Homesfornh.com – Pilea peperomioides is an evergreen plant that has myriad round leaves. This plant has attractive foliages to be an indoor ornamental plant. It is a sun-lover plant, it will grow well under bright indirect light. This plant is different from Peperomia. Both almost look the same but it is a different plant. Pilea Peperomoides is a species of the Pilea genus. The Latin name Peperomoides means Peperomia-like. If you want to know more about this plant, let’s discuss it in this article. Check this out!
How to Take Care of Pilea Peperomioides
Growing Peperomioides indoors is a beneficial activity. This plant should get bright indirect light when you put it indoors. However, you need to know more tips to make your houseplant stay healthy and growing vigorously like a giant plant.
-
The Need for Sunlight
Peperomia likes to get enough sunlight. The south-facing window is an energetic place to grow this plant. Peperomia will grow in the direction of the sun, thus you can rotate the position regularly to ensure that all sides get the same nutrition from sunlight. Rotating the plant regularly also helps them to grow straight up. Moreover, the healthy leaves will turn to a deep green color with shiny surfaces.
-
Watering
The watering routine is the key to grow the Peperomioides plant. Water this plant at least 1-2 times per week. The filtered water is good for their roots. Distilled water like rainwater contains natural nutrients to increase humidity in the soil. You can manage which water that suits their need. If you put it in a bright site, then it needs more water rather than in a shady place. The watering routine depends on the humidity in a room. This plant is best to grow at temperatures 55°F-85°F.
-
Soil Composition
Most plants grow well in well-draining soil like the Pilea Peperomioides plant. The fertile composition for this plant is 50% potting mix, 40% cacti soil, and 10% perlite. It creates a fluffy texture for the soil. Mix them well in a container. You can use it to repot the plant or add more nutrients to the soil. This well-draining soil should get well drainages on the bottom part.
-
Fertilizer
Looking at the plant every day and see what they need to be healthy. If your Peperomia starts growing too slow, it may hungry. You need to add more nutrients into the soil by giving some fertilizer. The composition should be no more than 10-10-10 of NPK. It is good for Peperomia, especially the new growing plant. Don’t forget to read the instructions on the package for your safety. The recommended time to fertilize Pilea Peperomioides is during the fall and winter season, once per 1-2 months.
-
Repotting
The overgrowing plant needs to repot into a new pot with fresh soil nutrients. If you see they grow bigger and have lots of baby plants, you need more pot to separate them. Too many plants need more food, water, and space to grow. Choose a new pot 2” inches wider than the old pot. After repotting, your Peperomia may get shocks but it is natural, so you don’t worry. The droopy look is a phase that your plant roots try to adapt to in their new environment and new soil. Give it enough water and sunlight to stimulate the roots systems, then it can grow roots properly.
-
The Common Problems
Pilea Peperomioides is easy to grow. Even you can grow them from a tiny young plant. The common pests for this plant are spider mites and mealybugs. Get rid of these pests by neem oil spray. You can also wipe the leaves with neem oil solution and take them by hand. Other problems are the changing color of leaves. If you find their leaves are curling upwards, it is overwatering. If their leaves are curling inwards, maybe it gets too much light.
How to Straight Up Their Growth
Pilea Pepperomioides will grow spreadly. The mature plant consumes more space, then you need to manage its growth. Growing it vertically is interesting to try. Here are some tips that you can easily follow. Let’s start with the tools and materials you should know!
- Bright indirect site
- Some ties
- A bamboo stick/wooden stick
- Pruning shear/scissor
With the gardening tools and material above, you can do this activity more easily and efficiently. The following are some steps you can follow, to grow Pilea Pepperomioides straight and well. Let’s discuss them one by one!
-
Put Them in The Bright Indirect Light
We have discussed above that Pilea Peperomioides loves sunlight. They will grow and follow the direction where of coming sunlight. Thus, sunlight is the best element for their natural growth. Moreover, you should rotate the plant every week. It ensures that your plant gets enough sunlight for all sides, so it will grow straight up.
-
Pruning The Leaves
You need to arrange the leaves by pruning the overgrowing part. The pruning results in more new leaves growing. Manage the pruning routine to reduce uncontrolled growing leaves everywhere. Don’t forget to sterile the pruning shear before you use it.
-
Plant The Stick Near Pilea Peperomioides Stem
The massive growing Pilea Peperomioides plant needs a supporting stick. You need to tie the Pilea Peperomioides’ main stem with a wooden stick. This stick will support this plant, so they grow straight up properly. Pick some spots on the stem to tie with this stick. It will be safer for this plant growth.
Conclusion
Thus our discussion of Pilea Pepperomioides: Tips to Care and How to Grow It Straight Up. Pilea Perepomioides is an attractive ornamental plant. It has rounded foliages with deep green color, while the young leaves have a lighter green color. Maybe you have this plant at home, especially indoors. Thus, this article is helpful for you to grow them massively. Hopefully, your Pilea Peperomioides will be happier. Happy gardening!
