Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Anthurium 'Black Love' (Anthurium andraeanum 'Black Love')— schedule & NPK
Also called dark anthurium, black anthurium.
More about anthurium 'black love'
About Anthurium 'Black Love'
Anthurium andraeanum 'Black Love' · also called dark anthurium, black anthurium · tropical
Anthurium 'Black Love' is a flamingo-flower cultivar grown for its dramatic, deep maroon-black, lacquered spathes that contrast with glossy green heart-shaped leaves. An epiphytic aroid, it flowers almost year-round in warm, humid rooms with bright indirect light. Give it a chunky, airy mix and consistent moisture and it will keep pushing out its near-black blooms.
Growth habit: Evergreen, upright epiphytic aroid forming a clump of long-stalked, glossy heart-shaped leaves, with the dark spathe-and-spadix flowers held above the foliage. Slow to moderate growth, producing aerial roots over time.
Watch for — Brown leaf tips and spathe edges: Low humidity, dry air or salt build-up from fertiliser scorch the margins. Raise humidity, flush the soil to remove salts, and use filtered or rainwater if your tap water is hard.
What fertiliser anthurium 'black love' actually wants — and why
Anthurium 'Black Love' is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for anthurium 'black love': match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed anthurium 'black love', and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For anthurium 'black love':
Feed every 4-6 weeks in spring and summer with a balanced houseplant fertiliser at quarter to half strength; a slightly higher-phosphorus feed supports flowering. Anthuriums are sensitive to salt build-up, so flush the pot occasionally and feed lightly in winter, if at all. Treat that as every 4-6 weeks between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when anthurium 'black love' is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for anthurium 'black love'
Half strength is the safe default for anthurium 'black love' — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water anthurium 'black love' first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the anthurium 'black love' watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding anthurium 'black love'
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for anthurium 'black love':
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding anthurium 'black love'
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full anthurium 'black love' care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of anthurium 'black love' with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for anthurium 'black love'
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising anthurium 'black love' — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does anthurium 'black love' need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Anthurium 'Black Love' is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed anthurium 'black love'?
Feed every 4-6 weeks in spring and summer with a balanced houseplant fertiliser at quarter to half strength; a slightly higher-phosphorus feed supports flowering. Anthuriums are sensitive to salt build-up, so flush the pot occasionally and feed lightly in winter, if at all. Feed every 4-6 weeks in spring and summer with a balanced houseplant fertiliser at quarter to half strength; a slightly higher-phosphorus feed supports flowering. Anthuriums are sensitive to salt build-up, so flush the pot occasionally and feed lightly in winter, if at all. Treat that as every 4-6 weeks between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for anthurium 'black love'?
Half strength is the safe default for anthurium 'black love' — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding anthurium 'black love' look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding anthurium 'black love' year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of anthurium 'black love'?
Flush the pot of anthurium 'black love' with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Anthurium 'Black Love' care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water anthurium 'black love' — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise monstera
- How to fertilise pothos
- How to fertilise fiddle leaf fig
- All 2464 fertilising guides in the Growli library