Peperomia is an evergreen perennial from the pepper family. In nature, it is found in shady forests and on rocky embankments of the subtropical and tropical zones. Flexible shoots and fleshy succulent leaves of various shapes and colors make peperomia a popular plant among domestic flower growers. Huge species diversity allows you to select specimens with the necessary external data. In order for the plant to take root and grow actively, it is necessary to study some rules of care and create comfortable conditions for it.
Plant description
Peperomia - a herbaceous plant or shrub with fleshy lodging stems. Often it leads the life of an epiphyte or lithophyte. Every year, shoots are added up to 13 cm in length. Having an ampel shape, plants are only 20-50 cm high.
The leaves grow on the stems again and are attached with petioles. Depending on the species, the structure of the leaves is very diverse. There is a thin or fleshy (succulent) foliage, painted in light green, emerald or dark green. Some species have variegated leaves with golden, brown or silver stains.
Although the main attraction of the plant is precisely the leaves, peperomia can bloom. The flowering period is in the spring-summer. At this time, dense inflorescences, ears of corn, like plantain, rise above the shoot from the sinuses of the upper leaves. They are painted in cream or pinkish color. Pollination and fruit setting occurs only in nature, with the help of certain types of insects. The fruit is a dry rounded berry with many small seeds. Berries are separated from the shoot at the slightest touch.
Species diversity
In total, 1161 species were recorded in the genus peperomia. Individual plants can be very different from each other. In room culture, no more than 1-2 dozens of plants are most often found.
Peperomia is stupid. A shrub with erect, branched shoots covered with a reddish skin, grows a large number of fleshy round leaves up to 12 cm long. Solid leaves are painted in dark green. They have short petioles. A popular decorative variety is variegate peperomia. Her leaves with a dark green center are edged with light green or cream uneven stripes. Subtle strokes are visible in the center along the veins.
Peperomia magnolia. Strongly branched, erect shoots have a bare reddish surface and are covered with many smooth fleshy leaves. The obovate leaf plate with a short petiole grows 12-15 cm long. Green leaves are sometimes covered with yellow or silver spots.
Peperomia Lilian. The compact shrub with beautiful heart-shaped leaves is highly decorative. The surface of the leaf plate between the veins is swollen and may have a contrasting color. Shiny fleshy leaves grow close together, forming a dense bush. At the beginning of summer, dense inflorescences appear with a thickening at the end. They rise above the green mass on long peduncles. Greenish-white or cream inflorescences vaguely resemble lily buds, for which the species got its name.
Peperomia klusielistnaya. Large shrub is characterized by erect, fleshy shoots. They have large short-leaved obovate leaves. Thick leaves are up to 15 cm long. They are painted dark green and have reddish-brown stains closer to the edge.
Peperomia Rosso. A shrub up to 25 cm high is covered with fleshy leaves. On juicy stems, the foliage grows in bunches, close to each other. The plant is famous for its high decorativeness due to the spectacular color of the leaves. Their surface is painted in a plain dark green shade. The reverse side has a bright red-burgundy color. In room conditions, the variety almost does not bloom.
Peperomia whorled. Herbaceous perennial suitable for ampel cultivation. Its lodging long stems are covered with medium-sized fleshy oval or rhombic foliage. Green leaves, almost without petioles, grow in nodes in whorls. Flowering occurs in June.
Peperomia pereskylistny. A large variety has highly branched shoots. At the beginning of growth, the stems grow directly, but gradually fall under their own weight. Foliage is grouped in whorls of 3-5 pieces. Oval leaflets with a blunt edge grow 3-5 cm in length and 2-3 cm in width. Arc-shaped veins are visible on the leaf surface. Dark green foliage is covered with pinkish or silver stains.
Head peperomia. Ampelic species grows long, but thin, creeping shoots. They are wide-oval bright green leaves of small size.
Breeding methods
At home, peperomia is propagated by seeds and vegetatively. Seed propagation, although it gives many plants at once, requires considerable effort. Shallow containers with a mixture of sheet soil and sand are prepared for planting. Small seeds are distributed on the surface and slightly pressed into the ground. The pot is covered with glass and placed in a room with bright ambient light and a temperature of + 24 ... + 25 ° C. The substrate is regularly moistened. When the seedlings appear, the glass can be removed, but you need to regularly spray the plants. The grown seedlings with 2 real leaves dive into another box with a distance of 2 cm. During this period, good diffused lighting needs even more. Fortified plants are transplanted into separate pots with a diameter of 5-7 cm.
Vegetative propagation is an order of magnitude easier. The following methods are used:
- Rooting of stem cuttings. Shoots, especially in ampelous species, quickly lengthen. They can be cut into pieces and root. Each stalk should have 2-3 knots. First, the processes are placed in a container of warm boiled water. When the first roots appear, cuttings are planted in pots with sand and peat soil. The cuttings are covered with a transparent material and kept in a well-lit together at a temperature of about + 25 ° C. In just a week, young plants finally adapt and can be grown as adults.
- Division of the bush. Strong strongly overgrown bush in the spring during transplantation is divided into 2-3 parts. For this, it is necessary to carefully free the rhizome from an earthen coma and cut with a sharp knife. Each divide must have its own roots and several shoots.
- Reproduction on a separate sheet. Even if you managed to get only one leaf with a petiole, growing an adult plant is not difficult. The petiole is shortened a little and the leaf is planted in moist sandy peat soil or sphagnum moss. It is better to create greenhouse conditions with increased humidity and temperature + 23 ... + 25 ° C. Rooting occurs within 3-4 weeks. When a young sprout appears, transplant into a small-diameter pot.
Home Care
To care for peperomia was not burdensome, it is necessary to choose the right place for the plant.
Lighting. Peperomia needs a bright, diffused light. In direct sunlight, especially in the summer afternoon, burns appear on the leaves. In the depths of the room or on the northern windowsill, you need a backlight, without which the leaves will become faded and the stems will stretch. Variegated forms are even more demanding on lighting.
Temperature. Peperomia does not need winter cooling and a rest period. Throughout the year, the optimum temperature for it is + 22 ... + 24 ° C. In winter, a slight cooling is allowed, but not lower than + 16 ° C. In summer, you can transfer the plant to fresh air, but the slightest drafts will lead to illness and the fall of part of the foliage.
Humidity. Succulent fleshy leaves retain moisture well, so you do not need to specifically increase this indicator. Nevertheless, the plant gratefully responds to spraying. It also needs periodic bathing from dust. Water should be purified and warm.
Watering. In spring and summer, peperomia needs abundant regular watering. The soil should dry out by 2-3 cm. The water is used soft and well cleared. Its temperature should be a few degrees warmer than air. In the fall, watering is reduced so that the plant does not kill the fungus.
Fertilizer. From April to October, twice a month, peperomia is fed with a universal mineral complex. Top dressing is diluted with water and applied to the soil.
Pruning. To get a more branched plant, young shoots pinch. In the spring, it is recommended to trim part of the stems to give shape.
Transfer. Peperomia is transplanted every 1-3 years into shallow pots. Her root system is poorly developed, so a capacious capacity is not needed. Part of the old earthen coma is removed. Drainage material is poured into the bottom of the pot. The soil is made up of the following components:
- deciduous humus;
- sheet earth;
- lowland peat;
- river sand.
Diseases and pests. Peperomia is resistant to plant diseases, but at low temperatures and excessive watering it suffers from fungal diseases (root rot, powdery mildew). Occasionally, especially in summer on the street, spider mites, mealybugs and nematodes settle on leaflets. Plants are sprayed with an insecticide and bathed in a warm shower. To combat nematodes, damaged areas are cut.
Possible difficulties. If the ambient temperature is too low, peperomia will discard part of the foliage. When exposed to draft, the ends of the leaves turn brown and dry. If watering is carried out too rarely, the leaves will begin to fade and frown, and then fall off.
