Bird of Paradise

Bird of Paradise needs BRIGHT INDIRECT TO DIRECT.

To place your plant in the perfect spot, let’s start with understanding how much light it needs and how much light your place gets. To figure this out, you need to find the direction of your window and measure how far the plant is from it. First, using the compass or map on your phone, see what direction your window faces: North, East, West, or South. Here’s what you need to remember:

1. South-facing windows make for the brightest spots, then East- and West-facing, and then North-facing.
2. If the window is in between two directions, use the least sunny direction as a base.
3. Each window has an optimal proximity range. Here’s where to put your Bird of Paradise, based on the direction of your window:
   • not possibl to place in a room with North Window, as not enough sun
   • within 1ft away from East or West window;
   • within 5ft away from South window;

Within this range, the closer your plant is to the window, the more light photons it gets, and the better it thrives.

The Dislikes of Your Alocasia When It Comes To Light

Your
Bird of Paradise doesn’t like direct sun rays in the afternoon sun. That’s when they are strongest and can sunburn the plant’s sensitive foliage.

IMAGE AFTERNOON DIRECT LIGHT

Note: This is a general guideline. Each place is unique, and you know yours best. Is the window view obstructed by the trees and a highrise? Is there a sheer curtain? If so, less light is coming in. Move your plant closer!

Still not sure if your Bird of Paradise will be thriving in the spot you picked?

Another simple way to define brightness levels is by measuring the intensity of the shadow. That’s particularly helpful if the view is somewhat obstructed and it’s hard to estimate how much light actually sneaks in. Place a sheet of paper on the spot where you’d like to grow a plant. Hold your hand about 1 foot (30cm) above the paper. Now, what do you see?

Bird of Paradise needs Bright Indirect to Direct.

Bird of Paradise is a HEAVY DRINKER.

Check your plant regularly, but only water it when it’s thirsty.

Every plant needs a period of drying for the oxygen to get to its roots. Overwatering damages your plant by preventing that process from happening. So how can you know how much water your
Bird of Paradise needs? The ideal watering frequency depends on the plant’s drinking habits and how fast the soil dries out in your unique indoor space, so it would be misleading to recommend a fixed schedule. To best meet your plant’s water needs, monitor it, and watch for the signs it’s thirsty.

Here’s how the how to:

Once a week before giving your plant a drink, check the moisture level in the pot by dipping your finger a couple of inches into the soil.

Heavy Drinkers need to be watered when 1/2′ of the topsoil is dry.

The dislikes of Your Bird of Paradise When It Comes To Water

• Your Bird of Paradise doesn’t like it when its roots are left sitting in water. They would start to rot and that would irreversibly damage your plant.

What to do: Make sure you always discard the drenched water from the pot or saucer after watering.

Bird of Paradise comes from a Subtropical climate. Aim to provide the air conditions it would find in its natural habitat. At all times, maintain a comfortable room temperature of 65-75°F,18-24°C.

Bird of Paradise thrives in high humidity (40-50%). It tolerates normal humidity (30-40%), but if the humidity is low (less than 30%), you may notice the foliage getting thin and dry on the edges. You can easily rectify that by misting it daily or using a humidifier.

To provide your Bird of Paradise with the right nutrients, fertilize it from March to September.
It’s a HEAVY eater plant. As a rule of thumb, it should be fertilized once a month.

Liquid fertilizer with NPK formula 10-10-10 (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium) works best for it.

Otherwise, you can use all-purpose indoor plant fertilizer.

Never fertilize your plant during the winter or fall months. It goes through winter dormancy and its appetite naturally slows down.