Pony flower , orpilea peperomyowatais the most popular plant of the more than 600 species of the pilea genus. The coin owes its name to its unusual, almost perfectly round leaves. See whatcare for the penny at homeand learn about other interesting species andvarieties of pilei for pot cultivationWe also explain how to carry outreproduction of pileiand what diseases and harmful effects may threaten this plant.
Pimple flower - pilea peperomiowata
fot. pixabay.com
Pilea - species and varieties
Pilea peperomioides(Pilea peperomioides) - Chinese tropical herbaceous plant forming a clump of leaves growing from a single, unbranched stem. Itscolloquial name comes from oval, almost round, shiny, green leaves , which can be up to 10 cm in length. The whole plant grows up to 30 cm in height. So it remains small all the time. In summer, small, fluffy, yellow-green flowers may appear on the coin, but they are not significantly decorative. It is even recommended to remove them so that the plant concentrates its efforts on the development of ornamental foliage.
Pienzek flower is the most famous but apart from it, it is worth paying attention to otherinteresting pilei species suitable for growing in a pot .
Pilea Kadiera(Pilea cadierei) - has oval, green leaves. They are covered with silver patches on the top, and slightly red on the underside.Kadiera pilei leaves can be up to 8 cm long. They grow opposite in pairs on slightly fleshy stems. This plant branches profusely to form small bushes. Reaches up to 40 cm in height and 30 cm in width. There is also thepilei variety Kadiera 'Minina'which has slower growth and finer leaves. It grows up to 15 cm high and 20 cm wide.
Pilea Kadiera - Pilea cadierei
Photo. © Sylwia Hennek
Peruvian Pilea(Pilea spruceana) - has dark green leaves with characteristic outgrowths and a brown drawing. They are hairy and sharply serrated. They are set on widely spreading shoots. Height and width up to 15 cm. Peruvian Pile is also sometimes available in 'Norfolk' and 'Silver Tree' varieties which have silver blotches on the leaves.
Peruvian Pilea - Pilea spruceana
Fig. Daderot, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Glossy Pilea(Pilea involucrata) - has oval, dark green, dark green leaves 6 cm long. The leaf surface is undulating and the innervation can be brown, silver or red. The plant grows up to 15 cm in height and 30 cm in width. Very interesting arevarieties pilei involucrata'Bronze' (brown-copper leaves), 'Moon Valley' (leaves with brown veins and notched edges) and 'Norfolk' (leaves brown to black-green with clearly convex, with silvery stripes).
Pilea involucrata
Fig. Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
After seeing the last photo, you may have noticed thatsome pilea plants have nettle-like leaves . This is an accurate observation, because pilee belong to the nettle family (Urticaceae).
Pony flower - requirements and care
Pieniny flower - cultivation position
Pilea should be in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. Diffused light is recommended for her. The penny flower can stand on the windowsill of the east or north window, but on the south side the pilea should be placed further away from the window. If the pilea is standing close to a window, remember not to expose it to drafts as it will quickly lose leaves. If the window is opened, the plant should be moved to a safe distance.
Pieniny flower - cultivation temperature
From spring to autumn the peperomata prefers an average room temperature in the range of 20-25 ° C. In winter, the plant should be allowed to rest by lowering the temperature of the cultivation by a few degrees Celsius. The ideal temperature for a mongrel in winter will be between 15 and 18 ° C. Some pilei species may require slightly different temperatures, such as Pilea Kadiera requires around 12 ° C in winter. The period of rest, in which we lower the temperature and frequency of watering, should last from October to March.
Pienzek flower - soil requirements
The perennial flower grows well in ordinary potting soil, which is fertile and quite permeable. To create an ideal substrate for pilei, all you need is universal soil for flowers mixed with sand in a proportion of 3: 1. The soil for cultivating a moth flower should have a pH of 5.7-6.8. We should also remember to put a few centimeters of pebbles at the bottom of the pot or use expanded clay. Such a drainage layer will facilitate the drainage of excess water to the base. This is very important because the pilea does not like watering their roots.
A coin on a window sill
Fig. zunia1987, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Pimple flower - watering
Pilea likes slightly moist soil. The top layer of earth should dry slightly between waterings. In summer, plants are usually watered every few days, in winter not more than once a week.Let's not do it too often, because the plant cannot stand excess moisture. Temporary dryness is less dangerous for the coin than excess water. Over-watered pilea rots and becomes susceptible to fungal diseases. It is best to pour water on the base under the plant, and when the soil gets wet, pour off the excess water from the base. It is also recommended to sprinkle the plants.
Pieniny flower - fertilization
Like most plants, we fertilize mainly from spring to the end of summer. It is best to use a special fertilizer for plants with green leaves, which, after dilution in water, water the pilea once every 2 weeks.
Good to knowRotate the coin once a week with a different side to the window. Thanks to this, the plant will grow evenly and you will avoid stretching its shoots towards the sun.
Pilea looks best in the first year of cultivation, and in the winter it loses most of its leavesThen many people decide to throw away the plants.However, they can overwinter by allowing them to go into a state of rest (as the length of the day shortens, we lower the temperature of the crop and reduce the frequency of watering). With the onset of spring, plants will begin to regain their former appearance. Then you can start fertilizing and watering more often. In this way, however, we can cultivate a pilea for 3-4 years, as the older plants become evidently too bulky and lose their ornamental character.
Older pileis lose their decorative character
Fig. Elżbieta M, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Pony flower - reproduction
Pieniazka and other pilei species can be propagated by apical cuttings.Pilei seedlings are harvested in spring from the top shootsof plants that have wintered in the apartment. To do this, cut off the shoots about 6 cm long (preferably the seedling should have 2-3 pairs of leaves) and let them put out roots in a container with water (it takes about 3 weeks).Plants can also be rooted by planting them directly into the ground. Then you should keep the soil moist all the time. Young plants are planted in light and well-drained soil.Sometimes the pilea produces root suckers. It is worth taking advantage of this and separating the small plant from the mother specimen. We plant them in a new pot with a properly prepared substrate.
Pimple flower - diseases and pests
Diseases and pests relatively rarely attack the money.Problems in the cultivation of Pilaris and other species are mainly due to cultivation errors .
The stretched out limp shoots and small leaves of the penny indicate a lack of sun . Then the plant should be placed closer to the window, and if it is already on the window sill, move it to the window with better sunlight.
It is very important to avoid watering the plant too much or too often.In too wet soil, pilea rots and dies easily If brown spots appear on the lower leaves, this may indicate gray mold. Tear off such leaves and spray the whole plant with the strengthening preparation Biosept Active. It is a safe preparation for use at home. You can buy a concentrate for self-spray preparation or a ready-to-use version of Biosept Active Spray in a container with a sprayer.
To avoid infestation with gray mold, be careful not to wet the leaves of the plant while watering. Avoid sprinkling it, and ensure humidity by placing water trays next to the plant, from which water will evaporate, moisturizing the air.
Too low cultivation temperature (below 15 ° C) causespilei leaves to blacken and fall . Remove the damaged leaves, move the plant to a warmer place and spray it with the aforementioned Biosept Active preparation for reinforcement.
The reason for the appearance of pests attacking the coin is usually too dry and warm air , which is easy especially in winter in apartments with central heating.In such conditions, aphids, spider mites and mealybugs may appear. After noticing pests, in addition to the methods described below, we should ensure proper air humidification and lowering the temperature of the crop.Otherwise the pests will keep coming back
Aphids most often attack the tops of the shoots and deform the young leaves of the pilei , sucking the juice out of them. Often you have to look at the bottom side of the leaves to see them. In the place of their feeding. In the fight against these pests, it is worth using simple and safe home remedies for aphids, such as e.g. self-spraying with garlic or onion extracts. You can also simply rinse the aphids with a strong stream of water, and then spray the plant with the natural Emulpar Spray preparation.
The flower can be attacked by mealybugsThey resemble white wool fluff, and you can remove them with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. More precisely how to do it, we describe in the article how to fight mealybugs.However, because it is difficult to thoroughly remove all mealybugs, and we may not notice the young individuals and eggs of the pest, after cleaning with a cotton swab, we also spray the entire plant with Emulpar Spray.
The last pest attacking the pilee is the spider mite. In his case, Emulpar Spray and air humidification will also help.
Pests, unfortunately, often returning and combating them must be repeatedTo prevent pests from returning, it is worth putting sticks with the insecticide in the pot SHIELD ULTRA. This will protect the plants for the next few weeks.
Natalia Oniszczuk
