Peperomia Prostrata 'String of Turtles'
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Peperomia Care
| Temperature: | Ideal temperatures of 65-75ºF (18-24ºC), and no lower than 50ºF (10ºC). |
| Light: | Bright light and for the variegated types some direct sunlight (couple of hours) can help them grow well. If the leaves are dark green in color it's best not to provide direct sun as it will harm them, but the variegated types may lose variegation if enough light is not provided. South, east or west facing windows are best suited, but again dependent on the leaf color. |
| Watering: | The baby rubber plant is fairly easy to water. Allow the top soil to dry out completely and then water thoroughly. You do not want to over water this plant and allow the soil to become waterlogged....so it might be best to lean towards less rather than too much when you first start growing Peperomias, as less harm can be caused compared to overwatering. During winter water sparingly as the thick leaves will store water, so don't get too concerned about the soil being dry. |
| Soil: | A peat based soil is best used that drains well. 2 parts peat and 1 part perlite or sand is a good mix. Other mixes will work well, but the main point is for the medium to drain well and be well aerated. |
| Re-Potting: | You will not need to repot or pot up a size very often as this plant has a small root system. It's a good idea to change the soil or at least the top soil annually and if a young plant has out grown its current pot you may repot a size up during spring. Better to lean towards a smaller pot than a pot too large to prevent the soil becoming waterlogged. Shallow pots are a good option for Peperomias. |
| Fertilizer: | During spring - while the plant is growing use a diluted liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks, and once a month during summer. No feeding is required from autumn to spring |
| Humidity: | This species does like a humid environment. During the warmer months you can mist the leaves and/or place the plant on a pebble tray with water at the bottom. Most homes should be fine with its natural humidity if the air is not dry. |
| Propagation: | An easy method to propagate is to take a few centimeters of stem tip cuttings. Remove a tip (petiole) with about 5 - 8 cm of tip with one or two leaves on it. Plant the cutting in a very small pot with fresh potting mix that's moist and try to provide warm temperatures of about 20ºC (68ºF), and plenty of bright light (warmth and light is the key to success). You may want to use a rooting hormone on the cut being planted. The baby rubber plant can also propagate with leaf cuttings, although variegated types may lose the variegation. You may want to experiment and try a few leaves and stem tips to see what propagation method works best for you. I would allow leaves or stem tip cuttings a day to dry out until planted. Wait for new growth and be careful not to overwater the move a pot size up once plenty of growth has happened. |
| Pruning: | If stems and leaves begin overgrowing you can pinch out the top of certain stems to stop growth, otherwise they begin to grow spindly and out of shape in appearance. To get them looking their best, try and grow and prune them to display a bushy appearance. |