According to research, there are nearly 1,000 plants in the Peperomia family. The different kinds of plants that belong to the Peperomia family tend to share some common characteristics among themselves; some of which are, they all are small and are easy to grow.
Peperomia plant is a tropical plant used as an indoor plant to increase the elegance and make the house captivating.
It grows in South Africa and Central America and some other parts of the world. Peperomia plants appear usually closed compact, rarely developing in an indoor setting.
Peperomia plants are marvelously easy-going with low maintenance plants.
Peperomia plants distinguish fleshy stems connecting heart-shaped leaves with the seeds to fruiting spikes. Leaves are in red, gray, or pale green colors at its boundaries.
They develop in a cool environment under big trees in rain-forests. Peperomia plants have a huge variety of foliage and indulge in a range of developing conditions. Most peperomia plants hold on to bright indirect light.
Peperomia plants are delightful, they have a lot of attributes that build them perfect houseplants with a great diversity of foliage.
Table of Contents
HEIGHT AND SPREAD :
Though there are a lot of species of peperomia plant, all the species are slow-growing and small. Most peperomia plants are not developing up to 2 feet (30 cm) when they grow up they spread relatively 8-12 inches(20-30 cm).
Usually, the peperomia plants are slow-developing together with various cultivators only to meet a comprehensive height of 10-12 inches high. They do not thrive to extend larger than 8-12 inches tall and wide.
The peperomia can get bigger in size and spread with these given factors easily under suitable growing conditions:
LIGHT :
Light is the most essential reason for a plant’s growth.
Light gives the required energy to plants to make starch and sugar for their development. The energy given by light can manufacture the other substances plants need. peperomia is a low maintained plant when it comes to light factors.
Peperomia need a medium to high light, avoid putting peperomia in extreme sunlight or dark light.
If the plant is developing slowly, then increase the amount of light but normally the problem is that if these plants are getting a great amount of direct light it will burn their leaves.
These are shade-loving plants, they need filtered light. Alternately peperomia plants develop under fluorescent light or tubes.
Fluorescent tubes used as visible light to compensate for the needs of light.
Insufficient light leads to the slow development of plants to stop developing altogether.
TEMPERATURE :
Temperature ranges are very important to consider when talking about plant health care. Each plant has its unique temperature range adaptation in which it can grow with full potential.
It is another essential reason that encourages the growth of peperomia plants. Most peperomia are kept in bright indirect light in temperature ranges between 65°-85°F.
Temperature and light are inter-connected through the process involved in growing the peperomia plants. Peperomia plants do not like cold drafts, choose a region for peperomia plants where a constant temperature range 55°F-75°F is maintained.
Temperatures below the range between 50°-55°F(10°C-12.5°C) will destroy the leaves of the plant.
Peperomia plants change the requirements of temperature to either minimize the temperature ranges or maximize the temperature ranges.
SOIL/POTTING MEDIUM :
Soil is regarded as the main factor in the growth of plants. The soil provides attachment, water, and supplements in plenty of plants. Soil plays a crucial role in rooting the peperomia plant.
Use a well-drained soil that gets a huge amount of air. Peperomia does not need repotting often. When repotting the peperomia be assured the new mixture is well-drained and aerated, holding capacity of soil for water and supplements well and the pH of soil ranges between 5.0-6.5.
They generally have a small root system making them ideal for gardens. The soil used for peperomia plants is a mixture of 50% peat moss and 50% perlite.
Use the potting mixture in a dry state. Mixing small rocks like gravels into the soil helps the roots of peperomia to get proper air for growing according to its need.
There is no requirement to shuffle the pots regularly as the plant grows on little wet moss.
WATERING :
Learning to water the plant is one of the most essential skills in plant care. Over-watering can suffocate the plant roots and too little water can cause unusual and slow growth.
Water peperomia plants from its root, it will help the roots to grow well. The soil of the plant should get dry before the plant again.
Make a goal to water peperomia deeply but infrequently. While watering a peperomia plant from its roots it does finest. Water from the base of the root is a good technique, it keeps the leaves of the plant dry and helps to stop the plant disease.
Allow the top of the soil mix to get dry at least 50 percent before you water the peperomia again. Thick leaves of the peperomia plant help to hold the water because of this feature the plant can withstand for a long period without any moisture present in the surrounding.
Overwatering results in decomposed roots, it is a severe condition for peperomia plants to get worse than before.
At the end of spring, healthy watering is preferably good thought under running water. This will help to remove the salts in which plant develops.
Water the peperomia every 7-11 days in summer. In winter, water peperomia less often every 14 days. These plants prefer to relax in winters so a decrease in watering frequency is a must. Naturally, peperomia plants are semi succulents, it is the major issue that leads to overwatering and decomposes roots, and plants get wilt. Watering speed will rely on the conditions under which plant is developing.
HUMIDITY:
Humidity plays a major role in all kinds of plants. Leaves evaporate it’s water in the surrounding, a process called transpiration. The rate of transpiration depends majorly on the humid atmosphere in the surroundings.
The relative humidity is a measure of moisture contained in the environment. Remarked relative humidity as an essential reason for indoor plants like peperomia; 40%-50% relative humidity considered as a medium need.
Peperomia plants must have high humidity levels and love this environment. Because of the small root system, peperomia collects water from their leaves.
During summer mist the leaves and group plants together may help to create a humid environment for better growth. To boost the misting, set the peperomia on a baking tray and fill the baking tray with water and scatter some pebbles into the water and place the peperomia just above the pebbles. This will increase the moisture level in the environment around the plant.
FERTILIZER :
A 10-10-10 fertilizer used daily to grow the peperomia vigorously.
During the spring and summer, make the fertilizer less strong half the strength and apply it every 2 weeks. It is essential to fertilize the peperomia plant in the fall and winter seasons.
Do not apply fertilizer to leaves, but choose to apply it to soil mixture around the roots instead because it will result in either toxicity of supplements or deficiency of the supplements.
The undisclosed thing of fertilizing peperomia plants is to put small quantities of fertilizer as soon as the plant starts developing. Without any development, the plant has a little need for higher amounts of fertilizer.
Throughout the winter when sunlight intensity is low, fertilizer requirements of plants get decreased. And at times in the summer when light intensity is too high, active development of plants takes place, during that particular phase fertilizer requirement gets increased.
REPORTING :
It helps to stop the potting mix from becoming too compressed which will decrease the rate of drainage over time.
PRUNING :
To improvise the ornamental appearance of foliage of peperomia plants we do pruning because the flowers are not attractive.
Peperomia plants tolerate pruning well at a great level. There is no need for showing too delicate care while pruning.
It requires plucking out stem tips once the peperomia plant develops. Pinching the stem tips will hold up the peperomia plant at the accurate size.
Remove the dead and decomposed growth and leaves before the peperomia plants show any signs of disease or damage. It will help to encourage new better growth by removing damaged parts of peperomia plants.
PROPAGATION:
The propagation procedure is very easy in Peperomia plants. The best season to propagate peperomia is spring and summers.
It is an easy procedure and a good way too to enlarge the plats. It requires a soil medium to propagate. There are 2 essential ways for propagating peperomia plants:
1. Leaf-cutting.
2. Stem cutting.
Soil medium: It plays an essential role in rooting new peperomia plants. Since many diversities of peperomia plants have small root systems, use a well-drained soil medium that gets a huge amount of air.
The Propagation through “leaf cutting method”:
● Prepare propagation tray or pots earlier than planned. Use an identical mixture of moss and perlite.
● Before using All equipment for propagation, ensure that all the equipment is clean and well sterile because the fungal disease is the major issue that can put a stop in propagating Peperomia.
● Cut off the leaf of the plant together with a bit of stem.
● Dip the cut of the leaf into root powder. This will promote new roots to thrive.
● Create a small channel in the potting medium, so insert leaf cutting can easily 1-2 cm into the new potting mix.
● Dense the potting mix around the cutting of the leaf. Water the potting media entirely.
● Cover the cuttings. Either use a polythene bag or a propagation tray over the top of the plant pot.
● In indoor temperature, Keep the newly propagated plants in indirect light.
● Remove the covering for a few hours to stop the larger amount of humidity which supports the huge risk of critical fungal disease.
● Firstly examine the growth of newly born roots from the edge of the leaves. Following a new shoot and then leaves start to grow.
The propagation through “stem cutting”:
● If the plant is tall upright, cut off the piece of stem simply with one or two leaves connected.
● Use sterilized stems to prevent fungal disease.
● While the stem cutting is exposing gently remove the basal pair of leaves.
● Dip cut the root end. This will initiate new growth of roots.
● Make a small hole in the potting media with a spoon or shearing scissors.
● Insert the cutting stem into the potting mix and firm the potting medium around the cutting. Water the potting media completely.
● Set the cut piece in an organic mixture and watch it to germinate.
FLOWERING :
The blooms of peperomia plants are very insignificant because they do not have a scent. It is the appearance of leaves that make plants interesting and attractive.
PEST MANAGEMENT:
Peperomia plants are easily affected by mealybugs and spider mites. Spider mites nourish on the base of new leaves. Infected areas are highlighted as grayish or yellow in appearance.
Mealybugs come first on the base of the leaves. Mealybugs expel a sticky honeydew, which stimulates sooty mold.
To abstract the question “how big peperomia plants can get?”
The response is they are small and can get up to 2 feet (30 cm) when they grow up they spread relatively 8-12 inches(20-30 cm).
Peperomia plants attain a comprehensive height of 10-12 inches high once they get mature. They do not thrive to extend larger than 8-12 inches tall and wide. The other factors help completely in growing ways.
Hi there! My name is Constance and I am a professional botanist. My enthusiasm for organic farming has led me to start this blog about gardening for beginners!
I write articles and tips on improving your home and garden with less work. I also share my own advice from the perspective of someone who loves all things green – like how to grow vegetables in containers or how to make compost out of kitchen scraps.