12 Reasons Why Peperomia Leaves are Falling with Remedies

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Peperomia dropping leaves are due to improper watering, inadequate light, low humidity, extreme temperatures, poor feeding, aging, pests, diseases among others.

Peperomia plants are popular plants on account of their variety and ease of care. Generally Peperomia thrive in medium to bright indirect light, warm and humid conditions, and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil coupled with regular feeding during the growing season. Read more on how to grow and care for Peperomia (Radiator Plants).

If the growing conditions are not met, Peperomia can develop some problems. One of the common problem is leaf drop. There are many and varied reasons why the leaves may fall.

We have discussed herebelow 12 reasons why Peperomia is dropping leaves and their solutions. Keep reading for a detailed account on these causes and how to resolve them.

12 Reasons for Peperomia dropping leaves with fixes

1. Pest Infestations

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

Solutions

Regularly inspect your Peperomia for these pests and take timely control measures. Treat the plant for the pests with neem oil or insecticidal soap. Ensure to follow the instructions on the label.

To discourage pest infestations, regularly clean the leaves by damp wiping with a soft cloth. In addition, raise humidity to discourage pest infestations by setting the pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier.

2. Low Humidity

Peperomia will grow in moderate room humidity but a humid environment is necessary for lush growth especially where the temperatures are high.

Too low humidity will affect photosynthesis and thus the plant cannot make enough food for growth and energy. To save on energy, it drops the leaves. Peperomia thrives in above average humidity between 50& and 80%. Use a hygrometer to monitor the humidity for the optimum growth of your plant.

Solutions

To increase humidity, set the pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier. You may also grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom, kitchen, laundry area and other moist areas in the home. Compact Peperomia are ideal for a closed terrarium as high humidity can be maintained inside a terrarium. Check out these techniques on how to raise humidity for houseplants.

3. Too Little Light

Peperomia require light for making food that is required for energy and growth. Insufficient light implies that the plant cannot make enough food for energy and growth.

In an attempt to save energy, the plant begins to drop leaves. This way, it saves the available energy for the vital functions inorder to keep alive.

Solutions

Cutback the stems to rejuvenate growth and move your Peperomia to a brighter spot where it will receive medium to bright indirect light or instal a grow light if you do not have adequate lighting in your home. Take a look at these full spectrum grow lights on Amazon.

Regularly clean the leaves by damp wiping with a soft cloth to ensure that it absorbs enough light for photosynthesis. Check out this guide on understanding light for houseplants.

4. Overwatering

Overwatering results in soggy soil (excess water in the soil). Too much water in the soil reduces the oxygen concentration in rootzone and this causes the roots to die.

When roots die, they cannot take up water and nutrients needed for the food making process. Therefore, the plant does not make enough food for growth and energy. In a bid to save energy, the plant begins to drop its leaves.

Solutions

To avoid getting soggy soil, ensure that the pot for your Peperomia has a drainage hole and the soil is free-draining. Also, reduce watering in the cold season to maintain the soil barely moist as growth is minimal at this time.

5. Underwatering

When Peperomia is underwatered, there is little moisture in the soil. As such, the plant cannot take up nutrients and water needed for photosynthesis (food making process). Since the plant does not get adequate food for growth and energy, it drops the leaves to save energy.

Solutions

Water your Peperomia immediately and it should recover. Thereafter, water the plant liberally during the growing season and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Reduce watering during the cold season but do not allow the soil to dry out completely. Learn more on how to water indoor plants the right way.

6. Extreme Temperatures

Peperomia require average room temperatures of 15-26⁰C to thrive. Extreme temperatures; either too high or too low (outside the above range) will affect the normal functioning of the plant systems.

Too high temperatures will cause excessive loss of water leading to wilting and leaf drop while at too low temperatures the plant stops growing and begins to die. Leaf drop is one of the signs of a dying plant.

Solutions

Keep your Peperomia away from cold drafts like drafty winds, air conditioning, open doors and others Ensure that the plant is not near hot surfaces, hot vents and other hot areas to prevent extremely high temperatures.

Maintain an average warmth of 15-26⁰C. Usually, a room temperature that is comfortable for you is ideal for the plant. Check out this guide on understanding temperature for houseplants.

7. Overfeeding

Overfeeding Peperomia will cause the roots to die due to fertilizer burn. When the roots die, they cannot take up nutrients and water required for photosynthesis. Without, adequate food for growth and energy, the plant begins to drop leaves inorder to save energy.

Solutions

Take care not to overfeed your Peperomia. Follow the instructions on the label of the plant food to avoid overfeeding. Regularly flush out the salts from the soil by running a stream of water through the soil until it comes out through the drainage holes and repeat the process several times. Learn how to feed houseplants.

8. Accumulation of Salts in the Soil

Excess soluble salts in the soil from the water or excess feeding will cause the Peperomia leaves to dry, shrivel and drop.

Solutions

Regularly flush out the salts from the soil by running a stream of water through the soil until it comes out through the drainage holes and repeat the process several times.

9. Root-rot Disease

Peperomia are prone to root-rot disease which is enhanced by soggy soil. The disease is characterized by wilted, discolored leaves, corky swellings under the leaves and dropping leaves.

Soggy soil reduces oxygen concentration in the soil which causes the roots to die. Once the roots die, they cannot take up water and nutrients to the leaves. The leaves begin to wilt and eventually drop.

Solutions

Slip the Peperomia out of its pot and inspect the roots. Brown-black mushy roots indicate root-rot, trim them off and treat the healthy roots with a fungicidal solution.

Disinfect the pot or use a fresh pot to repot the plant in fresh free-draining soil. Do not water the plant and keep it dry for some time before resuming watering. Learn more on how to treat root-rot in houseplants.

10. Root Bound Plant

A root bound plant is one whose roots have filled the pot and there is very little soil to hold water when you water your Peperomia. Therefore, there is no water for the plant to take up to the leaves. The leaves loss their stiffness and they wilt and drop.

Solutions

Check the bottom of the pot for roots growing through the drainage hole. Repot the Peperomia into a pot one size larger than the current one. You may divide a large plant into several sections and pot the sections in individual pots to propagate new plants.

11. Repotting Shock

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

Solutions

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

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.

12. Aging

As the Peperomia ages, it naturally drops the lower older leaves to spare energy for the growth of new leaves.

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