Causes of Rhizome Rot in Peperomia
Peperomia, also known as pepper grass, is a perennial evergreen succulent herbaceous plant. Its leaves are emerald green with an attractive leaf shape. There is a variegated variety, Peperomia with spotted leaves, whose leaves are green with yellow-white patches. Peperomia has a strong shade tolerance and can be displayed continuously in a bright indoor space for 3-4 months. However, some friends have encountered the phenomenon of stems and leaves rotting during cultivation. What is going on? Let's take a look.
1. High temperature and high humidity
The leaves of Peperomia are entirely leathery, which can prevent part of the water evaporation, so it does not have high requirements for environmental humidity, but it cannot adapt to humid environments. In summer, a high-temperature and high-humidity environment is unfavorable for its growth; in mild cases, black spots appear on the leaves, and in severe cases, they rot. Peperomia has a strong drought resistance. Overwatering can cause leaf rot, so each watering should be on the lesser side rather than too much, but the soil should be kept moist frequently. When overwintering, the potting soil should not be too dry, nor too wet, or the root system can very easily rot.
2. Low temperature
Peperomia is not a cold-tolerant plant and is averse to low temperatures. Its suitable growth temperature is around 25°C. During the overwintering period, the temperature should not be lower than 10°C, otherwise the leaves will develop pitting and then gradually rot. It can also be grown indoors all year round in a bright, ventilated place. In winter, it should be placed in a sunny spot so that it receives sufficient light and ensures normal growth.
3. Watering with cold water
In winter, because the differences among water temperature, soil temperature, and air temperature are too great, watering with cold water in winter can very easily cause physiological wilting of the plant and lead to leaf rot, so when watering, it must be done at noon when the temperature is higher. Tap water that is too cold should be left to stand and air for one or two days before watering.
4. Improper fertilization
Fertilizers for home flower growing come in all kinds, and there are all sorts of fertilizers. These fertilizers are convenient to obtain and also have fertilizing effects, but as the main fertilizer for indoor potted flowers, they are unhygienic and not quite suitable. Especially when applying undecomposed fertilizer, it very easily causes rhizome rot. Many people also like to place eggshells in flower pots or use leftover tea water to water flowers, thinking it is beneficial to flower growth, but in fact it is not. The residual egg white inside the eggshell flows into the surface layer of the potting soil, and the heat produced after fermentation will directly scorch the plant roots and also easily induce pests and diseases. Residual tea water contains theophylline, caffeine, and other alkaloids, which have a certain destructive effect on organic matter in the soil. At the same time, residual tea leaves covering the soil surface will, over time, ferment and mildew, causing a lack of oxygen in the pot, which is also unfavorable to plant growth.
The above is an introduction to the causes of rhizome rot in Peperomia. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.