Let’s propagate Peperomia!

General Peperomia care

The Peperomia family is an easy-to-care for genus made up of 1500 species. They require a well-draining potting mix and don’t mind being rootbound.

They require good humidity and are happiest in a spot that receives bright, indirect light. Any direct contact with the sun can burn the leaves. 

Their succulent-like leaves store water and nutrients and distribute to the plant as needed. Thus. they don’t take well to overwatering and should be left to dry out a bit between waterings. Peperomia should be fertilised on a monthly basis. 

Common issues experienced with Peperomia are linked to incorrect watering and low humidity. If a Peperomia has been overwatered, it will wilt or form raised protrusions on the leaves. Peperomia can also drop their leaves if they are over fertilized or experience a drastic drop in temperature.

Propagating Peperomia

Peperomia can be propagated in water or soil using stem or leaf cuttings. 

Water propagation:

Roots should start to develop within a couple of weeks. 

This is the method that I’ve referred to the most. You simply:

1. Snip some cuttings off a healthy, mature plant
2. Let the ends dry/callous off a bit
3. Dap the ends in rooting powder
4. Pop them into some water, but don’t submerge the whole stem in water.
5. Put the cuttings in a spot that receives bright, indirect light
6. Change the water out once a week.

The cuttings should be potted up when a substantial rooting system has formed. Remember some of the water roots will die back when the cuttings are potted up, so you want there to be a good rooting system before doing anything.

Once your plant has been potted up, you’ll want to keep the plant in a humid, warm spot of the house (like the kitchen, bathroom or near your humidifier). Don’t put in a spot that receives direct sunlight because this can burn the leaves. 

New leaves should sprout as the plant settles into the soil.

Soil propagation:

Peperomia can also be propagated in soil using stem or leaf cuttings. Stem cuttings seem to have more success that leaf cuttings, particularly when propagating variegated Peperomia, but both methods can work. 

Here’s how it would work with stem cuttings:

1. Snip some cuttings off a healthy, mature plant
2. Let the ends dry/callous off a bit
3. Dap the ends in rooting powder
4. Carefully plant them in a well-draining propagation mix (like ours!)
5. Water the soil
6. Place the potted cuttings in a big ziplock bag, clear, sealable container, cookie jar etc. You’ll need to create a humid, greenhouse environment to encourage growth.
7. Unseal your DIY greenhouse every few days to allow airflow and prevent any mold/fungal growth.

Keep an eye out on the soil and water as needed. You don’t want it to dry out completely, but you also don’t want the cuttings to rot if it’s too wet.

Here’s how it would work with leaf cuttings:

1. Snip some cuttings off a healthy, mature plant
2a. Remove the stem and cut the leaf in half across the width, or
2b. Remove the stem and keep the leaf intact. 
3. Let the ends dry/callous off a bit
4. Dap the ends in rooting powder
5. Put the leaf cuttings on a bed of moist potting mix (like ours!)
6. Place the potted cuttings in a big ziplock bag, clear, sealable container, or cookie jar etc. You’ll need to create a humid, greenhouse environment to encourage growth.
7. Unseal your DIY greenhouse every few days to allow airflow and prevent any mold/fungal growth.

Keep an eye out on the soil and water as needed. As with stem cuttings, you don’t want the soil to dry out completely, but you also don’t want the leaves to rot if it’s too wet.

Once the plant has rooted and established itself, you’ll want to keep it in a humid, warm spot of the house (like the kitchen, bathroom or near your humidifier). Don’t put in a spot that receives direct sunlight because this can burn the leaves. 

New leaves should sprout as the plant roots and settles into the soil.