specific proper name helps separate it from similar plant species in the Croton group such as the ‘Picasso’s Paintbrush’ variant.

Croton plants flourish best with the conditions seen in many households and also offices. By using the correct light, amount of water and moisture, your Croton can live well too. The Croton is definitely a fantastic choice as an indoor plant. Learning about the certain light, water, temperature and humidity, this plant needs will likely let it develop into a healthy plant.

Best lighting for Croton Plant

Lighting is one of the most important aspects to nurture a strong, healhty plant. The Croton likes bright indirect light and will take as much sun as your windows can provide. In your house, the best way to provide this bright indirect light is a sunny window that ideally has a west or south exposure. These plants do best with a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine every day but will grow stronger with more, including from the aid of a grow light.

While Croton houseplants will take as much light as you can provide indoors, it’s best to avoid direct outdoor sunlight – particularly throughout the extreme summer season – to avoid burning the plant. This can happen in as little as an hour from the sun’s intense rays. If your plant gets sunburnt, you will notice brown splotches across its leaves. If you act quickly, your plant should recover, however the impacted leaves will be burned until they drop off.

Too little light can also impact your plant. While Crotons can adjust to medium indirect light conditions, plants not receiving enough solar energy to stay healthy will likely grow slower or drop leaves. The first indication that your Croton plant is not getting enough light is if you notice it’s beautiful coloration starting to dull or look less vibrant. If the problem progresses, you may notice new leaves becoming longer and weaker, as the plant is desperately stretching itself to find any light to survive.

Taking regular photos of your plant to see it adjust over time is a great way to see how your plant adapts to the conidtions of your home and identify any issues early on. If your plant shows early signs of decline, moving it to a sunnier location, or purchasing an inexpensive LED light will be an easy way to bring it back to health.

Plants will always try to grow towards your area’s light source. You can gradually rotate your Croton plant pot about a quarter turn every week. This particular added step allows your plant get even sunlight. This also stops your plant from leaning towards the light source. Focusing on the lighting needs to have for your plant can let it flourish. It’s not a surprise that 60% of plant owners worry that their plants aren’t receiving adequate sunlight.

 

What’s the best amount of water for my Croton plant?

How much water do Croton plants really need? Like many common houseplants, Crotons want a medium to high amount of water. While you’ll soon adapt to the unique demands of your Croton plant, it’s best to start out with a weekly watering schedule.

When it’s time for your once a week watering, make sure you provide plenty of water to entirely soak through the soil. Not only does this keep your plant healthy, it also promotes the growth of the root system. Filtered water is strongly recommended to steer clear of passing along chlorine or other hard chemicals to your plant.

How to avoid overwatering Croton plants

You should avoid the temptation to overwater your Croton. More than 90% of houseplants that don’t last are due to overwatering.

What may happen if you overwater your plant? You may draw in bugs or fungal infections that could be deadly. What’s the simplest way to avoid overwatering? Right before you water your plant, make sure the top inch of soil is fully dry. if it isn’t your plant won’t need to be watered.

Setting your indoor plant in a planter containing drain holes and a saucer guarantees excess water can correctly drain. By allowing excess water to go through the container, your Croton plant’s roots will likely remain drier than if the water was sitting in the pot. Without appropriate water drainage, your plant could experience parasites and fungi as the root system sits in standing water.

How to avoid Croton under watering?

Under-watering your Croton plant can also result in issues. When the top inch of your plant’s soil is dry, it’s the right moment to water. Your timing may not have to be precise, and your plant can be a bit adaptable on timing. You may observe your plant drying out as it makes an effort to retain moisture if you forget to water it consistently.

The absolute best temperature for Croton plant

Croton plants grow best in normal indoor temperatures. This makes them excellent plants for the home. While comfortable in your own home, your Croton  may respond negatively to cold drafts, too much heat, or other fluctuations in the environment. Your plant will stay healthy and grow if stored in an area that’s unchanging all year.

This means steering clear of places such as drafty windows or near doors used during cold winter months. Keeping your Croton plant within a stable indoor temperature will keep it healthy and help it flourish.

Best humidity for Croton plants

These plants do better in rooms with average humidity. This makes them very popular with people trying to decorate their home or office with an easy-to-care-for plant. If the humidity in your home or office is pleasant to you, your new Croton plant will likely do just fine.

What’s the best technique to sustain regular humidity for your Croton?

It should be really easy to keep your room welcoming to your Croton plant with its average moisture demands. This may be more challenging if you live in a particularly dry environment, or have chilly winters that might drop the humidity lower than normal.

If this is the case, an inexpensive spray bottle could be used to mist your plants on a regular basis to keep the moisture levels up. Additionally, you might want to think about buying a humidifier to add cool mist to the air for your and your plant’s benefit.

Sustaining consistent humidity will keep your plant strong and promote new growth of your Croton plant.

Should I fertilize my Croton plant to help it grow?

Fertilizing your Croton houseplant may offer more nutrients to let it grow stronger. It’s ideal to fertilize your plant before the spring growth season. This will help your plant prepare to grow. It may even be a great opportunity to transplant your Croton to a larger plant pot. You could even make use of this time to switch out old or compacted soil to promote new growth for the summer season ahead.

Are Croton plants safe for family pets?

Croton plants are toxic and unsafe for cats, dogs and other pets. The toxic nature of these plants should make you consider again if this plant is right for your home if you have any pets around that have a tendency of eating any houseplants you could bring home. While this plant isn’t a great choice if you have curious pets that tend to snack on leaves, you can take a look at our cat-friendly houseplants to keep your pets safe and your house beautiful.

Picking out the best Croton plant at the greenhouse

Do you think you can maintain a new Croton plant after checking this overview on PottedPlants.org? At your neighborhood greenhouse, you should manage to find medium Croton plants that are 10″-13″ in size to bring home.

When buying your plant, check the plant for any damaged leaves, bugs in the soil, or other clues of damage. This look will make sure your plant is healthy and will develop in your home. Make sure you give your plant enough time to adapt to its new home – remember, this is a big change for your new Croton. Come back to check this resource, and with any chance, you’ll have a healthy plant a long time to come.

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