Skip to Content

Peperomia Verticillata – 6 Caring Tips & 3 propagating Methods

Sharing is caring!

Peperomia Verticillata is a compact plant that belongs to the Peperomia family. It consists of several strong and upright shoots where its leaflets are dense, oval, and short-petiolate.

The plant grows in whorls of 4 to 5 pieces. Likewise, every piece has arcuate veins. Its leaves and stems are pubescent with grayish hairs. 

If Peperomia Verticillata lacks moisture, the leaves become small and thin, and the edge is thick. If there is more moisture, the leaves can be large but have weak pubescence.

Peperomia Verticillata 1
Peperomia Verticillata – via Etsy

Peperomia Verticillata Care Tips

1.       Soil

The soil of Peperomia Verticillata should be loose and nutritious. This means you need to preference mixtures that include peat, sand, and humus. In heavy soil, this plant will not be able to take root, which will lead to leaf fall and death of the plant. 

The substrate needs to be loosened from time to time to ensure constant access to oxygen to the root system. Peperomia Verticillata does not tolerate excess moisture, so take care of high-quality drainage. Loosened soil will prevent stagnant water and significantly reduce the risk of fungal infections.

2.       Lighting

Peperomia Verticillata is photophilous but does not tolerate prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. Excess light causes the colorful leaves and stems to fade and losing their decorative properties.

If you are growing this plant in a south-facing room, place the pot at the back of the room or cover it with a paper visor. 

3.       Watering

During the growing season, Peperomia Verticillata needs frequent and plentiful watering. It should be watered with soft and settled warm water.

The water temperature is supposed to be a couple of degrees higher than room temperature. It is better to reduce the watering frequency from the beginning of autumn to the end of winter. 

Interestingly, Peperomia Verticillata tolerates a lack of moisture better than its excess. Excessive watering will lead to root rotting, fungal infections occurrence, and wilting of the stems. If the leaves fall off, then this indicates that you are not moistening the soil often enough.

4.       Temperature

It is imperative to maintain an average air temperature throughout the year. When Peperomia Verticillata prepares to release young shoots during the spring-summer period, the optimum temperature will be 18-26 °C. 

In winter, it can be slightly reduced, but keep in mind that at temperatures below 16 °C, the risk of diseases increases.  Peperomia Verticillata is not recommended to be taken outside.

Therefore, it must be well wrapped and placed in a tight bag or box for transportation. Also, Peperomia Verticillata does not tolerate drafts, and improper placement can cause leaves to fall.

5.       Humidity

Peperomia Verticillata will not cause you much trouble because it does not need careful care. Air humidity is not a vital factor for Peperomia Verticillata.

It responds well to spraying (especially in the summer), but its absence will not harm it. As a rule, spraying is carried out to clear the accumulated dust from the leaves and refresh the plant a little.

6.       Top dressing 

The Peperomia Verticillata plant can only go without feeding for a long time when planted in nutritious soil. Otherwise, it must be constantly fed with complex mineral mixtures. 

It is recommended to give preference to the fertilizers explicitly designed for representatives of the peperomia family. They can be purchased at all specialized flower shops. 

From the beginning of spring to the end of autumn, top dressing is carried out twice a month, and in winter, it is reduced to once.

Peperomia Verticillata 2
Peperomia Verticillata – via Etsy

Propagation methods

a)      Propagation by cuttings

You need to choose a strong shoot with at least one node when propagating by cuttings. Gently pinch it off and then place it in water for a few days to let it take root. After that, you can safely plant the cuttings in the soil. 

The container with seedlings should be covered with glass and placed in a well-lit place. Carefully monitor the cuttings, and do not forget to water them promptly. In a month, they will take root. After this time, you can transplant them into individual flowerpots.

b)      Propagation by leaf cuttings

Leaf propagation is one of the simplest methods. Take a good look at the plant, select some strong leaves, and then cut them off with a clerical knife or a sharp blade. Leave a small petiole at the base of the leaf and then place it in settled water. 

Rooting will take place faster in a warm room. Once every two days, the water must be changed to clean; otherwise, the seedling may rot as soon as roots appear on the leaf (3-4 weeks), transplant it into a separate pot, and take care of it as an adult plant.

c)       Propagation by division of the bush

In this method, you need to remove the plant from the pot, lightly shake off the soil, and inspect the plant. Lay Peperomia Verticillata on the table and carefully separate the root into different parts. 

All manipulations must be carried out by hands without using the cutting tools. Next, plant the resulting bushes in individual flowerpots and pour them abundantly with water with the addition of fertilizer. After sometimes they will start to form the roots.

Diseases and pests 

Almost all diseases are caused by improper care. For example, poor watering or placing Peperomia Verticillata in a cool room can cause foliage to fall off. 

Brown spots appear on the leaves due to drafts and sudden temperature changes, so you should not transport the plant without particular shelter. Excess moisture also leads to negative consequences. 

The leaves turn black, begin to rot, and soon fall off. To solve this, it is not recommended to place Peperomia Verticillata in a phytofilter.

As a rule, pests infect weakened plants. Peperomia Verticillata can be attacked by mites, scale insects, nematodes, and mealybugs

It is desirable to get rid of them even before they have time to harm the plant. Treatment is carried out using fungicides and transplanting Peperomia Verticillata into steamed soil.


Conclusion

Peperomia Verticillata is notable because it does not tolerate water logging of the soil. In summer, it is necessary to water as it dries, and in the winter months, one time after some days. 

Warm, soft water is best suited for irrigation. To make Peperomia Verticillata grow well without pests and diseases, you need to care for it very well.