Syngonium Podophyllum Batik a.k.a Syngonium Batik
Syngonium Batik is an easy to care for plant with a trailing habit and striking coloured foliage. It has arrow shaped leaves that are green in colour with white veins throughout. Syngonium Batik is part of the Araceae family and native to the South American region. These plants are typically found in tropical rainforests under the shade of the trees.
Syngonium Batik Quick Overview
| Full Size | Up to 6 feet |
| Light | Bright indirect light |
| Temperature | 60ºF-95ºF (15ºC-35ºC) |
| Humidity | Above 50% |
| Cost | $ |
| Care Level | Easy care |
| Toxicity | Toxic |
Size
The mature size of Syngonium Batik can be upwards of 6 feet. This plant can be pruned and propagated in order to keep it a more compact size. These plants are typically seen growing/climbing up trees and other plants. The full size of Syngonium Batik when kept indoors as a trained vine can be around 3-6 feet in length and 1-2 feet in width.
When kept in the correct living conditions, Syngonium Batik can be quite fast growing. This plant can be grown as a vine and trained to grow up a trellis/pole or it can be kept in a hanging basket.
Providing your plant with a trellis or pole to grow up will encourage larger foliage. To keep the Syngonium Batik as a more compact/bushy plant, as the plant starts to grow vines, trim them off with a pair of pruners.
Light Requirements
Syngonium Batik will grow best when in medium to bright indirect lighting. It’s best to avoid any direct sunlight as this can burn the leaves and cause them to become crispy. A sign that your Syngonium Batik isn’t receiving enough light is the plant becoming leggy and/or stunted growth.
This can be resolved by changing the position of your plant to somewhere that better suits its light requirements. This plant can tolerate lower light conditions however, it will grow best in brighter light.
If your plant is housed in a spot that receives direct sunlight, adding a blind or curtain to your window will help to defuse the harsh sunlight to avoid burning the plants foliage.
Alternatively, if you can’t seem to find that perfect spot in your home, you can always use grow lights. Just like direct sunlight, if your plant is sitting too close to the grow lights, they will burn the foliage. Keeping a safe distance of at least 60cm between your plant and the light will avoid any trouble.
Temperature
The ideal temperature for growing Syngonium Batik is between 60ºF-95ºF (15ºC-35ºC). Since this plant is from tropical rainforests, it loves a warmer environment and can be sensitive to cooler temperatures.
If the temperature drops below 50ºF (10ºC), you should move your Syngonium Batik to a warmer spot in your home. If your plant is kept in temperatures below this for prolonged periods of time, you can expect it to develop health issues, seize growing and in severe cases, plant death.
Humidity
Syngonium Batik will thrive when kept in a humidity environment above 50%. However, this plant can tolerate an average household humidity (30%-50%). Keeping plants in a spot where humidity is too low can make them more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Providing a high humidity for your plants will encourage bigger and healthier growth. There are a few thing you can do that can help bump up the humidity in your home. The things you can try are:
- Misting your plants
- Pebble trays
- Grouping plants together
- Humidifier
- Greenhouse
You can read more about increasing humidity in your home here.
Watering Requirements
You can expect your Syngonium Batik to require moderate watering (at least once a week). Throughout the cooler months this will change because the temperature and amount of sunlight is changing.
Before watering your plant, you should check the top 1-2 inches of soil with your finger to feel if it’s dry. If the soil is dry, you should give your plant a drink. Drooping and yellowing leaves can be a sign that your Syngonium Batik is thirsty.
When it comes to watering your indoor plants, you should be cautious of over-watering. Excess water to the soil can cause it to become waterlogged and cause the roots to start rotting. Rotting roots can no longer take up water or nutrients for the plant.
This can then cause fungus issues, pest problems and root-rot. Ensuring your plants are potted in pots with adequate drainage and well draining soil can assist in avoiding these common issues. A sign that you may have over-watered your Syngonium Batik is browning leaves.
Fertilizing requirements
You should fertilise your Syngonium Batik monthly during the growing period (Spring and Summer). Fertilising can be cut back during the cooler months (Winter and Autumn) when growth slows.
Applying fertiliser while your plants aren’t actively growing and using the nutrients in the soil can cause salt build up and root burn. Fertilising your plants will give them the essential nutrients they need for promoting and maintaining new and healthy growth.
The best fertiliser to use for Syngonium Batik would be a balanced all purpose fertiliser diluted to half strength. If preferred, a slow release fertiliser can be used instead of a liquid fertiliser.
Slow release fertilisers don’t need to be applied as often and the plant will take the nutrients as it needs them. Slow release fertilisers should be applied as per the instructions on the packet. For more information on the different types of fertiliser for indoor plants click here.
Something you need to be cautious of when it comes to fertilising your houseplants is over-fertilising. Over-fertilising your Syngonium Batik can burn the roots and foliage. If you think you may have over-fertilised your plant, you can change the soil or rinse the fertiliser out of the soil with water. You will notice a change in the water colour once the fertiliser has been rinsed out.
For more information on fertilising houseplants click here.
Soil Requirements
Syngonium Batik will grow best when planted in a well draining soil. To create a well draining soil, you can use a mixture of potting mix, orchid bark, perlite, peat moss and charcoal. These ingredients help to create better drainage and aeration.
Adding perlite to any general potting mix can also work as a simpler and easier mix. Air flow is important in potting soil as it allows the plants roots to breath. Not having enough oxygen to the roots can eventually cause them to start rotting.
Organic materials like coco coir, mulch chunks or coconut husk can also be added to the soil to help restrain moisture. When it comes to potting soils, you want to use a mix that will help hold moisture without causing the soil to become soggy.
Adding garden compost or worm castings to the soil will add more richness which plants love. You should also use pots that have drainage holes so the water can freely drain through and not cause the soil to become waterlogged.
Diseases & Pests
The most common pests that you may encounter on your Syngonium Batik are spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, scale and thrips. For more information on identifying and treating common houseplant pests click here. The most common diseases you may encounter are root-rot and leaf spot.
The best thing you can do when it comes to pests on houseplants is to try and avoid any pest infestations from starting. There are a few things you can do that will assist in preventing any pest infestations and these things are:
- Checking new plants for pests or isolating new plants for up to a week.
- Check your plants every few days for pests.
- Trim off any dead or dying leaves.
- Wipe down leaves if you notice them getting dusty.
- Keeping your plants healthy. A healthy plant will be able to handle an infestation better than those that aren’t as happy.
- Isolate any plants that have pests.
Following this will assist in keeping pests away as well as catch them early on before any severe infestations are able to start. Keeping plants healthy and in the correct living environments can help to deter any pests from invading your plants.
Toxicity
Syngonium Batik are considered to be toxic to both pets and humans if ingested. The plant contains Calcium Oxalate Crystals and if any part of the plant is ingested, symptoms may include swelling of the oesophagus, GI tract and mouth. If ingested by pets, the symptoms may include vomiting, lack of appetite, drooling and pawing at the mouth.
