There are plenty of reasons to have a Watermelon Peperomia plant in your home. To take the most obvious, it's because they look incredible, and will brighten up any house plant display. The stunning leaves, resembling the skin of watermelons, are as unique as they are attractive - luscious green in colour, with intricate patterns. All you need to do is find the perfect pots to go with them.
One of the other reasons that they have become so popular, though, is that they are also pretty easy to look after. We are going to make caring for a peperomia even easier now, with the simple-to-understand guide to watermelon peperomia care. We'll go through everything you need to know to not just keep these lovely little plants alive, but to really help them thrive. Let's get straight into it.
Is a Watermelon Peperomia plant easy to care for?
Looking after a watermelon peperomia plant is pretty straightforward - if you understand the basics of plant care (like that they need to be watered every now and then), then we are pretty confident that you will be able to keep a watermelon peperomia alive!
They are not as resilient to drought as some other plants, so you need to keep on top of your watering, but other than that, as long as you put them somewhere sensible (which we will cover in this blog) they won't require very much of your attention. What we are hoping to do with this blog, however, is to help you really bring out the best in your watermelon peperomia.
What are Watermelon Peperomias?
Watermelon peperomia plants (botanical name: peperomia argyreia) are tropical plants originally from the jungles of South America. They would grow low to the ground, making the most of the dappled light that shines between the leaves of the taller trees above. It's actually part of the pepper plant family, thus the 'peperomia' part of its name. It is sometimes known as the Watermelon Begonia, referencing the shape and 'design' of the leaves.
They tend to stay quite small, with a maximum growing size of around 30 cm, and most will never reach that kind of height. If you can picture them on the jungle floor, it would not benefit them to grow up, but they tend to have densely packed leaves, all taking in the little scraps of light.
How to care for Watermelon Peperomia plants
We'll now run through everything you need to know about how to look after a watermelon plant in detail, before then providing you with a quick-look guide to watermelon peperomia care.
We mentioned above that watering was the main thing you need to focus on, so let's start with that. They are a little bit particular, in that they don't like too much or too little water, but it doesn't take a lot of thought to get this right. There is a very simple test to determine whether you need to give it some water - touch the soil with finger, and push down up until your knuckle. If your finger comes out clean and dry, it could do with a drink. If it is muddy or dirty, you don't need to water it. As a rough guide, they'll need water every 10 days or so.
There are signs as to whether your watermelon peperomia is getting too much or too little water - if it has drooping leaves, it's likely that you are not watering often enough. If it has yellowing leaves, it could be a sign of root rot - where there is too much water in the soil, either because of overwatering or poor drainage.
When you come to water your plant, aim directly at the soil and not at the leaves. The leaves are quite delicate, so don't like the extra weight of the water.
Now we'll move onto light - if you think back to the natural habitat of these plants, you'll remember that a mix of sun and shade is what they're used to, so they can tolerate shade. Try to avoid direct sunlight - a bit of natural light is fine, but too much direct sunlight and they start to lose some colour in the stripes of their leaves. As this is one of the most striking features, you don't want to jeopardise those stripes!
They are sometimes referred to as a radiator plant as they like humid conditions - around 18-21°C, which is quite helpful really, as that's similar to humans! They can cope with a drop in temperature, though, as far down as 10°C, but it's unlikely your house will regularly get that cold.
Those luscious leaves will benefit from the occasionally spray of mist, again recreating the environment from their natural habitat in South America.
In terms of feeding, a little bit of fertiliser every now and then throughout the growing season (the Spring and Summer months) will help encourage healthy growth.
Here, as promised, is our quick-fire guide:
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Origins: South America
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How much light: Bright to moderate light conditions - a little shade is fine, but keep out of full sun. Bright, indirect sunlight.
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Water requirements: A little water every 10 days or so, when the top soil is dry. The idea is to keep soil moist, not soaking. Make sure you have sufficient drainage holes.
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Humidity requirements: A quick spritz with a water mist to enhance those luscious leaves!
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Soil requirements: Best in well-draining soil or cactus compost
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Temperature requirements: 18°C to 21°C is ideal, minimum 10°C
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Pruning requirements: Remove damaged or dead leaves during the Spring and Summer months. Look out for leggy growth - trim back to promote healthy growth.
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Pests: Keep an eye out for spider mites, aphids or mealybugs on the leaves. You can just wipe them off with a damp cloth if you see any.
How to Propagate Watermelon Peperomia
Watermelon peperomia are sometimes known as 'friendship plants', which is a reference to how easy they are to propagate and share. To propagate watermelon peperomia using leaf cuttings, simply cut off a leaf with around 7-10 cm of stem attached. Cut the leaf in half, leaving the 'top' of the leaf and the 'bottom' which still has the stem attached. Put both halves in soil in the same pot - the top tip with the cut side in the soil, and the bottom with the stem in the soil. Put the pot in medium light and keep the soil moist. You should notice new growth within a month or so.
Brighten up any living space with new plants from Prickle
While the watermelon peperomia is one of our favourite indoor plants, we know that to create fantastic displays in your home, you are going to need a variety. That's why we have created a host of plant bundles for you to choose from - and don['t forget to check out our incredible outdoor plant collection as well.
We want to help you create the perfect environment at your home, so if you have any questions for us, feel free to get in touch via social media (@prickplantsuk) or email (contact@prickleplants.co.uk) - we'd love to hear from you!
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