Peperomia caperata

It is a plant native to Vietnam of the Urticaceae family.

The leaves are about 10 cm long, oval in shape with a sharp apex. When they are sprouting, they are protected by pink spikes. They are plants of no more than thirty centimetres in height.    

In nature they are very branched out and spread out, forming real bushes which tend to defoliate in the lower part of the plant, which emits roots in any part of the stem, although they normally appear at the height of the nodes.

Care

The Pilea are easy to grow without requiring particular care, they are fast growing and very decorative.
                          
They are plants which ask for summer temperatures around 24°C, while in winter they don't have to go below 10°C. They are plants which want light but not direct sunshine.
                        
They like fresh air but not draughts.

Watering

From spring and throughout the summer the Pilea plant should be watered abundantly and the soil should be constantly moist, not soaked.

During the winter it should be watered much more moderately and should remain slightly dry.

Soil

The Pilea is transplanted every year, between March or April using a larger pot each time.

A normal fertile mould is used, it is not in fact a particularly demanding plant, to which it is preferable to add a little sand so that it favours a quick drainage of the water used for irrigation.

Be careful to place pieces of terracotta on the bottom of the pot to favour a quick draining of the excess water, because they do not tolerate waterlogging.

It is advisable to use terracotta (although many choose plastic pots because they are less expensive and have more drainage holes). Terracotta allows the soil to transpire and therefore correct any watering errors

Subscription

From Spring and throughout the Summer the plant is fertilized every 2 weeks with a liquid fertilizer to be diluted in the irrigation water, slightly reducing the doses with respect to the indications on the product.

Supply a fertilizer which is also balanced in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) (for example 30:30:30) but which also contains microelements such as magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), all of which are important for the plant.

Flowering

It happens during the summer but its flowers are not very striking. In April it should be pruned to give it strength and packing. It is multiplied by cuttings.

Diseases

The leaves wither

If you notice this symptom it means that there may be either a lack of water or an excess.

Remedy: better regulation of watering

Scarce vegetation

If you notice this symptom it means that the light is insufficient.

Remedy: Move the plant to a more suitable location.

Presence of grey mould on the leaves  

This damage is caused by a fungus, Botritys spp. which is favoured by too high humidity

Remedy: In this case it is necessary to let the substrate dry out from the excess water and create a drier environment around the plant and treat with specific fungicides after having eliminated the damaged parts.