LIGHT
Peperomia, you Frost favors direct, bright light. Although it can endure reduced light levels, growth might be slowed.
When the top 50 to 75 percent of the soil is dry, water your Peperomia Frost plant. Don’t let your Peperomia sit in excess water or damp soil; instead, water it thoroughly until excess water drains from the drainage hole into the saucer. Your Peperomia Frost resembles a succulent in that it can withstand some drying out in between waterings and stores water in its leaves.
The Peperomia Frost can withstand typical indoor humidity. However, it will benefit from more humidity, just like the majority of tropical plants. Place a humidifier nearby, mist frequently, or use a pebble tray to increase the humidity.
During the growing season, regular fertilizer will be beneficial for your Peperomia Frost. In the spring and summer, feed once a month with basic houseplant fertilizer that has been diluted to half the recommended concentration.
Leaf cuttings are a simple way to multiply Peperomia. Make a cut on a stem below a leaf and stick it into the water to multiply your plants or share with a friend. Soon after, roots will start to form. Transfer to soil once roots have formed, and maintain moisture.
Does peperomia require moisture?
One of the simplest indoor plants to grow is the peperomia. Peperomias enjoy environments with 40 to 50 percent humidity, such as terrariums, while being native to places like tropical cloud forests, where humidity is typically above 90 percent. The high humidity in your bathroom also makes it simple for peperomia to thrive. However, most peperomias thrive in less humid regions of your home almost as well. These plants are acclimated to growing on decaying trees and other types of wood, and they are also used to fairly dry and unpredictable growing environments. Because of this, a lot of peperomias have succulent natures.
Make sure to put peperomias in well-drained soil when growing them in containers. With too much water or soil, peperomias can be quickly eradicated. Peperomias often grow best in small containers because they have few roots. Additionally, they do well in pots, and care should be used when repotting. You run the danger of them going bad if you place them in a pot that is too big.
Peperomias can endure many different kinds of lighting. Remember that most peperomia species are found in forest canopies, so keep them out of direct sunlight in general. Be sure to rotate your plants frequently because some of the larger, thicker-leaf species can withstand a lot of sun and will soon lean toward a light source. Numerous smaller-leaf cultivars will thrive in low light. If your plants start to get lanky, feel free to prune your peperomias back. You can propagate the surplus bits you take out to grow more plants. One or two mature leaves and at least one node on the stem should remain on a stem after the lower leaves have been removed. These cuttings will root in a few weeks if you place them directly in moist potting soil. Numerous stemless varieties, such as the ripple peperomias, can also be propagated from leaf cuttings that resemble those of an African violet.
Does my watermelon peperomia need to be misted?
Misting your plants is an excellent technique to enhance the humidity in the air for them. The leaves of your Watermelon Peperomia will be able to access the moisture more easily if you regularly wet them.
The only drawback to spraying your plants is that it adds another responsibility to watering them that you must remember. Because of this, some people choose to use a humidifier.
Are peperomia plants tolerant of misting?
Peperomia plants, like many of the plants we write about, are native to tropical areas and are therefore accustomed to far more moisture in the air than they are likely to encounter in your house.
Your plants’ leaves can benefit from misting by getting the moisture it needs to thrive outside. For optimal moisture, mist your Peperomia once a day or once every other day. However, if you forget, even performing them once a week can have an impact.
There are various methods you can achieve this if misting your Peperomia is not for you, even though it is a terrific way to keep them wet and a method we would recommend.
Let’s look at a few choices we can employ as the goal behind this is to get fluids into the air for your plants to absorb. One suggestion is to put your potted plants in liquid-filled pebble trays. The leaves will absorb the moisture when the water dries up. Another way to do this is to surround your water with a bunch of cups and bowls. This liquid will evaporate at higher indoor temperatures, which will benefit your plants’ health.
Use of a humidifier is a final, slightly more pricey solution you may consider. If you don’t already have one, you can purchase cheaper, but less powerful, humidifiers. If you decide to get one, it can be a terrific alternative because your plant will get more moisture from it than if you only misted it because you can leave them running all day.
In order to summarize, should I spray peperomia? Indeed, you should! Although a Peperomia prefers moisture in the air, you may also grow it using alternative techniques, such as wet pebble trays, humidifiers, and water jugs.
Where is watermelon peperomia placed?
Locate your watermelon peperomia in an area with bright to moderate indirect light. Since their leaves are prone to scorching, they should not be left in the sun for extended periods of time. Although they can live in lower light levels, the growth will be more lanky and the leaves will be smaller.
How can Watermelon Peperomia be made to smile?
There should be no harsh light and at least five hours of indirect light for watermelon peperomia. Temperatures between 60 to 80 °F and mild humidity are required. The top one to two inches of soil should be watered every time it becomes dry, which should be every 1-3 weeks in the summer and every 3-5 weeks in the winter.
Why are the leaves on my Watermelon Peperomia curling?
Watermelon Peperomia’s leaves and stems do a good job of retaining water, but if you’re worried about overwatering, you might really be underwatering (hands up on this one for me, I was definitely guilty of this at first).
Yes, you should let the dirt on top dry out, but not all the way! Watermelon Peperomia leaves may droop and curl if they are kept excessively dry for an extended period of time. Keep in mind that heat, light, and water go together. They require more frequent watering than you may imagine because they are kept in a warm, sunny location (which they enjoy). Keep the soil just barely damp at all times.
Get a water meter to assess the moisture at the root level if you’re unsure (a few options below). If finances permit, those Sustee water meters that change color are great. They are tiny and remain where they are in the soil, turning from blue to white when it is time to water.
Get yourself a cheap 3-in-1 analog water meter that you can transfer from plant to plant, or a digital water meter that you can also shift from plant to plant and that flashes a different color depending on how moist the soil is, if you want to save money for your plants (I’m all for that).
My Watermelon Peperomia is drooping; why?
Low-maintenance indoor houseplants, such as peperomia plants, don’t need a lot of care in order to flourish. However, you must take immediate action if you see them fading or drooping.
Drooping Peperomia leaves typically signify dehydration brought by by submersion or low humidity. Extreme weather conditions, bug infestations, and overwatering can also cause the plant to wilt.
A wilting Peperomia can be brought back to life by altering the frequency of watering, improving soil drainage, and keeping the plant pest-free.
Why are the leaves on my Watermelon Peperomia dropping?
If left unattended, persistent underwatering can result in a number of major problems, but even sporadic underwatering can cause drooping leaves. The soil is dry, making the leaves feel considerably thinner than usual and quite tender to the touch.
We advise removing your plant from the pot to assess how dry the potting mix is before you start watering more regularly. The worst case scenario is thinking that your Watermelon Peperomia requires more water since its leaves are soft and drooping, when in fact, the opposite is true or temperature changes are to blame.
Underwatering is the most likely cause if the plant feels relatively light when lifted and the potting soil is completely dry. Your first inclination may be to drown your plant in an attempt to compensate for the lack of water, but doing so might actually worsen the situation and shock the plant.
Instead, watering your Watermelon Peperomia plant a small bit once every day for a week is the easiest way to restore it to full health after it has been underwatered. After a week, you should return to your regular maintenance schedule, taking care to remember all of your regular waterings. To help you monitor whether your Watermelon Peperomia needs more or less water, we advise purchasing a moisture meter. A self-watering pot like this one, which just makes everything so much easier, can be worth the investment if you want to eliminate all of the stress associated with watering your Peperomia.
Overwatering can also cause drooping in Watermelon Peperomia
Even while a Watermelon Peperomia’s drooping and limp leaves are typically caused by a lack of water, overwatering can potentially have the same results. This is because in soggy soil, the roots will begin to decay and cut off the plant from essential nutrients and water. Additionally, the stems weaken to the point that they can no longer support the plant. This is what makes them sag and turn rather thin and mushy.
Take your Watermelon Peperomia plant out of its pot right away and examine the root system if you have any suspicions that it may be experiencing overwatering and root rot. Remove any decaying roots with care. These won’t recover fully, and eliminating them can encourage the growth of new, healthy roots. It is crucial that you immediately replace any potting mix that is still clumpy and wet with new material. Waiting for it to dry out naturally runs the danger of damaging your Watermelon Peperomia more.
Water your Watermelon Peperomia only when the potting soil seems dry during the coming weeks, and hopefully your plant will start to recover. Once more, purchasing a moisture meter can significantly aid in preventing future overwatering.
Lack of humidity can be a real problem!
If you don’t believe that your Watermelon Peperomia’s soft leaves are a result of watering problems, then it can be a result of a dry environment. A plant may transpire more often in extremely dry air, which causes it to lose moisture via its leaves. They could feel considerably softer and droop down as a result.
The air in your home might dry out much more quickly in the winter because of heating and less ventilation.
Here are several methods to raise humidity for your Watermelon Peperomia to stop its leaves from drooping:
Mist the leaves
One of the simplest ways to raise the humidity in your Watermelon Peperomia and prevent the leaves from drooping is to use this method. We advise using a spray bottle to spritz the leaves a few times per week. (We adore these Amazon amber glass ones.)
The best advice is to spray the leaves in the morning to give them time to dry off. When temperatures drop at night, leaves that are still damp are far more likely to rot and droop.
Build a pebble tray
This is a terrific fix for Watermelon Peperomia plants that are wilting from a lack of humidity, albeit it does need a little DIY. Small stones should be placed in a dish that has water halfway up the sides. Stack the stones with your Watermelon Peperomia on top of them. The humidity will rise around your plant as water slowly evaporates during the day.
When building a pebble tray, the main thing to watch out for is that the water doesn’t rise high enough and the roots end up sitting in water, which increases the danger of root rot.
Placement
We advise relocating your Watermelon Peperomia there if your kitchen or bathroom has good lighting. Due to cooking and taking showers, those rooms naturally have a greater humidity level than the rest of your house. Just be careful not to place your plant too close to the cooker as this could quickly burn the foliage and cause a number of additional issues in addition to just drooping, mushy leaves.
Buy a humidifier
The best course of action is definitely to get a humidifier if you are concerned that the lack of humidity may become a significant issue. You won’t need to worry about anything because it maintains the humidity in the space at a constant level. It will keep the leaves on your Watermelon Peperomia from drooping, softening, and it may even help keep the leaves from turning dry and brown. The advantages of humidifiers, however, don’t just apply to your indoor plants; they are also fantastic for clearing out our skin and promoting better sleep.
Check out our humidity guide if you want to learn more about how to increase humidity for your Watermelon Peperomia or any other indoor plants.
Cold temperatures
Cold temperatures may also be a contributing factor in a Watermelon Peperomia plant’s soft, drooping leaves. To truly flourish, watermelon peperomia need warm surroundings, and they can be severely startled and harmed by cold air and drafts.
The constant flow of cold air from the outside can really shock and harm the plant over time, causing drooping leaves as well as brown spots or leaves falling off completely, even though you might not notice the cold air coming through cracks in doors and windows if your Watermelon Peperomia is right next to them.
As air conditioning vents may be quite harmful to your plants during the summer, make sure to move them away from any windows or doors that are close to your Watermelon Peperomia and draft-proof them. Consider purchasing a heat pad like this one to use over the winter. It just makes life so much easier, and you can combine a few plants on it to maximize the warmth!
These are the most frequent causes of drooping or mushy leaves in Watermelon Peperomia plants. If underwatering is the problem, it typically goes away after a day or two of being watered, but other problems could take several weeks to resolve. After making any changes to the environment or your watering schedule, pay special attention to how your Watermelon Peperomia is doing because plants, like people, can be a little finicky when things change.
Check out our Watermelon Peperomia care guide to learn more about taking care of your Watermelon Peperomia as well as how to identify and resolve other frequent problems.