14 Reasons Why Peperomia Leaves are Drooping Leaves and their Remedies

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Peperomia drooping leaves are caused by too little light, nutrients deficiency, dry air, inconsistent watering, soggy soil, temperature stress, exposure to direct sunlight, pests infestations among others.

Majority of Peperomia varieties are popular plants which easily adapt to a wide range of growing conditions. You are likely to find at least one in most plant lovers homes.

Generally, Peperomia grow best in medium to bright indirect light, warm and humid conditions, and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil coupled with regular feeding in the growing season. Learn how to grow and care for Peperomia (Radiator Plants).

If the growing conditions are not right, Peperomias will develop some problems. Wilting and droopy leaves is a common problem where the leaves lose their turgidy (stiffness), wilt and droop downwards.

The reasons for Peperomia droopy leaves are many and varied. We have herebelow outlined for you 14 of them together with their remedies.

14 Reasons why Peperomia leaves are wilting and drooping

1. Nutrients deficiency

Underfeeding implies that the Peperomia plant is not getting the nutrients need for growth and energy. Lack of nutrients in the actively growing tips causes nutrients to be withdrawn from the older lower leaves resulting in wilting and drooping.

Remedies

Feed your Peperomia at least once monthly in spring and summer with a balanced, liquid fertilizer. Ensure to follow the instructions on the label of the plant food to avoid overfeeding. Do not feed in fall and winter

2. Salts buildup

Excess salts in the soil will cause the roots to die due to fertilizer burn. This implies that the roots cannot take up water and nutrients to the leaves. Due to dehydration, the leaves begin to wilt and droop.

Remedies

Regularly flush out accumulated salts by running a stream of water through the soil until it comes out through the drainage holes. Repeat the process several times to clear as much salts as possible.

Water with water that is free of chlorine and other dissolved chemicals.

3. Dry air

Too dry air (low humidity) will lead to dehydration of the leaves, causing them to lose their turgidity resulting in wilting and drooping of the leaves.

Remedies

Use a hygrometer to monitor the humidity to maintain it at 50-80% for the optimum growth of your Peperomia.

To increase humidity, set the pot on a wet pebble tray, use a cool mist humidifier or group the plants together.

You may also grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom, kitchen, laundy area and other moist areas in the home.

The compact Peperomias can be grown in a closed terrarium where a high humidity can be maintained.

4. Poor quality soil

Poor quality soil does not drain well and easily becomes compacted or soggy which can lead to rotting, yellowing, wilting and drooping leaves and eventual death of the plant if not corrected.

Remedies

Pot your Peperomia in loose, airy, well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. Cactus and succulents soils are ideal for the succulent Peperomias while all purpose potting mixes are good for non-succulent varieties.

5. Too little light

Adequate light is needed to make food that is required for energy and growth. Insufficient light implies that the plant cannot make enough food for energy and growth.

Therefore, in an attempt to save energy for the vital functions, the plant begins to die which starts from the leaves; they begin wilting, drooping, yellowing, browning and eventually fall off.

Remedies

Move your Peperomia to a brighter spot where it will receive medium to bright indirect light or instal a full spectrum grow light if you do not have adequate lighting in your home.

Regularly clean the leaves by damp wiping with a soft cloth to ensure that the plant absorbs enough light for photosynthesis.

6. Temperature stress

Extreme temperatures caused by drafts will result in reduced growth, yellowing, wilting and drooping leaves.

Remedies

Keep your Peperomia Plant away from sources of drafts like AC units, hot surfaces, hot air vents, stoves, windy doors, drafty windows among others to maintain constantly warm temperatures.

7. Inconsistent watering

Underwatering your Peperomia implies that there is too little moisture in the soil meaning that there is no water in the soil for the plant to take up to the leaves and other parts. Therefore, the leaves lose their turgity, become floopy and droopy.

Overwatering results in too much water in the soil which reduces the oxygen concentration in the rootzone causing the roots to die. Therefore, they cannot take up water to the stems and leaves which lose their turgidy (firmness) resulting in wilting and drooping.

Remedies

Do not water on a schedule: water the plant when the top few inches of soil feel dry but do not allow the soil to dry out completely.

8. Soggy soil

Soggy soil reduces the oxygen concentration in the rootzone causing the roots to die. Therefore, the roots cannot take up water to the stems and leaves causing them to lose their turgidy resulting in wilting and drooping.

Remedies

Grow your Peperomia Plant in a pot with a drainage hole and well-draining soil.

9. Salts buildup

Excess salts in the soil from the water used or excess feeding will stop the roots from taking up water to the leaves and stems resulting in wilting and drooping.

Remedies

Regularly, leach out accumulated salts by running a stream of water through the soil until it drains through the drainage holes. Repeat the process several times to clear most of the salts.

10. Pest infestations

Peperomia are prone to spider mites, whiteflies, scale insects and mealybugs. These pests attack the new growth from where they suck the plant sap. This causes the plant to become dehydrated and results in wilting and drooping leaves.

Remedies

Regularly, inspect your Peperomia for these pests and take timely control measures.

Treat the plant for the pests with neem oil or insecticidal soap as per the manufacturers' recommendations.

To discourage pests infestations, regularly clean the leaves by damp-wiping with a soft cloth.

Elevate humidity to depress the pest infestations, by setting the pot on a wet pebble tray or use of a cool mist humidifier.

Keep the plant well pruned and improve air circulation to reduce infestations.

11. Root-rot disease

Peperomia plants are prone to root-rot which is prevalent in soggy soil. The disease is characterized by wilted, discolored leaves, corky swellings under the leaves, wilting and drooping leaves which eventually drop.

Remedies

Carefully slip the Peperomia out of its pot and inspect the roots. Brown-black, mushy roots indicate root-rot, trim them off.

Treat the healthy roots with a fungicidal solution as per the manufacturer's instructions.

Disinfect the pot with the fundicidal solution or use a fresh pot to repot the plant in fresh free-draining soil.

Do not water the plant immediately; keep it dry for some time before resuming watering.

12. Being pot-bound

If your Peperomia plant is pot-bound, the roots have filled the pot and there is very little soil to hold water when you water. Therefore, there is no water for the plant to take up to the leaves. The leaves become dehydrated and begin to wilt and droop.

Remedies

Check the bottom of the pot, roots growing through the drainage hole indicate that the plant needs repotting.

Repot your Peperomia into a pot one size larger with a drainage hole and well-draining soil.

You may divide the large plant into several sections and pot the sections in individual pots to propagate new plants.

13. Repotting shock

Repotting your Peperomia will cause it some shock which may lead to some leaves wilting and drooping before it can adjust the new growing conditions.

Remedies

To minimize repotting shock, water your Peperomia thoroughly one day before repotting; a well hydrated plant experiences less shock and is easier to divide.

In addition, do not make too many changes at once. For instance, after repotting, maintain the plant in the same location until it is well established before moving it to a new location.

14. Exposure to direct sunlight

Exposing your Peperomia leaves to direct sunshine will cause drastic water loss. This will in turn cause the leaves to loose their firmness which will lead to wilting and drooping.

Remedies

Thoroughly water the Peperomia immediately and it should recover.

Move the plant to a more shaded spot or instal a light curtain to prevent direct sunlight from reaching the leaves.

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