Peperomia plants are tropical, and many people love keeping them as houseplants. These pretty, bold green plants will add beauty to your living room or your office.
As you’d expect, you’re going to have to put the plant in a new pot at some point. This plant will outgrow its pot fairly quickly after you buy it.
If you’re new to caring for plants such as this, you might be wondering how to repot it. The process is rather simple, but understanding exactly what you need to do will ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Below, you’ll learn how to go about repotting a peperomia plant. Once you’ve read everything, you’ll feel confident that you can repot your plant and get excellent results.
When to Repot Peperomia
You don’t have to repot peperomia plants too often. In fact, it’s typical to repot them once every two or three springs.
However, when you buy a new plant, it’s likely a good idea to repot it within a month or two. Typically, the pots that these houseplants are sold in are rather small.
You’ll find that peperomia plants do well when they’re slightly rootbound. Even so, the original pot is likely not going to be the best.
Buy a new pot for the peperomia plant and repot it fairly soon after you purchase. It’s wise to do this, even just to refresh the soil and ensure that you’re giving it the nutrients that it needs.
After this, it should be fine to stick to repotting the plant every few years. As long as you do this, it’ll be easy to keep the plant in good shape.
What Size Pot for Peperomia?
As mentioned above, peperomia plants do well when they’re slightly rootbound. As such, you’re supposed to pick a pot that just fits the roots of the plant.
Generally, you’ll purchase a pot that is at least 400 millimeters wide. You’ll need a larger pot than this if your plant has grown.
It’s best to use your eyes to judge the pot size that you’ll need. Picking out the initial pot for the plant won’t be too tough at all.
After the first time you repot the plant, you’ll be getting a new pot every two or three years. Each time you get the plant a new pot it’s prudent to go one size up.
If the plant grew more than you expected, it’s possible that you might need a slightly bigger pot. Always use your eyes to judge whether the new pot will be sufficient for the peperomia plant.
How to Repot Peperomia
Luckily, repotting peperomia plants doesn’t require anything out of the ordinary. When it’s time to repot these plants, you might notice the roots slightly poking out of the drainage holes.
Simply slide the plant out of the pot as gently as you can. Knock the soil from the roots of the plant as well as you can.
You might need to use a garden shovel to carefully dig the peperomia plant out if it’s packed tightly. Sometimes it won’t be easy to slide the plant out when it is rather rootbound.
Be careful not to accidentally stab the roots with your shovel. You want to carefully get the plant out of the pot and then gently remove as much soil from the roots as you can.
You don’t have to be meticulous when it comes to removing the soil from the roots. It’s fine if there’s a bit of soil from the original pot.
From here, you’re going to prepare the new soil that you’re putting in the new pot. You then slide the peperomia plant into the new pot and pack the soil a bit to keep the plant standing upright.
It’s best to immediately water the plant until the water is pouring out of the drainage holes. You want to confirm that the pot is working properly and that the soil has good drainage.
What Soil to Repot Peperomia
There are actually quite a few options when you’re looking for soil to use for peperomia plants. These plants have roots that require a lot of oxygen.
You want to keep the roots from becoming too compact. Using a mixture of perlite and sand to create a custom soil blend should work out nicely.
A light type of soil that drains well is optimal for these plants. You can use other soil blends that will get the job done just as well as perlite and sand.
Other common materials that are used to make potting soil for these plants include coco coir, orchid bark, worm compost, and peat moss. Just ensure that the soil has good drainage and proper aeration.
You could combine a bit of standard potting soil with coco coir to make a potting mix. Potting soil and orchid bark can also get the job done.
If you don’t want to make your own soil mixture, simply go to the store and buy an orchid potting mix. This will get great results.
When you’re done, you’ll be left with soil that is rich in nutrients while also being light and well-draining. Ensure that you use appropriate soil every single time you repot your peperomia plant.
Are Peperomia Plants Easy to Care For?
Yes, peperomia plants are very easy to care for overall. These plants don’t require a lot of attention, but you do need to ensure you water them properly and give them enough sunlight.
Regardless, this will be a good option for someone who isn’t necessarily familiar with houseplants. Putting in the minimum effort should allow you to keep this plant alive.
It’s a pretty type of plant that is commonly found in office areas throughout North America. So long as you can give it enough sunlight, it’ll be simple to keep it looking nice.
Below, you’ll learn a bit more about caring for your plant. These tips should help you to keep the plant in good health.
Lighting Conditions
Getting the lighting conditions right is imperative when caring for these plants. You want to ensure that the peperomia plant has access to medium or bright sunlight.
These plants don’t do so well when placed in low-light conditions. Too little sunlight will leave the plants looking spindly with far fewer leaves than usual.
Insufficient sunlight has also been known to cause the leaves to drop from these plants. Even the coloration of the plant won’t be normal with too little sunlight.
To get great results, find a window where these plants can get bright sunlight. Indirect sunlight is best since direct sunlight can scorch the leaves of these plants.
Watering Tips
You don’t need to water peperomia plants too often. This is one of the reasons why these plants are good for beginners.
Be sure to let the soil dry out between watering sessions. It’s better to leave the plant a bit dry than it is to water it too much.
Watering more than you should can easily lead to issues with root rot. Be careful and always touch the potting mix to see if it’s dry before watering the plant.
As long as you keep this in mind, you can avoid problems. You won’t have to water these plants too often and you’ll easily be able to keep the plants looking nice.
The Best Temperature for Peperomia Plants
Since peperomia plants are tropical in nature, it makes sense that they would need the temperatures to be warm. They thrive in USDA hardiness zone 10 under normal circumstances.
Since they can’t handle freezing temperatures, they’re kept as houseplants in most parts of North America. Keeping the plants in average indoor conditions will be fine.
They’ll do well with temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. So you can keep your home at the same temperature that you normally do.
Don’t put the houseplants near vents, air conditioning units, or drafty windows. You want to avoid temperature fluctuations.
Humidity Advice
Humidity is important for the health of these plants. If you live in a dry climate, you might want to buy a small humidifier for your houseplants.
Peperomia plants like the humidity level to be between 40 and 50%. It’s easy to achieve this with a humidifier.
You can also try misting the plants or keeping water dishes nearby. Just be sure to monitor the humidity if you live in a dry area.
Final Thoughts
Learning about peperomia plants and how to repot them should serve you well. You now know exactly what you need to do to get good results.
These plants are fine being slightly rootbound, and that means you don’t have to repot them often. You’ll likely want to repot them soon after buying them from the store to get them in better pots and to ensure that you’re using high-quality soil.
After this, you can simply repot them in the spring every two or three years. You want to do this to refresh the soil.
Going up one pot size each time is generally acceptable. However, you should use your eyes to ensure that the pot is big enough without being too big.
Do your best to care for these plants optimally. Water them without going overboard to avoid issues with root rot.
If you put in a bit of effort, it’s easy to keep these plants looking fantastic in your office or living room. You’ll be very happy with these plants overall.
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.