Peperomia ampelous
The trumpet variety grows as a herbaceous creeping tree or terrestrial shrub with densely-set leaves on the stems. Peperomia can grow in areas with dense moss litter.
Some species grow in their natural environment as epiphytes:
- Big-headed. The leaves are green, glossy, with short petioles. Branched stems are long. It is a valuable ornamental shrub with rapid development.
- Round-leaved. It grows like an epiphyte. The leaves are thick, round, juicy. Branched brown or burgundy shoots. The petioles are short.
- Whorled. Differs in thick, powerful shoots hanging from pots. When blooming, thin green spikelets and small flowers are formed on their tops. Leaves are sessile, rounded, collected in whorls. The plates on the underside are contrasting reddish.
- Angulata is a perennial ampelous shrub similar to Tradescantia. Shoots are thin, juicy, light brown. Leaves are dark green, oblong-lanceolate or with arcuate veins. At the tops of the shoots during flowering, peduncles with greenish spikelets are formed.
Ampel type of peperomia
Microclimate
The peperomia flower is not pretentious to the microclimate and does not have a special dormant period
Although it prefers to grow in sunny areas, it is therefore important to provide bright lighting with fluorescent lamps in winter. The main thing is that the rays of the direct sun do not fall on the bushes.
Temperature and humidity
The plant is tropical, therefore it is important to observe the temperature regime for comfortable growth in the room. The optimum temperature throughout the year is 25 ° C. The column must not be allowed to drop below 16 ° C in order to avoid the development of diseases
Important! Peperomia is afraid of drafts and is practically not adapted to growth, development in the open air in the climate of Russia. You shouldn't take it outside even in summer.
Although it is necessary to ventilate the room by removing the flower for a while, for example, in a box, covering it with a film.
Humidity does not matter for peperomia. It will grow well both in arid stuffy apartments and in tropical rainforests. There is no need to spray the bushes, because the water is unlikely to be absorbed and will roll off the glossy leaves. It is enough to wipe them with a damp sponge to remove dust particles.
Illumination
For a plant with leaves of a solid color, it is preferable to create a light shade. Variegated varieties need more light. It is better to grow peperomia on windows facing east, west. But you should not put on the southern windows, otherwise direct sunlight will harm the leaves, up to wrinkling and getting burns.
Irrigation and fertilization schedule
In the warm season, the plant needs regular watering, especially during the growing season. You need to water with soft, settled water at room temperature.
In autumn and winter, at a room temperature of 18 ° C, the frequency of watering should be reduced.
Note! It is unacceptable to water the plant with cold tap water, otherwise it can become infected with fungal diseases. It is best to do moderate watering as the soil dries.
The main thing is not to overdo it, since the root system will start to rot when waterlogged. It is better to take soft water for irrigation, tap water after settling for 2 days.
The houseplant is deciduous, so any complex store preparations are suitable for feeding. You can apply mineral fertilizers, feeding 2 times a month in spring, summer, autumn. In winter, once every 4 weeks is enough. It is undesirable to feed the plant at rest. Pinching is also recommended for better branching of the flower stems.
Soil for peperomia
The ideal soil is light, airy, loose, with impeccable water permeability. Composition for soil mixture - 2 parts of leafy earth, humus and sand (1 part each). You can also add the softened hydrogel granules.
The optimum acidity of the soil is 5.5 to 6.5 pH.
Note! The plant does not take root well and takes root in heavy soil. For normal growth, the soil must be loose, collected from humus, peat, sand
Better to buy a special soil for pepper species or begonias. You can also prepare a mixture with your own hands: leafy earth (2 parts), sand, peat, humus (1 part each) or leafy peat soil and sand, taken in equal quantities. The main thing is that oxygen is constantly supplied to the root system. To this end, it is advisable to lay a drainage layer on the bottom of the pots, which protects the roots from an excess of moisture, the occurrence of fungal diseases.
The many-faced queen of indoor arrangements
It is no coincidence that peperomias have been called favorite plants of modern interiors for several years now. It is really difficult to find plants that offer such a wide selection of different forms, species and varieties. And yet all peperomies are universally easy to grow and fit perfectly into any setting. Representatives of the genus peperomia owe their name not only to the similarity of leaves with peppers (the plant in classical forms, indeed, cannot be called otherwise than perceptible). Therefore, peperomia belongs to the Pepper family, or Pepper (Piperaceae). The variety of peperomias is so great that the belonging of certain species to the same genus is not always possible to recognize at first glance.
Peperomia (Peperomia) - a genus of evergreen herbaceous perennials, in fact, the only common "obligatory" trait for which are thick, fleshy shoots. Depending on the species, they can be almost reduced, shortened, erect, lodging, or even creeping. Moreover, the type of shoots directly determines the use of plants and their appearance. But peperomias are valued not at all for the many different forms of growth, but for the decorative foliage, invariably attractive in any plant of this genus.
The leaves sit on rather short petioles alternately or in whorls, arranged so densely that the shoots under them are almost never seen. Fleshy, succulent, dense, they can differ in different species not only in size (from 1 to 15 cm), but also in shape (round, heart-shaped), surface texture (from glossy smooth-waxy to velvety, wrinkled, embossed) and , of course, the same color, which ranges from dark green to bright light green, brown, olive, purple, silver, not to mention the numerous variegated combinations.
But all, without exception, peperomias have whole-edged leaves. And with all this, peperomias are also capable of blooming, releasing dense spikelets of inflorescences from cream or pale green flowers devoid of perianth, which, however, can hardly be called very attractive (but flowering does not affect the beauty or density of greenery either). Bloom and bear fruit, forming miniature dryish fruits, which are easily separated from the "ear" of peperomia infructescence all year round.
Pleasant peperomia (Peperomia blanda). HiHort Peperomia maculosa. floradania Peperomia caperata. floradania
Diseases and pests of peperomia
If the optimum air humidity is not maintained, then the leaves of the plant begin to fall off or turn black with an excess of moisture, insufficient drainage in pots.
Leaves may fade with lack of light or direct sunlight. So low illumination often leads to the loss of their bright attractive color.
The main leaf disease is rust. Thrips, scale insects, mealybugs, spider mites can also infect if the plates begin to wither and lose turgor.Golden nematodes often settle in the roots of the plant, laying yellow round eggs. It is unlikely that such bushes can be saved, so it is wise to destroy them together with the pot.
With improper care, problems often arise with the flower.
So that the leaves do not fall off, it is important to carry out watering in a timely manner, to prevent the content in the room during temperature extremes
The tops of the leaves turn brown due to drafts or hypothermia. The pots should be in a warm place, and watering should be done with settled water.
Note! Shoots and leaves are rotting, which means that moisture has stagnated in the pot, you need to reduce watering. If the situation does not change, then it is worth removing the bush from the pot, inspecting the root, removing rotten areas
Young leaves grow deformed
Leaves grow deformed and wrinkled due to exposure to direct sunlight. Burns on the plates are possible if you hold the flower on the south side of the windowsill.
Why do the leaves turn yellow
The foliage turns yellow, then falls off for two reasons:
- insufficient watering;
- exposure to low temperatures.
Perhaps the soil is dry in a pot, or the room is rather cool.
Yellowed leaves of the plant
Reproduction methods of peperomia
An effective way to propagate peperomias is by cuttings. Pinch off the top of the plant and root the cutting using Kornevin for the fastest root formation. It is best to use a greenhouse container for growing. This will help maintain constant moisture and prevent the soil from drying out. When the shoot has developed roots and begins to grow, it should be transplanted into a separate small pot. You can try to root peperomia leaves. This applies to species that have a dense texture.
In addition, when trimming the crown of the plant, lateral shoots begin to actively develop, which contributes to the formation of a dense bush. Peperomia needs the artificial formation of a bush. Sometimes its individual shoots grow too long, while others are significantly behind in growth.
When the plant reaches a sufficiently large size, then when transplanting it can be divided into several parts.
Growing peperomia from seeds at home is almost impossible. This is due to the fact that many species have such microscopic seeds that it is quite problematic to create conditions for their germination.
Wrinkled peperomia. Jerzy Opioła
Peperomia care
Peperomia belongs to the pepper family. This is evidenced by the name of the plant, which in translation means "like pepper". Most often, the flower braids tree trunks or spreads along the ground.
Homeland and appearance of peperomia
Under natural conditions, peperomia can be found in the hot tropics of India and America.
The stems and leaves of the plant are the most decorative. Peperomia's stems are thick, fleshy. Can be erect, creeping, or drooping. In some types of flowers, the stems are greatly shortened, as a result, the leaves grow on them so closely that a rosette is formed.
The root system is of two types:
- Creeping;
- Tuberous.
Leaves are whole, stipules are absent. The leaf plates are fleshy, succulent. The structure of the leaves is represented by a well-developed aquiferous tissue, which allows you to retain moisture, creating the necessary water supply for the plant.
Given the wide variety of types of peperomia, it is not surprising that the leaf plates are so original colored:
- Solid, dark green;
- Variegated, with chaotic white spots;
- With silver and gold stripes;
- Olive color;
- Brown color;
- With a corrugated surface;
- Velvety to the touch.
The shape of the plate can be round, oval, ovoid, heart-shaped, lanceolate. Even the arrangement of leaves on the stems is different:
- Whorled - at least three leaves extend from each node;
- Another.
Peperomia flowers are collected in spikelet-shaped inflorescences, sometimes you can see flowers collected in panicles. The inflorescences can be white, cream or pale green.
After the end of the flowering period, fruits are formed on the inflorescences - small dry berries, which are separated from the spikelet at the slightest touch.
Watering mode
The plant needs watering throughout the year. In the spring and summer, watering is necessary plentiful, and in winter it should be slightly reduced.
It is important to remember that peperomia tolerates drought and excess moisture equally badly. For irrigation, use soft, settled water
In summer, the flower should be regularly sprayed
For irrigation, use soft, settled water. In summer, the flower should be sprayed regularly.
Illumination requirements
The best places for growing peperomia are east and west windows. South windows should be avoided so that direct sunlight does not damage the leaves. If you still have to grow the plant on the southern windows, you should shade the flower. If the rays are allowed to hit the leaves, they lose their shape, shrivel, wither and die.
Peperomia species with leaves of a uniform color easily tolerate light shade, and species with variegated leaves prefer more light.
In winter, many types of peperomia respond well to artificial lighting.
Temperature regime
Given the fact that peperomia does not have a dormant period, it can be grown year round at the same temperature. As a rule, the classic temperature regime for indoor plants is excellent for a flower: in summer - + 20- + 22 degrees, in winter - + 18- + 20 degrees.
It is highly undesirable to allow hypothermia of the root system. If the soil temperature drops below +17 degrees, this can destroy the plant. In winter, under the flowerpot with peperomia, it is necessary to put foam plastic or remove the flowerpot from the windowsill to a warmer place. In addition, the plant must be protected from drafts. In summer, the flower pot is not taken out into the fresh air.
Fertilizer and feeding
Additional nutrition of peperomia is necessary during the period of active growth - in spring and summer. During this period, the plant is fertilized with a classic complex composition for decorative leaf plants. The frequency of feeding is twice a month. In winter, fertilizer is applied once a month.
Soil for peperomia
When choosing a substrate for peperomia, it is important to pay attention to the following criteria:
- Lightness - the soil should be air permeable and not cake;
- The earth should not retain excess moisture.
To grow a plant, you can choose one of the options for an earthen mixture:
- Two parts of leafy land and one part each of sand, peat, humus.
- Equal parts of leafy, peaty land and sand.
The acidity of the soil can vary from 5.5 to 6.5 pH.
General information about the plant
Representatives of the Pepper family at home
Growing peperomia in its complexity is not very different from growing succulents. Like any other plant, peperomia has features of agricultural technology, however, in general, caring for it is not too burdensome.
This plant is native to the tropics of Asia and Central America. By its nature, it is an epiphyte, that is, it can grow on almost any basis: from earthen soil and sandstone to rocks and tree trunks. The height of the plant is small - from 10 to 50 cm, so its desire to grow on elevated supports is understandable.
The plant is distinguished by a variety of colors and shapes of stems and foliage. Depending on the habitat and methods of obtaining food, the stems can be either erect or creeping. Leaves, depending on the light and humidity conditions, can be both elongated and round; the color of the leaves can be from whitish green to dark brown.
Fused peperomia with ampelous cultivation during flowering
Stems and foliage can be covered with villi, sometimes very densely.The villi have different sizes: some are so small that it is possible to speak of their presence only based on the feeling of the leaves, while some are several millimeters long and are more than distinctly noticeable.
Peperomia flowers are not of particular interest, since in the bulk they are thin, unattractive spikelets of a very nondescript color. Only a few species have bright and conspicuous inflorescences.
Peperomia wrinkled flowers
The plant in indoor design is not used because of the flowers, but because of the unique shape and color of the leaves. The decorativeness of peperomia leaves allows them to be used in the design of various compositions.
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Diseases and pests of peperomia
Peperomias show excellent resistance and with at least minimal systemic care they rarely get sick. Only a violation of the comfortable moisture content of the substrate, excess dampness cause the spread of different types of rot, which can only be dealt with by an emergency transplant. Among the new varieties of peperomia, a plant-specific disease is more common - the peperomia virus, which causes plant dwarfism and is incurable (it is better to destroy the affected specimens immediately). Of the pests, mealybugs are the most troublesome pests, which are easy to deal with even without chemicals by simply washing them off.
Pests
The main enemies are spider mites and thrips. Too dry air promotes their reproduction of these insects.
The appearance of a spider mite is evidenced by a white, fibrous plaque. The plant must be rinsed with warm water and then treated with an insecticide.
Thrips lay the larvae on the lower part of the leaves. They draw juice from the leaves and dry spots appear on the surface. Inspect the flower regularly, and if you notice specks on the leaves, wash it with warm water and diluted laundry soap. Then sprinkle the leaves with poison.
Less commonly, peperomia becomes infected with a mealybug. These insects with a white body are very small, it is almost impossible to detect them with the naked eye. The worm reproduces rapidly. They struggle with it by treating the leaves with an alcohol solution.
Unpretentious and easy to care for and at the same time having a decorative appearance, the plant with a little care will become a real decoration of the interior of your home.
