Peperomia are popular houseplants, especially among rookie gardeners, due to their low maintenance and unique leaves. While these plants are easy to care for, sometimes it becomes confusing to know the right time to water them. So, how do you know if your peperomia needs water?
The best way to tell if peperomia needs water is to check the soil. The plant should be watered if the soil feels dry to the touch. If you wait for your peperomia to show you signs of drought, you may put the plant at high risk.
Generally, when Peperomia leaves turn discolored and wilt, it is a sign that the plant is thirsty and you have long neglected to water it. If you suspect your peperomia is dehydrated, don’t delay – give it a quick drink!
In the following paragraphs, we will go through all the signs indicating that your peperomia needs water, and we will show you how to water this plant properly.
Let’s get started!
How to Tell if Peperomia Needs Water?
There are two methods to know that your peperomia needs water. One is to check if the soil is dry, and the other is to check the leaves. For example, the plant needs to be watered if the leaves are drooping, wilting, or discolored.
If you want to keep your peperomia safe, you will usually check the soil to see if the plant needs water. This method will help you water your plant at the right time. Therefore, you will reduce the risk of overwatering or underwatering significantly.
To check the soil of your peperomia, you can use your finger or a moister meter. I highly encourage you to go for the second method because it gives accurate results.
To check the soil using a moister meter, insert the instrument into the soil. Make sure you do not touch the soil’s top with your hand. When you have done this, you need to hold the moisture meter for about five seconds to get accurate measurements. If the needle of the moister meter indicates that the soil is dry, then you should water the plant immediately.
If you don’t have access to a moister meter or if you don’t want to use this instrument, you can still test the soil using only your fingers.
To check if the soil is dry using your finger, start by digging your index finger into the soil. Gently move it around until you feel the soil is dry or wet. If you think that the soil is moist, it means that the plant does not need water. However, if you feel that the soil is dry, then your peperomia needs water.
If you don’t have time to regularly check your peperomia, you can determine if this plant needs water using visual cues. But you should take into consideration that waiting until your plants show you signs of thirst before watering them may put them at high risk.
Here is a list of the visual signs that will tell you that your peperomia needs water:
- The leaves are starting to wilt.
- The leaves are curling up and drooping.
- The leaves are turning yellowish.
- The leaf veins are becoming very visible.
- The plant is wilting.
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How Often Does Peperomia Need to Be Watered?
Peperomia needs to be watered once to twice every week in normal conditions. However, you should never follow a rigid watering schedule for this plant. In fact, water requirements will depend on the season, temperature around the plant, and humidity.
Generally, we advise increasing watering frequency to two times a week during the hot days of summer and reducing it from once a week to once every two weeks during the cold days of winter.
In summer, you should water your peperomia plant less often because the leaves are more active and absorb water quickly. Also, on hot days, the soil dries out more quickly, which increases the likelihood that plants will experience water shortages.
In winter, it is better to water your peperomia less often because the roots are not very active, and the plant can go dormant. If you give a plant extra water during dormancy, you will force it to produce energy while it tries to rest and prepare for the next period of growth. This can prevent the plant from growing to its full potential in spring and summer.
Also, overwatering peperomia during the winter will increase the likelihood of root rot. In fact, during the winter, the soil dries out very slowly, which causes the water to stay in the soil longer. If you add water when the soil is already lost, the roots will be overwatered, which will cause root rot.
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How to Tell if My Peperomia Is Overwatered or Underwatered?
You should be able to tell whether a peperomia is overwatered or underwatered based on the state of the leaves. You should see yellow or wilting leaves if the plant is overwatered. On the other hand, if the plant is underwatered, you should see droopy and dry leaves.
You can also check if your peperomia needs more water by gently rubbing the leaves with your fingers. The plant is underwatered if you feel dry and rough patches on the leaves. However, if the leaves feel smooth and moist, the plant receives enough water.
Additionally, you can look at the edges of your pot to determine if your peperomia is underwatered. If the top edge of the pot has a lot of dried soil on it, your plant is most likely underwatered. On the other hand, if the edges around the pot are wet, you’re most likely over-watering.
The following table groups all the signs that will help you know if your peperomia is over or underwater:
| Signs of Overwatered Peperomia | Signs of Underwatered Peperomia |
| The leaves will turn brown as they grow older. The plant is showing signs of decline. The lower leaves of the plant will row yellow. The plant does not show signs of new growth. The soil is going to turn green because of algae. There will be rot or weakness in the roots. | The plant will grow slower than usual. The leaves will look dry. The plant starts Wilting. The soil looks or feels dry. Dead leaf tips. |
The key to avoiding overwatering or underwatering your peperomia is to water it correctly using the correct type of water and at the right time. Let’s find out how you can do this.
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How to Water Peperomia Correctly?
To water your peperomia correctly, you should wait until the soil is dry, then saturate it thoroughly from the bottom using filtered or distilled water. Watering this plant early in the morning will help the roots absorb water slowly and give the soil time to dry throughout the day.
Watering deeply is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your peperomia is healthy. It’s essential to keep your plant from drying out, and it also helps keep it healthy. Plants that are watered deeply stay hydrated longer than those that only get shallow watering, which allows the roots to stay moist longer.
Also, watering your peperomias in the morning is better than watering them at night. In fact, morning watering allows the soil to absorb water slowly throughout the day. If you water your plants at night, the soil won’t dry out as fast, which increases the risk of attracting pests and fungal diseases.
When watering your peperomia, you should avoid using tap water. In fact, tap water can contain chlorine and chloramines, which will kill your plants. Instead, you can use distilled or rainwater to water your peperomia. If you have to use tap water, then you should let it sit overnight before using it.
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