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.
Why are the leaves on my peperomia dropping?
Peperomia leaves falling off is one of the first signs that something is wrong with your plant. It can be disconcerting and a sign of a major problem, but if detected and addressed in time, it can also be managed. We’ll go over some of the most typical reasons why Peperomia leaves fall off, how to identify them, how to avoid them, and what to do about them below.
Overwatering
Overwatering is the most frequent reason why peperomia leaves fall off. Plants called peperomia don’t require much watering. They prefer to be let to dry out in between waterings since they store a lot of water in their leaves. These plants’ leaves may start to become dark and mushy and eventually fall off if you water them too frequently.
Black leaves, leaves that are squishy to the touch, soggy soil, and a heavy pot are all telltale symptoms that you’ve been overwatering your plants. When the earth seems dry after sticking your fingers about two inches into the soil, water your plant. Or you can learn to live with the weight of your pot; a plant in a light pot is frequently thirsty. Finally, you can use a moisture probe if you’re having trouble determining when to water your Peperomia. Put the metal prongs deeply into the soil, and when the reading is red or near the halfway point, it’s time to water your plant.
Drainage Issues
This issue is related to overwatering because it has a similar impact on the plant and can result in the loss of Peperomia leaves. Even if you give the plant a lot of time between waterings, Peperomia don’t like to sit in moist soil since they don’t want to be watered too frequently. Peperomia leaves may fall off as a result of poor drainage and poor soil. This includes utilizing soil that absorbs too much water and not having a drainage hole in your planting pot. If you use compost or soil intended for outdoor usage, it may trap too much water, which could drown your plant. Peperomia require well-draining soil. To aid in drainage, perlite can always be added to potting soil.
Underwatering
Although less common a reason for peperomia leaves falling off could be underwatering. We advise against overwatering Peperomia plants and recommend letting them dry out between waterings, but if you let them dry out and then don’t water them for several days or weeks, you risk causing your plant dehydration, which might cause its leaves to fall off or possibly kill it. Is the soil on your plant completely dry? The pot is it lit? This can be a sign that your plant is getting waterlogged.
Hopefully, this has assisted in determining why Peperomia leaves are dropping off. If you’re still not sure or believe there’s another cause, describe what’s happening to your plant and the circumstances it’s now surviving in the comments section below.
Why is my Watermelon Peperomia leaves drooping?
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.
Watering Watermelon Peperomia
These plants are more prone to overwatering than underwatering because of their thick leaves, which trap moisture, but they might have issues from either. While preventing the soil from drying up completely, you should also let the soil air out in between waterings.
Before watering, it’s a good idea to allow the top inch or two of soil at the plant’s base dry out. You can anticipate needing to water once every 1-3 weeks in the summer and once every 3-5 weeks in the winter depending on a variety of conditions.
- Light A plant’s soil will dry up more quickly the more light it receives.
- TemperatureHigher temperatures cause greater perspiration, which need more frequent watering.
- Humidity
- You’ll need to water less when the humidity rises.
- GrowthDuring the winter, plants consume less water because their growth slows.
Fertilizing Watermelon Peperomia
Although these plants don’t require very complex nutrients, they will benefit from regular application of houseplant fertilizer.
A typical indoor houseplant fertilizer should be diluted to half the specified concentration. From late spring to early fall, fertilize your plant with this mixture every few months. During the winter, fertilizing is not necessary.
Pruning Watermelon Peperomia
These tiny plants don’t require pruning, but you can trim them whenever you think their growth is getting out of hand. Cut the plant’s stems with a pair of clean, sharp scissors.
Propagate by Division
- Obtain an established plant. You’ll need a plant with developed roots and at least a few leaf clusters.
- Take the soil out. Remove the entire plant from the container with care. Shake the dirt off to reveal the roots.
- Divide the roots. Once you have a clear view, use a sharp knife or set of shears to separate the roots. Each piece should have a root and at least one leaf.
- Replant. Put one of your divisions into each pot that you have. As with adult plants, water in and take care of.
Propagate from a Stem Cutting
- Take a cutting. Obtain a leaf cutting that includes at least one inch of the red petiole (leaf stem).
- Submerge in water. Put the cutting in a container and cover the petiole base with water. There shouldn’t be any water on the leaf.
- Wait. Every week, change the water, then watch for roots to emerge.
- Pot. When roots appear, you can plant the cutting in a pot with potting soil that drains well.
Propagate from a Leaf Cutting
- procure a cutting. These cuttings don’t require a leaf node for successful propagation, in contrast to many other plants. Make a precise cut that is parallel to the leaf’s stripes in order to obtain a cutting.
- Put in the ground. Cut side down, plant the cutting in the ground. The only part of the cutting that should be buried is the very tip.
- Mist and cover. To boost humidity, place a plastic bag or container over your cutting and spritz with water.
- Wait. Within a few weeks, your cutting should start to grow roots. Keep the humidity high during this period, but stay away from moist ground.