Because of the difficulty in leaving, peperomia is not such a frequent visitor in city apartments. However, given some of the nuances and characteristics of the culture, it is possible to achieve its presentable appearance for a rather long time.
Variety of species
Peperomia (Peperomia) belongs to the order of evergreen perennials of the family of peppers and has about 1100 species. Some of them periodically bloom, about 30 subspecies are grown as houseplants. Almost all of them come from the tropical forests of South America.
Peperomia with variegated leaf color
The most common types of room peperomy:
- Fragrant - with pinkish-green leaves.
- Nivali - reminds palm mini-thickets.
- Mountain - with cup-shaped, almost round leaves and nondescript peduncles.
The variety of types of peperomia
Connoisseurs of all the unusual prefer varieties:
- Wolfgan Crane - is distinguished by a carved frame of greenery.
- Dolbriformis - the leaves of the flower are arranged so that they resemble a large flower.
- Hutchison peperomia is a bluish-bluish, almost gray plant, somewhat similar to a marine inhabitant.
Peperomia Magnoliale is one of the representatives of the large family of peppers. From its other counterparts, the flower is distinguished by large, massive leaves, similar to magnolia leaves, for which it received such a name. Their color is extraordinary, there are varieties with light green, dark green, even brownish shades, with a variety of inclusions, stripes and bordering. A characteristic waxy coating gives the greens brightness. The stems are fleshy, rather dense.
Peperomia Magnoliferous
The bush can reach a height of 30 cm. The flowers also resemble the flowering of an ordinary plantain. The florists liked the culture for its decorative foliage and the peculiarity of throwing into the air useful pairs of volatile products - excellent helpers in the fight against pathogenic bacteria.
Important! When buying a plant in a store, you need to pay attention to the saturation of the foliage colors. Sluggish and dull leaves with damage indicate malnutrition and improper growing conditions. After transportation, such a plant is unlikely to survive.
Caring for Magnoliacellular Peperomia at Home
It is not easy to take care of the plant, so that the flower pleases with freshness and a healthy appearance, you will have to make a lot of effort. Features of peperonium care:
- Temperature condition. Magnolia leaf peperomy is an extremely thermophilic plant. It grows well at an average temperature of + 20 ... +24 ° C, does not tolerate drafts and temperature extremes. Such conditions lead to plant disease and growth inhibition.
- Lighting. Types of peperomia with a light color of foliage are more demanding on lighting. They are placed closer to the window, but so that direct sunlight does not harm the flower. Holders of dark shades of green can tolerate the shadow well. However, with a lack of light, their shoots are extended, and the foliage turns pale.
- Watering. In summer, culture needs moderate watering. To do this, use well-maintained warm water. In the winter months, peperomia is even more limited in irrigation. A plant tolerates a lack of moisture in a pot better than its abundance.
- Requirements for humidity. During the heating season, it is best to irrigate peperomia from a spray bottle 1-2 times a week.
- Top dressing. Fertilize the plant exclusively in the summer months using standard top-dressing formulations. Limited to 1 time per month for 3 summer months. In exceptional cases, they resort to re-feeding (with soil depletion, weak growth).
- Pruning is practiced only if the bush sheds lower leaves. In this case, pinching the top, you can achieve magnificent forms.
Note! When the temperature drops to -10 ° C, as well as its combination with high soil moisture, the plant dies.
Cultivation of Magnolia Leaf Peperomia from Seeds
When growing, you should pay attention to the quality of the soil mixture. To do this, you can use universal soil for ornamental plants, adding river sand with wing grains to it.
It is better to abandon large containers, stopping at a small shallow dishes. It is filled with soil mixture by 2/3, slightly compacted and moisturized by spraying from a spray bottle. Sow the seeds from above. They are very small, so you need to distribute them as evenly as possible (less often). From above the container is covered with glass and placed in a well-lit place, but covered from direct sunlight.
Sowing seeds in the ground
Constant temperature is one of the prerequisites. After the appearance of 2-3 real leaves at the seedlings, the seedlings are transplanted into separate small pots.
Important! To obtain a healthy crown, it is better to pick off the first peduncles at the stage of formation. They have no decorative value and do not emit aroma. So the plant will not spend energy on flowering, which usually begins in June, but will please with an abundance of greenery.
Methods of reproduction of peperomia
A plant can be propagated in several ways:
- Cuttings are the most used method of breeding peperomia. The top of the shoots with several kidney nodules are not broken out, but carefully cut. The cut site is treated with Kornevin and placed in prepared dishes with moist soil mixture, which is covered with a transparent film. The container with the handle is kept in a well-lit place at a temperature of + 23 ... +25 ° C. Once the root system is well developed, the seedling is moved to a small pot.
- Leaf propagation is also practiced. The method is similar to the previous one. The survival rate is lower, and the development of the root system takes several times longer.
- The division of the bush is resorted to if it has grown too much. The lump is carefully thrown out of the pot, the individual roots are carefully separated from each other. Then they disinfect and sprinkle with crushed charcoal or ash. Each separated stalk is planted in a separate pot, not watered for about a week.
Important! Propagate the plant in the spring and summer.
Leaf propagation
Plant transplant
If the plant was purchased in a store, you should see if the roots look out of the drainage holes. If not, transplant is too early. If deformed roots are found on the bottom of the pot, the flower needs to be transplanted urgently.
The need for transplantation in home peperomia is revealed by the deterioration of appearance: shredding of leaves, thinning of shoots. Perhaps the plant is thickened, the pot has become cramped, and the roots are looking for a way out, penetrating all the drainage holes.
The best time for a transplant is spring. In winter, plants are transplanted only in case of emergency (for example, in case of illness).
Note! For each subsequent transplant, it is necessary to select a pot 3 cm (in diameter) larger than the previous one.
At the bottom of the pot (necessarily with drainage holes) a layer of drainage (4-6 cm) is laid: medium-sized stones, charcoal, dry moss. Either shop soil suitable for this category of flowers or homemade soil from equal parts of turf, ordinary garden soil and humus, with the addition of sand and peat, is taken as soil. The last 2 components are taken in ½ part.
Pest and Disease Control
Unfortunately, diseases and pests do not bypass peperomia. The plant should be inspected periodically, and if necessary, take action.
Plant disease manifestation
Common crop pests:
- Spider mite. The insect infects the plant, enveloping it with a fibrous, whitish coating. To get rid of the pest, the flower is thoroughly washed under warm running water, removing all signs of infection, then it is treated with any insecticidal preparation.
- Thrips. It feeds on plant juice. With a detailed examination on the leaves, small, dry areas are visible. On the reverse side are subtle colonies of larvae. To cope with the parasite, the bush is washed well with soapy water, rinsed under a stream of warm water and sprayed with a special preparation.
- Mealybug. A rare parasite, but sometimes it can settle on peperomia. It is detected by the presence of a large number of tiny insects on young shoots. You can get rid of it by treatment with an alcohol solution.
Peperomia in a pot
Peperomia Disease:
- Rot. With stagnation of moisture, the root system is affected by fungal infections and rots. Only a transplant into a healthy loose soil can save the bush.
- Blackening of the leaves. This is the result of a sharp drop in room temperature. With normalization of temperature conditions, blackened leaves are replaced by healthy ones. The process is quite lengthy.
- Leaf fall. The main reason is a lack of moisture and the proximity of the flower to heating appliances. They fix the problem by normalizing watering and removing the flower from the battery.
- Twisting the leaves. This is due to direct sunlight. The pot needs to be put in a place with diffused light.
Fans of indoor floriculture with special trepidation and some irony relate to the amazing property of a flower to change the negative aura of a house into a positive one. It is not known how true this information is, but the fact that peperomia harmoniously combines with other domestic plants and “enlivens” the interior is true.
