Teardrop Peperomia Plant Care (Peperomia orba Care and Common Issues with Remedies
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Teardrop Peperomia (Peperomia orba) prospers in medium to bright indirect light, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil coupled with monthly feeding in the growing season.
Peperomia orba Plant is one of the popular Peperomia varieties and bears delicate, fleshy, dark-green, oval-shaped leaves and hence the common name, 'teardrop'.
As the plant matures, a white line appears down the center of the waxy leaves. The stems are fleshy, red and grow by trailing which places this plant among the best plants for a hanging basket.
Botanical name: Peperomia orba
Family: Piperaceae
Common name: Teardrop Peperomia, Teardrop Plant, Teardrop Peperomia orba, Peperomia Teardrop Plant
Origin
Tear Peperomia Plant is native to Central and South America.
Size
Teardrop Peperomia orba is a semi-succulent, slow growing, compact plant which grows to a height of about 6 inches making this plant one of the best plants for the limited spaces in the home or office.
Flower
Teardrop Peperomia flowers are unremarkable, rat-tail flower-heads above the foliage made up of greeninsh flowers on an upright spike. The plant may not flower when grown indoors.
Varieties
Peperomia orba has many types (cultivars) which include 'Variegata', 'Pixie', 'Pixie Green', 'Pixie Lime' among others.
Toxicity
Teardrop Peperomia like other Peperomia Plants is non-toxic to humans and pets as stated by Leaf and Paw website. They are non-toxic to cats and are placed among the pet-safe plants perfect for growing indoors.
Teardrop Plant Care Indoors
Teardrop Peperomia (Peperomia orba) prefers medium to bright indirect light, average warmth of 15-260C, humidity of 60-75% and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained, succulents potting soil coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season.
Peperomia orba care also requires regular pruning to keep it neat, minimize pest and disease infestations as well as encourage a bushy growth. Repotting is only needed when the plant becomes extremely pot-bound. Keep reading for more on these growing conditions and how to achieve them.
Watering
Water your Teardrop Peperomia liberally during the growing season and allow the top 2-3 inches of soil to dry out between waterings to keep the soil moderately moist.
Reduce watering during the cold season to keep the soil barely moist as growth is minimal at this time. do not allow the soil to dry out completely as it may lead to wilting and drooping leaves.
Make sure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy as it can result in root-rot. Take care not to wet the foliage as it can increase occurence of leaf spot disease. You may water the plant from the bottom. Read more on how to water houseplants the correct way.
Light Requirements
Teardrop Peperomia Plant grows best in medium to bright indirect light (filtered light). Keep it away from direct sunlight as it can cause scorching and drooping leaves.
Too little light may result in leggy plants and yellow leaves therefore ensure it receives adequate light. If the natural light in your home is not adequate, instal a grow light to supplement it. Take a look at these full spectrum grow lights on Amazon.
Rotate the pot every so often to ensure that the plant receives light on all sides for even growth as well as prevent legginess.
Temperature and Humidity
Teardrop Peperomia orba requires an average warmth of 15-260C to thrive. Keep it away from drafts as they can result in extreme temperatures. Too high temperatures can lead to stunted growth, wilting, drooping leaves. Too low temperatures can cause reduced growth, leaf drop and brown leaf tips and edges.
Peperomia orba Plant blossoms in humidity of 60-75%. Too low humidity will result in brown leaf tips and edges. To elevate humidity, set the pot on a wet pebble tray or grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom or in a closed terrarium. Check out these techniques on how to increase humidity for houseplants.
Clean the leaves regularly by damp-wiping with a soft cloth to get rid of dust and also discourage pest and disease infestations. Ensure that there is good air circulation to minimize leaf spot diseases which is indicated by brown leaf spots.
On account of its compact size and affinity for a warm, humid environment, Peperomia Teardrop Plant is one of the best plants for a closed terrarium as these conditions can be maintained inside a terrarium.
Fertilizer
Feed your Peperomia orba Plant with a balanced, liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks during the growing period for lush growth. Withhold feeding in the cold season as growth is reduced and feeding at this time may lead to fertilizer burn which is indicated by wilting, drooping leaves and yellowing of the plant.
Potting Soil
The best soil for Teardrop Peperomia is a loose, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter to prevent it from getting soggy while providing the required nutrients. Being a semi-succulent plant, cactus and succulents mix is the best choice of soil for this plant.
Repotting
Repot your Teardrop Peperomia Plant during the growing season only when the plant has become extremely pot-bound as it grows best when the roots are restricted. Use a pot one size larger and ensure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy as it can lead to root-rot. Check out these pots with multi Mesh drainage holes on Amazon.
Pruning
Pruning Peperomia orba Plant involves regular removal of dead foliage to maintain the plant neat and tidy as well as minimize pest and disease infestations. The plant becomes straggly as it ages, therefore, cutback the stems during the growing season to rejuvenate growth.
Propagation
Teardrop Peperomia propagation can be done in at the beginning of the growing season from leaf-cuttings, from stem-cuttings or by plant division. The cuttings root easily and there is no need for a rooting hormone.
Read more on how to propagate Teardrop Peperomia Plant in 5 easy ways.
Teardrop Peperomia Plant Problems with Remedies
Peperomia orba (Teardrop Peperomia) problems are drooping leaves, dropping leaves, shriveled leaves, brown leaf tips, wilting, leggy stems, diseases and pests among others. Keep reading for more on these problems and how to fix them.
Brown leaf spots
Brown leaf spots in Teardrop Peperomia orba are an indication of leaf spot disease. The disease is is characterized by brown, moist spots on the leaves. In a serious attack the spots can enlarge and merge, killing the whole leaf.
Remove and burn the affected parts to reduce the risk of spread to the rest of the plants. Isolate the affected plant and spray it with a systemic fungicide as directed by the manufacturer. Ensure that all the parts are completely covered with the fungicidal solution.
Keep the plant on the dry side and maintain good air circulation to discourage the disease infestation. Avoid wetting the foliage during watering and water from the bottom instead.
Drooping leaves
Teardrop Peperomia Plant drooping leaves are caused by cultural faults like exposure to direct sunlight, underwatering, overwatering, extreme temperatures, poor feeding, pests and diseases among others.
Read more on these 14 reasons Peperomia Plant leaves are drooping with fixes
Dropping leaves
Teardrop Peperomia leaves may drop due to a number of reasons. One possible reason for dropping is too low temperature. Move the plant to a warmer spot away from cold drafts and maintain an average room temperature of 15-260C.
The second possible reason of dropping leaves in Teardrop Peperomia orba is that the plant has been underwatered causing the foliage to wilt. Water the plant liberally during the growing season and allow the soil to dry out between waterings but reduce watering during the cold season.
Take a look at these 12 reasons why Peperomia Plant is dropping leaves with solutions
Pests
Teardrop Peperomia pests is prone to spider mites, whiteflies, scale insects and mealy bugs. Isolate the affected plant to prevent spread to other plants and and treat it with insecticidal soap as per the manufacturer's instructions.
Wilted, discolored leaves with corky swellings on the undersides
wilted and discolored leaves with corky swellings on the undersides in Teardrop Peperomia is an indication of root-rot which is prevalent in soggy soil. Isolate the affected plant and treat it for the disease. Learn how to treat root-rot in houseplants.
Leggy stems
Leggy stems in Teardrop Peperomia are due to low light. Cutback the stems to rejuvenate growth. Position the plant in a brighter spot where it will receive medium to bright indirect light or instal a grow light if the natural light is not adequate. Check out this guide on understanding light for houseplants.
Brown leaf tips and edges
Brown leaf tips and edges in Teardrop Peperomia are due to sudden drop in temperature from cold drafts. Remove all the damaged leaves. Keep the plant away from cold drafts and maintain an average warmth of 15-260C. Check out this guide on understanding temperature for houseplants.
Yellow leaves
There are three possible causes of yellow leaves in Teardrop Peperomia. One possible cause is too little light. Move the plant to a brighter spot where it will receive medium to bright indirect light. If the light is too low, consider investing in grow lights.
The second possible cause of yellow leaves in Teardrop Peperomia is incorrect watering; either overwatering or underwatering. Overwatering causes the roots to die. As such, the plant cannot take up water and nutrients to the leaves which causes them to turn yellow and die.
Underwatering results in too little moisture in the soil which means the plant cannot take up water and nutrients to the leaves. Therefore, they begin to turn yellow and eventually die.
Water the plant liberally during the growing season and allow the top 2-3 inches of soil to dry out between waterings to keep the soil moderately moist. Reduce watering in the cold season to keep the soil slightly moist as the growth is reduced at this time.
The third possible cause of yellow leaves in Teardrop Peperomia is underfeeding. Feed it with a balanced, liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks during the growing period. Do not feed in the cold season as growth is minimal at this time, therefore, feeding it at this time can result in fertilizer burn and death of the plant.
Brown, shrivelled leaves
Brown and shrivelled leaves in Peperomia orba are caused by too dry air (low humidity) as it prefers a humid environment. Set the pot on a wet pebble tray to increase humidity or use a cool mist humidifier. You may also grow the plant in a terrarium or in the moist areas in the home.
Dry and shrivelled leaves
Excess soluble salts in the soil from the water or excess feeding will cause dry shrivelled leaves in Teardrop Peperomia. Flush out the salts from the soil regularly by running a stream of water through the soil until it comes out through the drainage holes and repeat the process several times.
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