Peperomy plants of the genus are very popular among gardeners, they attract with their decorative effect, variety of species, relative simplicity of cultivation and care.
These miniature perennials come from Central and South America. They belong to the pepper family.
One of the favorite and original types can be called peperomia wrinkled (wrinkled), it is also known as desert privet.
General description and photo
Visually with Peperemia "Shriveled" can be found in the photo:
Wrinkled perperomy (lat. Peperomia caperata) has unusual dark green leaves (natural form), as if they are covered with a network of deep wrinkles, which gives them relief. The surface is velvety. In the grooves of the veins, the shade turns brown.
The leaves are small, heart-shaped, sit on long pinkish petioles, are located close to each other, their cluster looks like a bowl or a socket. The lamina is fleshy, like the stem, contains a supply of water. This feature is due to the fact that in its native tropics, perperomy is an epiphyte plant.
Reference: epiphytes are plants that use shrubs and trees as a support, this gives them the opportunity to be closer to the light source. Often they are not tied to the ground, moisture is obtained from the air and precipitation (rain and fog).
Like other types of peperomy, the plant has a small size, up to 10 cm high. Due to its epiphytic nature, it has a poorly developed root system, in the form of nodules or a long creeping rhizome.
Now a lot of varieties are derived from the natural type of shriveled perperomy, which was identified and described in 1958. From the original form, they differ in a variety of leaf color, from red to dark burgundy. There are also variegated varieties combining red, pink, white and green.
It blooms in summer, forms elongated vertical cobs that rise above the surface of the leaves. They are painted in white, contrasting with the leaves. There is no smell from flowers.
Home care
Care after purchase
The variegated forms should have beautiful color patterns on the leaves; simple ones should have a rich color corresponding to the variety.
Make surethat the leaves and stems are intact, at the base there is no rot. Otherwise it will be very difficult to save the purchased plant.
Features care will depend on what time of year you bought the plant:
If in the winter, then it is not necessary to touch it at least until the end of February - the beginning of March. Although perperomia does not have a rest period, it can endure a winter transplant and die.
In the fall, too, you need to be careful and transplant if the plant is too crowded in the old pot. Then take care of him according to the recommendations below.
If you got peperomia in spring or summer (preferably), everything is easier. Can be transplanted immediately after purchase, but only if the plant looks healthy.
If not, you need to wait until the period of adaptation passes and the flower gets stronger. Only after that it will be possible to do transplanting.
Be sure to carefully remove all dried stems and leaves, as they disrupt the normal growth of the plant. If necessary rub leaves soft wet cloth
An exception: varieties with a pubescent leaf surface, it can be easily damaged.
It is impossible Immediately upon bringing from the store to place the plant in bright light, it is better to put it in partial shade. Surely there it was lacking in lighting, and such a sharp drop can be detrimental.
By watering - check the soil, if too dry, water with settled water.
Landing
Since in nature, peperomia are epiphytes, they can be grown not only in pots, but also on hydroponics.
Reference: Hydroponics is a special way of growing plants when an artificial medium, air, water or solid is used instead of soil. For example, sphagnum moss, expanded clay, crushed gravel. It must be constantly moistened with a special solution of water and mineral salts suitable for a particular plant, and also aerated so that the roots are saturated with oxygen.
When planting in the soil, it is necessary to take into account that the peperium has poorly developed roots and it does not suit dense soil, they may rot. It is best to make a mixture of sheet, sod land, peat and sand, in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1. You can add moss, turf replace humus, and also do without peat. The mix should be loose and breathable.
It does not follow feed in winter and immediately after transplantation (no earlier than two weeks later). The rest of the time - twice a month, complex fertilizer designed for ornamental plants. Dosage - add twice as much water to the recommended dose.
Transfer
Up to three years, the plant requires an annual transplant, then - once every two years, as growth slows down. But you need to see if the roots are sticking out of the drainage holes, in this case transplantation is obligatory.
Transplanted in the spring, for this take a shallow pot - bowl, which is 2 - 3 centimeters wider than the old one. A layer of drainage (clay, broken brick, charcoal), up to six centimeters, is necessarily put on the bottom. Place the plant in the center, sprinkle with earth and slightly condense it. Put in partial shade, pour.
Pruning
You can pinch too long stalks, then the plant will give side shoots and forms a neat shrub.
In time you need to cut dry shoots.
Watering
Since this plant belongs to succulents, i.e., it stores water in the stems and leaves, watering requires moderate. In spring and summer, during the period of active growth, water more often, checking the condition of the soil with a finger or a special indicator. In winter, you can not water at all or water once a month, in the event that the lower leaves fall.
Water is taken only separated, slightly warmer than room temperature. It is advisable to water in the pan.
Air humidity.
As a tropical plant, spraying the peperomia will be beneficial. In the summer months several times a week, the same in the heating season in winter. To do this, take warm soft water. Exception - pubescent varieties of plants. It is also possible to place a container with moistened gravel next to or instead of a pallet.
Temperature
Peperomia shriveled, as well as its other types, belongs to heat-loving plants.
In winter temperature should be maintained not below 16 °, optimally - up to 23 °, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow and fall off.
With the onset of summer it grows well at 22 - 25 °, can be placed on the loggia or balcony. But it should be protected from drafts and sudden temperature changes.
Lighting
Varieties with dark green leaves grow well in partial shade, on the western or northern windows. If there is no such possibility, you should priten the plant or place it further from the window.
Variegated varieties require bright ambient light, they are placed on the eastern and southern windows. But you can not put on direct sunlight, the leaves will burn!
In winter, all varieties need additional lighting with special lamps, otherwise the petioles will become strongly elongated, and the variegated leaves will be small and inconspicuous.
Breeding
Multiply peperomia in any way you need in the spring.
- Leaf cuttings. An adult healthy leaf is cut off with a sharp knife, leaving a petiole about 5 cm, placed in the water before the roots appear, or they are immediately stuck in a mixture of leaf humus (peat) with sand (1: 1), sprinkled with hormonal powder. Bend the sheet at a right angle. Cover with polyethylene or make a greenhouse. Put in a bright place, every 2 days moistened by spraying the soil, aired to prevent rotting. When the sockets appear (after 1 - 1, 5 months), they are transplanted into the prepared soil (composition described above).
- Stem cuttings. Cut the cuttings with two pairs of leaves, deepen so that the bottom node is above the ground. Then everything is done in the same way as when rooting a leaf. The temperature should be around 25º.
- Bunch of leaves. Soak and rosettes.
- Dividing bush. When the bush grows heavily, it is better to divide it into several new instances of the plant so that young shoots appear. Do this when transplanting. Separate very carefully so as not to damage the roots. The pot should be taken slightly smaller than the previous one (see the "Planting" item).
- Seeds. After flowering of peperomia, seeds ripen. They are collected and sown in the spring in the mixture described for rooting the sheet. They take for this a bowl, then they make a greenhouse and wait for shoots. Transplanted into a common box, when there will be at least two pairs of leaves, while the soil is used the same. When the seedlings become strong, they are deposited in separate pots with peperium soil and look after as adults.
Benefit and Beneficial Action
In addition to the aesthetic decoration of the house, the plant is able to clean the air due to the fact that it emits special substances - phytoncides, which kill many bacteria.
If you often have a cold, wrinkled perperomy fits you perfectly!
It is believed that it has a beneficial effect on digestion and the gallbladder.
Note! There are other types of perperomy that are able to purify the air, for example, Peperomia is thick-faced.
Pests and diseases
Bring damage may only be affected pests (spider mite, thrips, mealybug) and infect other plants.
It is necessary to periodically inspect the plant and, if necessary, treat it.
To do this, use insecticides (thrips), soap solution (spider mite) and alcohol solution (mealybug). Treat the whole plant. For this period it is necessary to isolate the peperomia from other colors.
Subject to such diseaselike root rot, which is caused by a fungal infection.
Occurs when overwetting, you can save only by transplanting with pretreatment with antifungal drugs.
It can be advised to grow wrinkled peperomia even to beginners, if all the conditions and agrotechnics described by us are observed, it will surely please you with its exotic beauty!
