You love your peperomia plants and enjoy having them at various points throughout your home. They add so much charm to your house that you likely recommend these plants to friends.
Typically, peperomia plants are easy to care for, but things can still go wrong. For example, you might see that the leaves are starting to turn yellow.
What do yellow leaves mean when it comes to peperomia plants? Does this mean that you’ve made specific mistakes when caring for the plant?
Below, you’ll learn about peperomia plants and why these plants might get yellow leaves. Knowing the cause should allow you to avoid such issues in the future, and you might even be able to help the plant get back to normal.
1 – Watering the Plant Too Much
Watering the plant too much is going to be very bad. You shouldn’t water peperomia plants more than you’re supposed to. You see, these plants will struggle when you water them too much. They’ll wind up experiencing root rot rather easily.
It’s best to check the soil to ensure that it has dried out before attempting to water the plant. Only water a peperomia plant once the soil has become dry.
You would be better off letting the soil be dry for a little longer than you would if you water the plant a bit too often. Thus, it’s imperative to always check the soil before doing anything.
When these plants get too much water you’ll start to notice that the leaves will turn yellow. This is a sign that you need to think about how you’re doing things.
You could kill the plant if you continue watering the plant the way that you are. Stop and think about what you’re doing so you can make the necessary adjustments.
It isn’t that hard to water these plants properly. You simply have to pay more attention than you would for some other types of houseplants.
2 – Not Watering Enough
Not watering peperomia plants enough will also have the potential to cause leaf yellowing. Often, the leaves will start to appear yellow and they will look rather dry when you haven’t been watering the plant enough.
You might even see that the leaves look a bit crispy. They’ll likely be far more brittle than usual, too.
Do your best to water the plant enough without going overboard. You simply need to check the soil each time to ensure that it’s ready to be watered.
Just let the soil dry out between watering sessions. So long as you’re not letting the plant go a very long time without water, it’s likely going to be fine.
It’s far more common for people to see yellow leaves due to watering the plants too much. While it’s certainly possible that not watering enough could be the problem, it’s less likely.
Simply think about things and do your best to maintain good watering habits. This should help you to turn things around and make your plant look its best.
3 – Using Tap Water
Are you using tap water to water your plants regularly? It’s not a good idea to do this. You see, tap water contains various chemicals that are harmful to plants.
Many people don’t know that tap water contains chlorine, salts, and other things that can be detrimental when used to water plants.
If you’re going to use tap water, you must purify it first. You can buy tablets to get rid of chlorine. It’s also possible to purify the water by letting it sit out in the sun for a few days. This isn’t the most convenient thing to do, though.
Many people choose to buy filters for their homes. Water filters can help to ensure that the water that comes out of your taps will be safe to utilize. Some water filters are more capable than others, but any type of filter should help at least a bit.
If you don’t want to invest in a filter, it’d be better to purchase water. You can buy spring water or distilled water from a grocery store or department store. This water will be safe to use on your plants.
Using tap water could easily cause issues with leaf discoloration. It might even cause the leaves to fall off of the plants.
4 – Soil Drainage Issues
Problems with soil drainage can make it tougher for the peperomia plant to dry out between watering sessions. This could be happening because you’re using the wrong type of soil.
The best type of soil to use for peperomia plants is a well-draining potting mix. Generally, potting mixes that are used for these plants will contain perlite, coarse sand, bark, and other such materials.
You want the soil to dry out completely between watering sessions. If the soil doesn’t drain properly, it’ll negatively impact the plant.
It’s possible that you’re using soil that doesn’t quite get the job done right. Perhaps the soil doesn’t drain as well as it should.
In this case, you’d benefit from changing the soil out. Getting a potting mix that is better suited to peperomia plants will make a huge difference.
This will protect your plant and keep it from dealing with yellow leaf issues and other problems. If you want your plant to look great, it’s important to plant it in the right type of soil.
5 – Problems with the Pot
Are you using an appropriate pot for your peperomia plant? There could be problems with the pot that will cause the leaves to experience discoloration.
This all comes back to the watering issues mentioned earlier. Too much water has the potential to turn the leaves yellow, and it could also lead to root rot. The soil is going to have a huge impact on how well the plant dries out between watering sessions.
The pot also plays a role. You must use a pot that is the right size. If you’re using a pot that is far too large, it’s going to have a lot more soil.
The moisture retention will be too much and this can lead to the peperomia plant experiencing problems. You might simply be using a pot that isn’t the right size for your plant.
When you repot peperomia plants, you want to get a pot that is just a bit bigger than the last one. Often, this means getting a pot that is one or two inches larger in diameter.
Using a substantially larger pot than you’re supposed to is the wrong route to take. It makes it harder to water the plant properly.
A pot could also have issues because it doesn’t possess good drainage holes. The drainage holes might be too small or there might not be enough drainage holes.
It might be beneficial to test a pot before committing to it. See if the pot has good drainage and then use it if it seems like it’d be good for your peperomia plant.
6 – Sunlight Issues
Is your peperomia plant getting enough sunlight? There’s a chance that your plant might be placed in a bad spot.
These plants have issues when you put them in a low-light environment. They won’t necessarily die when they don’t get sunlight, but they will grow in strange ways.
It’s normal for these plants to experience leggy growth when they don’t get enough sunlight exposure. Leggy growth is when the plants grow tall and weak stems that have very few leaves on them.
This is not good for the plant, and it also makes it look much worse than usual. Sometimes peperomia plants will deal with leaf discoloration issues due to a lack of sunlight as well.
To keep the plant looking nice, it’s imperative to find a good spot for it where it can receive bright sunlight. The best situation for your houseplant is to find a position in your home where it can get bright indirect sunlight.
Direct sunlight is a bit too harsh for these plants. It could lead to leaf scorching issues that will make the leaves look brown and brittle.
Finding a good spot for the plant shouldn’t be too tough. Filter the sunlight to protect the plant if you have to. Medium sunlight should also be acceptable for these plants.
Give the plants bright sunlight if you can, though.
7 – Pest Issues
Sadly, peperomia plants might have to deal with pests sometimes. There are many pests that bother these plants such as spider mites.
Whatever type of pest you’re dealing with, it’s important to take action. You don’t want to let pests ruin your houseplants.
When pests infest houseplants they will cause many problems. They might suck the life out of the plant and cause it to look rather shoddy.
Leaf discoloration is common when peperomia plants are dealing with pests. You could see discolored spots on the plant, but sometimes the entire leaf might turn yellow.
There could be damaged spots on the leaves, too. You might see little holes on the leaves or other such marks that show that pests are present.
Getting rid of pests won’t be overly difficult, but you will want to act fast. Most experts say that you should get rid of pests by using insecticidal soap to wash the plant.
You can then choose to protect the plant from pests in the future. Apply some neem oil to the plant to keep pests from wanting to get near it.
Neem oil is safe and easy to use. You can get it from department stores or garden centers in your area.
8 – Temperature Fluctuations
Do you have the peperomia plant positioned somewhere with a stable temperature? If you don’t, the leaves might be turning yellow because of temperature fluctuations.
These plants don’t do well when the temperature swings wildly. It’s going to stress the plant and it can cause many negative things to occur.
You might see that the leaves will turn yellow and the plant will start to look droopy. It’s also possible that all of the leaves could drop from the plant if the temperature extremes are bad enough. Since things can get really bad, it’s important to be careful where you place the plant.
These are great houseplants, but they need to be put somewhere away from vents. Keeping the plant close to heating vents, drafty windows, and air conditioning units will be a poor choice.
These spots have temperature fluctuations that can harm the plant. It can be especially dangerous for the plant to be exposed to cold blasts of air in the winter. Be careful to put your plant in a safe spot so you won’t have to worry.
9 – Humidity Problems
Humidity problems might be to blame for leaf discoloration. Your plant is supposed to be kept in an environment that is humid enough.
When the environment is too dry, it can cause weird things to happen to the leaves. You might see the leaves drop off of the plant, but they could simply turn yellow or brown.
It’s best to monitor the humidity near your plants. You should likely buy a hygrometer so you will always know where the humidity levels are near the plants.
If you need to raise the humidity in the plant room, it’s easy to do so. You could try misting the plants with water daily.
Another option is to buy a small humidifier for the room. This is a simple way to raise the humidity in the plant room specifically.
For convenience, it’s recommended to buy a small humidifier for plants if you live in a dry place. You can get good results by misting the plants, but having a small humidifier will save you some effort.
Final Thoughts
Having a better idea of what causes peperomia plants to have yellow leaves will help you out. Now you should be able to make the necessary changes.
You might need to change your watering habits. It could be that you’re watering the plants too much or too little.
The soil drainage might be to blame or it could be that you’re not using a good pot. This issue could even be related to humidity issues or temperature fluctuations.
Pests are known to cause issues with leaf discoloration. Do your best to turn things around by making positive changes for your plant.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.