Peperomia plants are a broad group of indoor ornamental plants mostly regarded for their air detoxification and purification properties.
Recent studies by NASA and Wolverton’s Clean Air research all claim that this nature’s brilliance can remove as much as 47% of formaldehyde found indoors.
They also demonstrate such unexpected toughness that makes them adaptable to almost any climatic condition. That’s why we find them in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide: Africa, Southern Asia, and the Americas.
All common Peperomia plants have similar methods, including Peperomia Watermelon, Peperomia Prostrata, Peperomia Ginny, and Peperomia Frost; propagating them; primarily by Splitting a mature plant and dividing it into new plants or by rooting Peperomia Cuttings.
Let’s take a closer look at some of my favorite ways to propagate Peperomias.
Propagating Peperomia by Splitting
- First, ensure that your selected Peperomia for division is well grown, with adequately developed foliage and stem sections.
- Remove the plant from its pot by turning the pot sideways and gently rolling it on a bare floor until it slides out. Some species of Peperomia can be easily pulled out of the pot, but be careful not to damage the tender vines and leaves.
- Now place the Peperomia out of its pot on a warm flat surface and use your hand to comb through the roots to separate the root sections.
- Get a clean, sharp pair of scissors, a kitchen in knife, or gardening shears and cut through the sections of the roots.
- Ensure that each cutting section has its roots, stem, and leaves.
Now You can transplant each division of the Peperomia as a new plant.
Propagating Peperomia by Stem Cuttings
Peperomias are mainly propagated using stem cuttings in a water glass jar or a soil mix potting. I advise you to try both methods until you discover which works best and is easiest for you.
How to prepare Peperomia Stem Cuttings
The Peperomia stem Cuttings are prepared similarly to other home garden succulent plants.
You simply identify the stronger and healthy-looking stems on the plant and nip them off with their leaves fully attached.
Once that is done, allow the cuttings to heal for a few days before rooting them in water or soil media.
Rooting Peperomia Stem Cuttings in Water
This is always my favorite method of Propagating succulents. I enjoy the process and usually take journals of each plant’s behavior from propagation to maturity.
- First, get your water glass jar prepared. Peperomias will thrive in almost any water if the pH isn’t too acidic or alkaline. Chemically treated water usually has no effect, although they still prefer the natural untreated clean water.
- Place the calloused Peperomia stem Cuttings into the glass jar and keep it under indirect sunlight, preferably by the vents or window frame.
- The water should be replaced periodically to keep it fresh and uninfected.
- You’ll be able to start observing small, white, translucent roots poking out of the stem cuttings within 2-6 weeks.
- Once you can see roots growing on the cuttings, it’s time to transplant them. Transfer them to a soil mix potting early enough to avoid rotting the cuttings.
Rooting Peperomia Stem Cuttings in Soil
This is the most popular method of propagating Peperomia plants because of the simplicity and straightforwardness of the process.
- First, ensure your soil mix potting is ready for the new plant.
- After making your stem cuttings, please take out the leaves at the base of each stalk, leaving only the upper leaves on it.
- Gently dip the base of the cuttings in any available rooting hormones or natural honey.
- Now fill the pot with the soil mix until it is almost full
- Make shallow holes on the soil surface in the pot and insert the stem cuttings up to 3 inches into the surface. The cuttings should be planted at the sides of the pot.
- You can determine the thickness of your new Peperomia plants by the concentration of the cuttings in the pot. Allow the plants to settle into their new home for a few hours before watering.
- Lastly, place the potting at strategic points in the home garden where there’s warmth and adequate amounts of indirect sunlight.
- Allow the new Radiator plants to settle into their new home for a few hours before watering.
Can Peperomia also be Propagated using Leaf Cuttings?
Some Peperomia plants can be propagated by rooting the leaf cuttings, especially the solid, non-variegated species. The catch is that each leaf cutting must have a developed stalk attached to the stem and the Cuttings must be rooted with the stem still attached.
How to Water Peperomia
A great adaptive quality of Radiator Plants is their tolerance for environments with varying degrees of moisture, although they’re naturally evolved from the typical humidity in rainforests.
You can water them by planting them on pebble trays filled with water for vapor to condense into the leaves, or You can employ electric humidifiers. The choice is yours. Either of the options won’t impede their growth.
While the plant doesn’t require too much water, keeping the soil later moist and well aerated is also imperative.
How much is Sunshine safe for a growing Peperomia Plant?
Peperomias aren’t called Radiator Plants for no reason; they love the sun’s heat and thrive well in warm environments. Just place them close to the home’s air vents or cooling system radiator and watch them blissfully thrive and spread.
The younger Peperomia plants should be kept from direct sunlight to prevent burning or stressing their tender tissues.
What Peperomia soil Mix is best for Optimum growth?
The general Soil mix recipe to propagate Peperomias will be two parts peat-free soil mixed with one part perlite or expanded clay. Orchid bark, activated charcoal, worm castings, and coconut coir are excellent ingredients for preparing your homemade soil mix.
They thrive in a soil mix enriched for succulents, that is, any lightweight soil mix with good drainage and excellent aeration.
Are Peperomia Plants Cost-Effective to Maintain?
Peperomias are the best spec of low-maintenance garden plants, and propagating new plants might cause you to break a sweat, but not your safety deposit box.
Not only do they easily blend in with the environment, but they’re also quite resilient and can withstand even tricky environments. Some Peperomia plants might be even more tolerant than a pet dog.
How long do Peperomia Plants live?
Radiator plants are like any other pet in the house; they remain your faithful companion for as long as they’re well cared for. This excellent air purifier will continue to thrive and multiply for as much as 10-12 years, growing to heights of up to 3 feet.
Peperomias are one of the most biologically diverse home garden plants. Over 1000 species have been named, with more yet to be thoroughly researched.
It’s also interesting how they look so different and adapt quite distinctly from one another to their environments. Some are epiphytes (climbers), while others are extremophiles (lovers of extreme environments such as ice caps) and xerophytes (desert areas).
They can also be lithophytic (species that grow on rocks), possessing either well-developed succulent properties or specialized underground tubes seen among the geophyte species.
Whatever species of the Radiator Plants you happen to come across, their broad leaves and adventurous stems quickly give them away.