Watermelon peperomia is a species of the peperomia genus and also named Peperomia Argyreia. If you are curious about it, go with us to know how to care for and deal with peperomia’s everyday issues.
What Is Watermelon Peperomia?
Watermelon peperomia is an easy-going houseplant that is native to the South American rainforest. Its mini variant grows up to 6 inches while the normal can reach 12 inches tall.
This peperomia is grown for its attractive leaves, which look like watermelon’s striped skin. Also, some non-showy flowers may appear in the summer.
This variegated watermelon peperomia is also planted in the garden as a ground cover thanks to its bushy appearance and low-growing nature.
A short video explaining how to propagate Watermelon Peperomia:
Watermelon Peperomia Care
Outdoors, this evergreen peperomia does well in tropical outdoor settings in partial shade and needs little maintenance. You just need to provide it with proper soil and water.
On the flip side, houseplant care requires a little more setup but in general, to care for watermelon peperomia is super easy – great for beginners.
Soil
Peperomia grows in rich and well-drained soil. So for the outdoors, the ground needs to be well permeable so that the roots won’t get soaked quickly.
Indoors, any potting mixture containing organic material such as compost, peat moss, plus perlite is perfect for the plant.
For example, you need a planter with enough drainage holes loaded with two peat moss and one perlite ratio.
Watering
Watermelon peperomia doesn’t tolerate either over-watering or under-watering. The plant does appreciate rainwater which is rich in minerals, but freshwater is still sufficient.
It’s recommended to water them once a week, but you’d better hydrate them according to the soil’s moisture. When the top 1 – 2 inches of the ground dry out, watering peperomia and don’t let the plants stand in water.
Light
A bright space with shade or indirect sunlight will meet the peperomia light requirements. Besides natural light, the plant thrives in fluorescent light too.
In the garden, it’s best to grow them mixed with bigger plants to get some shade or filtered light daily.
You should expose it to the light for at least 5 – 6 hours per day. Over-lighting can make the leaves fade their color and pattern and turn curling instead of an oval shape.
Humidity
Humidity is vital in peperomia watermelon care. As a rainforest plant, it prefers a slightly higher air humidity.
Average in-house moisture is just fine for the plant. But in the summer or if you live in an arid region, well-watering and regular misting are necessary to maintain a humid environment.
Temperature
Watermelon peperomia thrives in temperature around 65-80ºF (18 – 26ºC), which means the room temperature is perfect for the plant.
It may survive in the weather up to 100ºF (37.7ºC) with a lot of humidity added, or at 50ºF (10ºC) if the temperature change is not sudden and does not go lower.
Note: Don’t put the plant near air conditioning vents since the circulating air can affect temperature and humidity.
Common Problems With Watermelon Peperomia
Watermelon peperomia has yellow leaves
Reason
Either overwatering or poor-drained makes the roots waterlogged and separated from oxygen, resulting in yellow leaves or even roots bot.
Solution:
- Reduce the amount of water added and water once every 10 days instead of weekly.
- Check if your pot releases excess water quickly. If not, drill more holes, change to another container, or add a drainage layer such as activated charcoal to the planter to consume excess water.
Watermelon peperomia’s leaves are curling and drooping.
Reason
Over lighting or underwatering.
Solutions:
- First, check the moisture of the ground. If it is too dry, you should water it right away until some drains out of the bottom of the planter.
- Second, check if your plant is exposed to intense sunlight. There, they will curl their leaves to reduce the light-touching area and protect themselves. Hence, you should find another space with proper light conditions.
Propagating Watermelon Peperomia
To propagate watermelon peperomia is simple but takes time. Typically, it takes several weeks or even months for roots to start growing.
There’s no watermelon peperomia seed, so people often propagate the plant from leaves.
Plant the whole leaf or its parts in the soil
Things to prepare
- Healthy leaves
- Sharp scissor or knife
- Potting soil (refer to the soil condition session)
- Planter: pot or container
- Water
- Plastic bag or a clean glass box that can place over the planter
Step-by-step guide
- Prepare the planter: Add potting mix to the pot and hydrate to get wet.
- To propagate by leaf cuttings: Horizontally cut the leaf into halves across the stripes. Insert them into the pot with the cut side down. Gently push them into the soil by half.
- To grow by a full leaf: Strim off the stem but still retaining 2 – 3 cm attached to the leaf. Place it into the pot so that the stem is inserted into the ground.
- Cover the pot with a clean plastic bag or glass container to maintain a warm and humid environment for the plant. Open the bag just a little for some airflow.
- Place in a spot with indirect sunlight and warm temperature. Water it just a little each week or pass this step if you find the bag build up the humidity.
- After 4 – 5 weeks, check if there are new roots and peperomia babies. If the roots are still too weak and delicate, consider growing them in this homemade glasshouse for more weeks before moving out.
Pro tips: You can even cut a leaf with stem to halves and grow them in these two ways simultaneously. Here is the video with the entire steps from preparation to successful growing.
Grow the leaf that has a long stem in water
This way is less popular than the two above due to the low chance of success and long waiting. Let’s take a look at how to grow peperomia in this method.
- Place a leaf with an entire petiole into water.
- Put it in a proper environment with ideal light and humidity.
- Replace the water weekly.
- Success comes when the leaf doesn’t rot and grows new roots after one or two months.
Top tips for growing a healthy Watermelon Peperomia
How to keep my watermelon peperomia bushy?
The answer is to minimize fertilizing. Watermelon peperomia is a mild feeder, so over-fertilizing may cause a leggy and spindly plant.
Instead, feed them once every couple of months with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer such as this Baby-bio.
How to discard mealybugs without a toxic chemical?
Remove them physically by cotton swabs or cloth dipped in alcohol. Then temporarily isolate this plant so that it won’t spread to others.
When should I prune my Watermelon Peperomia?
If your peperomia is too bushy, you can cut back some stems to turn them compact.
The best time to trim it is in early spring or summer. Since the ideal weather in these periods will encourage the plant to recover quickly and more branching.
Conclusion
We’ve got it done! To put it briefly, watermelon peperomia is a low-care and easy-going way to bring more color and fresh air to your home.
Don’t hesitate to try this small and lovely peperomia if you are seeking a new bonsai. If yes, share your moment with us!
