Product Description:
Peperomia plants belong to a wonderful genus of tropical plants native to Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. With more than 1,000 known species, Their leaves can be solid green, marbled or striped belonging to the family Piperaceae. Most will grow up to 25 – 30 cm in height and must be pinched out at the tips to direct, stop and encourage growth.
Light:
Bright light and for the variegated types some direct sunlight (couple of hours) can help them grow well.
Soil:
A peat based soil is best used that drains well.
Water:
The Peperomiahas succulent leaves that indicate that these plants don’t need frequent watering to maintain vigor. Allow the surface of the soil to dry out between waterings.
Fertilizer:
while the plant is growing use a diluted liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks, and once a month during summer.
Temperature:
Ideal temperatures of 65-75ºF (18-24ºC), and no lower than 50ºF (10ºC).
Humidity:
This species does like a humid environment. During the warmer months you can mist the leaves and/or place the plant on a pebble tray with water at the bottom.
Pruning:
Lightly prune Peperomia plants in the early spring to correct any leggy, sparse growth. Pinching back the stems will help maximize the plant’s lush appearance by encouraging more branching. Remove the end of each stem and the first set of leaves; you can pinch them off with your fingers or snip them off with hand pruners.
Propagation:
An easy method to propagate is to take a few centimeters of stem tip cuttings. Remove a tip (petiole) with about 5 – 8 cm of tip with one or two leaves on it. Plant the cutting in a very small pot with fresh potting mix that’s moist and try to provide warm temperatures of about 20ºC (68ºF), and plenty of bright light (warmth and light is the key to success). You may want to use a rooting hormone on the cut being planted.
