Peperomia Pixie: planting, maintenance, cutting, repotting

With its whole name, Peperomia Orba ‘Pixie Lime’, this plant is a highly sought -after variety belonging to the genus Peperomia. Still called Peperomia Teardrop (Teardrop: Larme) or Pixie Lime Variegata, it is an excellent choice to bring a touch of greenery and freshness in a house or office.

Generally not exceeding 20 cm of heumer, it is recognizable by its small size and its compact foliage. This is characterized by small round and fleshy leaves. They are bright green (lemon color, hence its name Pixie lime, lime wanting to say lime in English), sometimes variegated with yellow or cream.

How to plant a peperomia pixie?

Under our skies, plants of the Peperomia genre flourish better as a interior plants. When they are in a pot or terrarium, it is easier to place them in conditions close to those offered by their original environment.

Due to its compact nature, the Peperomia Pixie likes in small pots. The ideal soil for such a plant must be both light, fertile, sandy and endowed with excellent drainage. Heavy or water -fired floors harm its growth, as is the case for many other plants.

You can make an excellent substrate for the cultivation of Peperomia Pixie by mixing leaves with leaves with river sand. Another substrate appropriate for Peperomias uses a Mix of peaty earth¹ and furniture floor.

Before putting soil in the pot, arrange a layer of clay balls or gravel at the bottom of the latter. This allows you to ventilate the substrate and improve its draining capacity. After setting up the plant, fertilize the soil by mixing it with a small amount of fertilizer for green plants.

Hydroponic culture of Peperomia Pixie

Peperomia Pixie can also be planted in Hydroponic culture. Here, it is a question of cultivating your plant without using potting soil. To flourish, she only needs three elements to know:

• water rich in nutrients;
• Average lighting;
• A little heat.

For the Culture of Peperomia Pixie in Hydroponiachoose a plant in excellent health. Remove the whole clod attached to its root system. Then rid it of the roots that have aged and dead leaves. Immez 2/3 of the root system In a clean container while maintaining the rest of the plant outside the water.

A vase or a glass jar will be ideal as a container. Thus, it is easier to observe the water level and to monitor The evolution of roots. Do not hesitate to embellish the bottom of the container by having a mixture of various minerals (quartz, granite, perlite²…).

Change the water from the container every day Until new roots emerge after about 10 days. When the root system will regain its normal density, reduce the frequency of water change to once every 2 or 3 days.

How to maintain the Peperomia Pixie?

Watering

The Peperomia Pixie likes damp soils. However, he does not bear that his substrate is flooded. In such conditions, the roots rot and the leaves are starting to yellow. For this reason, it must be watered in a moderate way of such a way to just wet the substrate.

After each watering, deprive your water plant For 3 to 4 days before watering it again. Wait during this period of time allows the potting soil to dry on the surface before a new water supply.

Insufficient watering and unsuitable temperature are likely to cause yellowing the leaves of your Peperomia. Such a phenomenon can also be the manifestation of a disease or the consequence of a Invasion of pest insects.

Fertilisation

To fertilize the Pixie Peperomia, preferably use a Nitrogen -type liquid fertilizer or phosphorus. This plant does not tolerate concentrated fertilizers. The fertilizer applies once a month, and this during its entire growth period which goes from spring to early summer.

He vaporizes on the leaves, which allows him to act quickly, since the plant assimilates the nutrients And uses them right away. Thus, it experiences strong growth and has lush foliage.

When the ambient temperature is Below 18 ° C and above 30 ° Cthe capacity of peperomias to absorb fertilizers decreases. This is why in such thermal conditions, you should reduce the amount of fertilizer or simply avoid fertilizing your plant. At the end of the growth period, stop him manure.

Ideal exposure and thermal conditions

Plants of the genus Peperomia, in particular varieties variegated like the Lime Pixie Variegata flourish in the light. In your rooms, install them in the places where the daylight is abundant While preventing them from being directly exposed to the sun.

For this reason, in summer, keep them away from the windows exposed to south. Favor locations in the east or west to allow them to enjoy a gentle light.

In the wild, the Pixie Peperomia is found in places such as the Antilles, Panama and South America. Environments renowned for their hot climate, with temperatures oscillating between 20 ° C and 30 ° C.

Peperomy likes this temperature range. Therefore, he appreciates the interiors that offer Thermal conditions similar. It does not support temperatures that are extremely low or very high.

Plants of the Peperomia genre appreciate the wet environments. In an atmosphere where air humidity is high, they grow abundantly and their foliage is remarkable green.

This is why it is advisable to fog the ground and the leaves when it is too hot or the ambient air is too dry. There water spray Allows not only to cool the soil, but also to increase the humidity of the air.

Propagation of the Peperomia Pixie

The multiplication du Peperomia Pixie is done by cutting. In spring or fall, take a few thick and healthy branches of about 5 centimeters. Make sure they have a few leaves on their upper part.

Let the incision dry for 1 to 2 hours and Plant the cutting base in a pot. Sprinkle the soil in a moderate way, since the roots need humidity to push.

Pixie peperomia repotting

After 2 or 3 years, transplant your pepperomia into a soil with the same characteristics as that used to plant it. THE Pixie peperomia repotting is carried out at the end of winter. Use a barely larger pot than the current one since Peperomias like to feel cramped.

Floor notes