Peperomia

The plant peperomia (Peperomia) is a representative of the Pepper family. This genus includes over a thousand different species, some of which are successfully grown as indoor plants. The American tropics are considered their homeland, but peperomias are also found in Asia.

The word "peperomia" itself can be translated as "like a pepper." Due to its relative unpretentiousness and attractive foliage, this plant is very popular. Even different types of peperomia require approximately the same care, only plants with variegated leaf blades require brighter lighting.

Description of peperomia

Peperomia is a small shrub or evergreen herb that can be both perennial and annual. The plant is distinguished by thick stems, on which dense and strong leaves are located, which are located opposite. The color, shape and texture of the leaves can be very varied. There are wrinkled, leathery, velvety, glossy, rather large or very small leaf blades. Their color can be monochromatic or variegated, combining different shades of green, as well as silver, brown or red tones.

Peperomia can also bloom, forming small flowers-spikelets of light shades, but they do not differ in particular decorativeness and do not have a smell. They usually appear in spring or summer. Sometimes, after flowering, peperomia can shed some of the leaves, and its bush noticeably loses its density. To avoid this, peduncles are sometimes removed in the early stages of formation. The only exceptions are some species that have slightly more elegant flowers, for example, wrinkled peperomia. Usually they have more requirements for the level of illumination of the room. After some time, dry fruits appear in place of the spikelets, quickly separating from the base.

Most often, peperomia is grown at home, although some plants are considered suitable for outdoor use during the warm season. Some varieties can be planted in hanging pots, using them as ampelous plants. Due to the fact that peperomia is characterized by a slow growth rate, it is often made part of flower arrangements.

When purchasing an adult peperomia plant, you need to evaluate the brightness of the color of its foliage. It should be intense. Stems and leaves must be intact, strong and healthy.Be sure to check their bases for rot. Sluggish and faded foliage will indicate insufficient watering and unfavorable growing conditions. A weakened plant may not withstand moving to a new place.

Brief rules for growing peperomia

The table shows brief rules for caring for peperomia at home.

Home care for peperomia

Peperomia does not have special requirements for home care, therefore it is easy and simple to grow a plant. You just need to follow some rules.

Lighting

Home peperomia needs abundant, but diffused lighting all year round. Direct rays should not fall on its leaves. If a flower pot is kept on a sultry south window, you should protect it from light with a light curtain or paper sheets. You can also remove the peperomia container a little further from the window. The eastern and western directions do not need such measures, but on the northern side the flower will be too dark and will have to be illuminated. Variegated plant species are especially in need of light.

Peperomias with green foliage tolerate partial shade better, it is with light shading that they form the most beautiful plates. In this case, a too shady place can lead to stretching of the shoots and the loss of their decorative effect. It is important to monitor the degree of coverage of peperomias in winter. So that the short daylight hours do not affect their attractiveness, the pots are transferred to the most illuminated place. Without this, foliage can begin to shrink.

Temperature

Peperomia prefers moderate warmth throughout the year. In spring and summer, it is advised to keep it at temperatures up to + 20-22 degrees: in the heat, the foliage of the plant begins to wither. In winter, the room can be a few degrees cooler + 18-20 degrees. Cooling below +16 degrees is considered harmful to the flower. It tolerates soil cooling especially badly. If the window sill on which the peperomia stands is too cold, you can insulate its pot with a foam stand.

Only some types of peperomia in summer can be taken out into the air, the rest are recommended to be protected from drafts and temperature extremes. The more stable the conditions for keeping the flower, the better.

Watering mode

During the entire period of growth, peperomia must be watered abundantly enough. For this, only soft water is used. It is desirable that it be slightly warmer than the temperature in the room. Between waterings, the soil should have time to dry out by about half. In winter, when the plant slows down its growth rate, it is watered much less often, waiting for the soil to dry out almost completely.

Overdrying the soil such a flower perceives better than overflow.Sufficiently thick leaves of the plant can store moisture in the same way as succulents, but you should not completely dry the soil in a pot. Species with thinner leaves do not have this ability. The fact that peperomia does not have enough water can be understood by its sluggish leaves. Excess moisture, in turn, is dangerous by the development of rot.

Humidity level

Peperomia growing houses perceive room humidity well, but many of them will not mind periodic spraying - they contribute to the growth of the bush. As a rule, they try to humidify the air around the flower in the summer months, when it becomes especially hot and dry in the house. The only exceptions are gray-haired peperomia and other species with pubescent foliage. Do not spray them.

If the peperomia has large shiny foliage, it can be periodically wiped with a soft, damp sponge. Small-leaved glossy species in the summer are sometimes washed with a shower.

The soil

On top of the drainage, soil is poured into a new pot, which includes peat, sand, humus and a double part of leafy earth. The soil must be light enough, otherwise the plant may suffer from the fact that little oxygen is supplied to its roots. You can use formulations for succulents or ornamental foliage plants, or even grow peperomia bushes hydroponically.

Top dressing

From spring to autumn, peperomia is fed about once every 15 days, using complex formulations for plants with beautiful foliage. In winter, feeding should be continued, but during this period they are carried out twice less often.

Transfer

Instances of peperomia younger than 3 years old require an annual transplant, bushes older than this age can be transplanted half as often. The degree of need to move can be judged by the size of the plant's roots: when the pot becomes too small for him, they begin to look through the holes in the bottom. The transplantation procedure is carried out in the spring, it is during this period that the bushes begin to grow most actively.

Low pots with a good drainage layer are suitable for peperomia. Pots that are too large can make the plant sick or lose its attractiveness. When transplanting a bush into a more spacious container, the difference in width should be about 2-3 cm. Peperomia is transplanted into a new container by transshipment.

Pruning

Some peperomia shoots can significantly outperform others in growth. To form a more lush and beautiful crown, the tops of the peperomia stems can be pinched periodically. This procedure promotes the activation of the growth of the side branches.

Reproduction methods of peperomia

Growing from seeds

Peperomia can be propagated using seeds, but this method is rarely practiced at home. Most plant species have such tiny seeds that germination can be difficult.

Peperomia seeds are sown in early spring - March-April. For planting, a light mixture of leafy earth with sand is used. After sowing, the soil must be carefully watered, and then covered with foil and removed to heat. Seeds need to be ventilated and kept moist. As soon as the sprouts have a second true leaf, they are dived into another container filled with soil of the same composition. The distance between the seedlings should be about 2 cm. The seedlings are kept in the scattered sun, trying to create the longest possible daylight hours for it.

Once the seedlings are strong enough, they are transplanted into separate pots about 7 cm in diameter. A drainage layer is also laid in them. The composition of the land for planting in this case is made the same as for adult plants. From that time on, caring for them is no longer different.

Propagation by stem cuttings

To propagate peperomia, you can take part of its stem or its top. It is this method that amateur flower growers usually use. Each such stalk should have from 1 to 3 nodes. For the appearance of roots, you can put them in water or immediately plant them in a mixture of sand, humus and peat.After planting, such cuttings are covered with bags and placed in a warm corner, where they keep about +25 degrees. The rooting process takes about a month. As soon as the seedlings take root, they can be planted in separate containers and looked after in the same way as for adult bushes.

Reproduction using a leaf

This method requires a healthy and sturdy leaf. Most often, species with the densest plates are propagated in this way. The leaf is carefully cut with a sharp tool, leaving a small petiole. To root the leaf blade, you can use a container with water, sphagnum or peat-sand mixture. If the leaf is placed in water, it must be changed every couple of days. To speed up the process, you can cover the sheet with a transparent bag, making it look like a greenhouse. In 3-4 weeks, the plate will have roots, after which it can be planted in a pot about 7 cm in diameter. As soon as the seedling takes root, they begin to take care of it in the same way as an adult peperomia.

Dividing the bush

This method is suitable for owners of large and overgrown bushes. Transplanting such a plant in spring, it is carefully divided into several (usually 2-3) parts, trying to disturb the roots as little as possible. The size of the planting pots must correspond to the size of the cuttings. Drainage is laid in them, and then filled with the same earth as in a conventional transplant.

Possible difficulties of growing

Usually, peperomia calmly tolerates small mistakes in care, but due to regular mistakes, the bush can begin to hurt. The causes of the problems can be judged by the appearance of the leaves of the plant:

• The foliage starts to fall when the earth is dry or due to an extremely low temperature in the room.
• The foliage withers and wrinkles due to exposure to the bright sun. Direct rays can leave burns on peperomia, especially often on unshaded southern windows.
• The edges of the foliage turn brown due to strong temperature changes or cold drafts.
• Yellowing of leaves and the appearance of spots can talk about an excess amount of fertilizers.
• The stems and leaves are rotting due to the fact that the soil is too moist. Frequent stagnation of liquid in the ground, combined with low (less than +16) temperatures, often leads to the development of rot. In this case, the leaves and petioles may turn black.
• Excessive shallowness of foliage can become a manifestation of the disease - the dwarf virus. If feeding or changing the location does not help, such a specimen is recommended to be destroyed.

A weakened plant can be affected by harmful insects. Among them are scale insects, nematodes, thrips, mite species, as well as mealybugs. Weak lesions can be tried to be removed with folk remedies; in other cases, insecticides are used.

Types of peperomia with photos and names

Peperomia velutina (Peperomia velutina)

Ecuadorian species of herbaceous perennials. Has an erect stem. It has pubescence and is painted in a dark burgundy shade. Petioles of leaf blades are short - up to 1 cm. The foliage is round, green. Its front side is decorated with lighter veins. Depending on the variety, it can be slightly pubescent or glossy. During the flowering period, spikelet peduncles are formed in the leaf axils, reaching up to 7 cm.

Peperomia clusiifolia

This herbaceous species lives in the Venezuelan tropics. The foliage is dense, sessile, colored reddish-green. In this case, the edges of the plates may have a purple tint. Their dimensions reach 15 cm with an 8 cm width. The top of the leaf is usually blunt.

The species has a variegated variegata shape, its foliage is less dense and is colored in several colors at once. The edges of the plate are reddish, then the hue changes to yellow, and closer to the center it becomes saturated green. Such peperomia does not live in the natural environment.

Peperomia reddish (Peperomia rubella)

Branching herbaceous and very elegant appearance. It has thin reddish stems with small oval leaves.They are arranged in 4 pieces and have a green surface and a burgundy underside.

Peperomia multi-spotted (Peperomia maculosa)

The species lives in the mountainous regions of the South American continent. Differs in spotted stems, strewn with brown specks. The foliage is shiny, oblong-ovate, up to 20 cm long. The plates grow directly from the root. Their color is bright green with light veins. The inflorescences are colored brown.

Peperomia marble (Peperomia marmorata)

Spectacular Brazilian look. It differs in small height, but at the same time it can form a spreading bush. The heart-shaped leathery foliage is colored in shades of light green, but the veins are darker in color, turning brown towards the very center.

Peperomia creeping (Peperomia serpens)

An epiphyte found in the American tropics. Prefers swampy areas. Its stems can either stand upright or hang down or lie down. Small leaves look like rounded hearts. They are bright green or variegated in color. Most often, such peperomia is grown as ampelous.

Pleasant peperomia (Peperomia blanda)

Another South American epiphytic species. It has densely pubescent stems, on which (in groups of 3-4 pieces) oval leaves are located. In width, they reach only 1.5 cm with a 4 cm length. The plates are colored red from the inside and green from the outside.

Gray Peperomia (Peperomia incana)

Brazilian variety. It can be both grass and a small shrub up to half a meter in height. The stems of such a plant are heavily pubescent. The foliage is round, slightly tapering towards the top. The plate itself is colored green, but the short white pubescence creates the effect of a thin bloom on it. The width of each sheet reaches 5 cm.

Peperomia silvery (Peperomia argyreia)

Found in Brazil, but also found in Venezuela. It can be both a terrestrial and an epiphytic plant. The petioles of the leaf plates are red and rather long - up to 10 cm. This species does not have a stem, and they grow directly from the root. The foliage is glossy, fleshy, dark green in the veins. Between them, light stripes are located on the plate, which is why the color of each leaf is a bit like a watermelon.

Peperomia wrinkled (Peperomia caperata)

Another Brazilian look. Forms bushes up to 10 cm high. Petiole leaves grow from the root, forming a kind of rosette. The petioles are pink. The plate is covered with pronounced and inwardly concave veins. The foliage itself is silvery-green, and the veins are greenish-brown. During the flowering period, white flowers-spikelets are formed on the plant on pinkish peduncles, which look spectacular against the background of the "pillow" of leaves.

Peperomia obtusifolia

Distributed in the South American tropics. It lives both on the ground and in trees. The stems are pubescent. The foliage is dense, petiolate, ovoid. Its color is dark green, and its length reaches 12 cm with a 4 cm width. This species has a number of forms and varietal varieties grown in floriculture.