Peperomia Graveolens (Peperomia ‘Ruby Glow’)

Peperomia Graveolens is also known as Glow Peperomia or Ruby Peperomia. It is a perennial succulent that is easy to please. Once you can provide the right growing conditions for this succulent, you barely need to maintain it routinely. This makes Glow Peperomia perfect for offices. You can keep the succulent pot on a desk or shelf, and you do not have to worry about leaves dropping and creating a mess like most houseplants.

Besides the ornamental foliage of Peperomia Graveolens, the tiny, yellowish-white flowers that grow on long racemes are a sight to behold.

In this post, you’ll get to know about the best practices when it comes to caring for and propagating Peperomia Graveolens.

* Note: We will earn a small fee when you purchase through any of the above affiliate links, at no additional cost to you.

Description

Glow Peperomia is native to the southwestern parts of Ecuador like Azuay, El Oro, and Loja. Just until recently, Glow Peperomia was pretty expensive and scarce for many succulent collectors to find. But thanks to recent developments in plant tissues, Glow Peperomia is now mass-produced and well distributed across the globe.

Peperomia Graveolens has fleshy foliage and a hollow canoe shape. The thick, waxy stems of Glow Peperomia are bright and sturdy, so they can resist drought and harsh weather conditions.

Glow Peperomia grows like a shrub in that new branches emerge from the main stem. If nurtured properly, this succulent can grow as high as 20cm and as wide as 15cm.

The flowers of the Peperomia Graveolens appear during the spring months, and they have thin spikes, which makes them quite different from the flowers of most succulents. Also, the flowers shoot out from the middle of the branches and have a weird smell like that of urine.

Tips for Caring for Peperomia Graveolens

The following tips will help you to care for your Peperomia Graveolens succulents:

Soil and Transplanting

If you are planting your Peperomia Graveolens during the summer, ensure that the soil is moist. Also, ensure that the soil is well-draining so your succulents do not become waterlogged and the roots damaged. You can add peat moss to the soil to improve its drainage capacity.

For your Peperomia Graveolens to be rich in nutrients, you need to add organic compost as topdressing to the soil.

The best potting mix for Glow Peperomia is a combination of perlite and coarse sand in a 1:1 ratio.

If you want to repot your Glow Peperomia, it is best to do it during the spring when the plant is actively growing. Do not forget to change the old potting mix with a revitalized one.

Temperature, Light, and Humidity

Since Peperomia Graveolens originates from Ecuador, you should grow it in a warmer environment. The succulent will not survive under a temperature that is below 12 degrees Celsius.

Even if the soil dries out quickly, you should keep the succulent in a place where it can receive an ample amount of sunlight. If you are growing your Peperomia Graveolens indoors, the best location to keep the pot is close to an east-facing window. If the indoor light is not enough to grow your Glow Peperomia, consider getting a grow light.

Watering and Feeding

Have a rigid watering schedule for your Peperomia Graveolens, and ensure the top layer of the soil is dry before resuming watering. Cut back on your watering rate during the winter because the succulent is dormant during this period.

If you notice a waxy coating on the leaves of your Peperomia Graveolens that is a sign of overwatering. But note that light shedding of the bottom leaves is normal for this succulent. But if the leaf dropping is intense, you should consider applying fertilizers or adjusting the temperature conditions to a more favorable level.

Also, your Peperomia Graveolens succulents may experience intense leaf shedding if the pot they are placed in does not have adequate drainage to facilitate drying.

A great quality of Glow Peperomia is its ability to withstand high and low humidity levels, even though it is endemic to tropical areas.

When it comes to feeding your Peperomia Graveolens, using just about any fertilizer will not suffice. You have to use a succulent fertilizer with the label “8-8-8, or 10-10-10 formula”. Also, apply only half the recommended quantity, so your succulent does not grow out of proportion.

Potting and Repotting

For potting and repotting your Peperomia Graveolens, make sure you use a container with enough drainage holes. This is crucial to ensure that the water flows continuously out of your pot to avoid overwatering and root rot.

You might not need to repot your Peperomia Graveolens frequently. It is advisable to avoid any unnecessary repotting and wait until the last minute before repotting. Usually, it is only necessary to repot your Peperomia Graveolens once the plant grows more extensive than its current pot.

The best time to repot is during the spring or early summer. It is also advisable to choose a new pot that is only an inch bigger than your plant to give it enough space and time to grow fully. When repotting, you may also take the opportunity to change the soil used for your plant. Using a fresh potting mix is lighter and airy, meaning fewer chances of clogging your container.

Grooming

When the Peperomia Graveolens is actively growing, you may have to prune it regularly to stay in shape.

The leaves and foliage of the Glow Peperomia plant grow in varying shapes and sizes, which may not exactly be attractive. Some of the leaves appear to be pale, while others are fleshy, depending on their color shade.

If you are trimming the succulent, it is best to begin with the bottom leaves since they are quite fragile compared to the top part of the plant.

How to Propagate Peperomia Graveolens

The easiest way to propagate Peperomia Graveolens is from stem cuttings. To use this propagation technique, cut several stems with flowers. The stems should be mature and about 4 inches long.

Keep the cuttings in a dry and warm place for about a week or two so that the cuts can heal. When the cuts are healed, plant the cuttings in a potting mix of perlite and peat moss in a 1:1 ratio.

You can dip the bottom of the cuttings in a rooting hormone to fast the growth process. Water the cuttings when the soil is dry and keep them away from direct sunlight.

You can also propagate your Peperomia Graveolens from leaf cuttings. This propagation technique requires a whole, fleshy leaf. Hold your desired leaf with your thumb and forefinger, and wiggle it back and forth until it detaches from the parent plant.

Allow the leaf-cutting to dry for a few days before dipping it into a rooting hormone. After that, place the leaf on the soil.

Do not water the cuttings until tiny roots begin to appear. The roots should spring up in three or four times weeks under the right weather conditions. Wait for the soil to dry out before continuing your watering schedule.

Finally, replant the new Peperomia Graveolens once the roots appear.

ALSO READ:

• Peperomia Ferreyrae – Everything You Need To Know About Care, Propagation Method & More

Common Problems with Peperomia Graveolens

The most common problem you will have to grapple with is the adverse effects of overwatering and under-watering. If you overwater this succulent, the root will start to rot and the plant may eventually die if nothing is done quickly.

On the other hand, if the leaves of the Peperomia Graveolens are looking pale or dry, it means the plant is suffering from under-watering. You need to increase your watering frequency, otherwise, the plant may die from dehydration.

If the leaves of your Glow Peperomia are covered with dark spots, you should look out for pests such as spider mites, whiteflies, and mealybugs.

Dip a cotton ball in alcohol. Rub it on the affected areas every day for about two weeks to heal the leaves. You can also get a specially formulated insecticide to get rid of these insects.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is your Peperomia Graveolens toxic? Your plant is non-toxic. Therefore no need to worry too much about leaving your pets or kids around this type of plant.
• Is it necessary to prune your Peperomia Graveolens? Trimming your plant once or twice a year might help to keep it looking neat. Pruning also helps if you want your plant to produce more growth and become bushy.
• Is feeding your Peperomia Graveolens required? Generally,  Peperomia Graveolens are light feeders. If they are growing well on their own, you do not need to feed them. If you want to provide additional nutrients to your Peperomia Graveolens, you may feed it once a month during its growing seasons, which are every spring and summer only. Feeding during its dormant season will damage the plant more.

Before conclusion,…

* Note: We will earn a small fee when you purchase through any of the above affiliate links, at no additional cost to you.

Final Words

We hope that by the end of this article, you will be able to appreciate  Peperomia Graveolens better. It is a lovely and low-maintenance succulent. Simple provide routine care such as proper watering, giving enough sunlight, checking on the soil and drainage, and checking for possible pests and diseases. Your Peperomia graveolens is also known as Ruby Peperomia. Due to its appearance, it is often seen as a desk plant. As mentioned, this plant doesn’t need much to bloom and grow. This characteristic might be familiar to all types of succulents as well. We hope that by reading this article, you are now excited about your next plant baby. Having house plants is not an easy task, but we hope that through this article, we were able to guide you on choosing and adequately taking good care of your next succulent.