Peperomia plants are mainly grown for their semi-succulent cream and light green leaves. However, if you’ve stayed with the plant for long, you may have noticed the sharp spikes that protrude from the sides of its leaves. Many people wonder if it’s safe to remove these spikes and, if so, how to do it properly.
You should remove peperomia flower spikes once the plant is done blooming. These spikes can be detrimental to your plant since they can sap its energy, leading to stunted growth and weak foliage. However, you can leave them on if you provide excellent growing conditions.
In the rest of this article, I’ll discuss what to do with peperomia flower spikes. I’ll also discuss why your peperomia plant may grow spikes.
What To Do With Peperomia Flower Spikes
The presence of flower spikes on your peperomia signifies that you’ve provided the optimum light, water, and temperature required for blooming. Peperomias rarely bloom indoors, as the indoor environment doesn’t provide optimum growing conditions for them. It’s worth noting that peperomia are tropical plants that prefer warm and steamy environments to grow well and bloom.
If you notice flower spikes on your peperomia, you may remove them or leave them as they are. Either option is acceptable.
Remove Peperomia Flower Spikes To Promote Leaf Growth
Unlike its leaves, peperomia flower spikes are not visually-appealing. Therefore, you can remove these spikes if you don’t like how they look.
Since most people plant peperomia plants for their leaves, removing the spikes is a viable option to promote leaf growth.
According to the LSU AgCenter, removing flower spikes from a plant encourages the growth of more attractive foliage. Therefore, eliminating the spikes is your go-to option if you aim for lush and greener leaves.
You can remove peperomia flower spikes by cutting them off using scissors. Here are the steps to follow:
- Gather and prepare the cutting equipment: You need gloves and a pair of sharp scissors. It’s advisable to disinfect the scissors to prevent the spread of disease organisms that can kill your plant. You can sanitize the scissor with ethanol or isopropyl alcohol.
- Decide on the time: You can cut the spikes in the morning or evening. Since the plant has sufficient moisture in the morning, it’s an ideal time for cutting. On the other hand, cutting the spikes in the late evening ensures a cool and ample healing time at night.
- Cut the spikes: Cut near the stem or base of the flower spike, making sure not to harm or cut other parts of the plant.
Some factors to consider before removing the spikes are:
- The plant should be turgid and healthy enough to handle the cutting.
- Only remove flower spikes that are dry or brown. Avoid removing green spikes, as doing so may harm the plant’s growth and health.
Expert Tip: You should only cut the spikes when one-fourth to one-half of the individual florets are open. Doing so ensures that the plant has already maximized its bloom and energy.
Why Should You Remove Peperomia Flower Spikes?
Removing the flower spikes on your peperomia plant is a personal decision.
Some benefits of removing them include:
- Focus the plant’s energy on foliage growth rather than blooming.
- Prevent the plant from using up its energy to produce seeds.
- Maintain a neat appearance.
- Avoid pests that may be attracted to the blooms.
Leave the Spikes but Provide Excellent Growing Conditions
If you prefer the look of the flower spikes or want to encourage blooming again in the future, you can leave them on your peperomia plant. However, it’s worth noting that these spikes will sap a considerable amount of the plant’s energy.
If you decide to leave the spikes on the plant, ensure sufficient growing conditions to keep the plant stronger and encourage foliage development. These conditions include:
Peperomias Need Plenty of Light
All plants need light for photosynthesis which ensures the manufacture of sufficient food.
The light requirement for peperomia plants is different since these are tropical and perennial species. Peperomias thrive in plenty of indirect sunlight or bright, indirect light.
Avoid placing your peperomia in intense or direct sunlight to prevent leaf burn and discoloration.
They Require Proper Watering
Peperomia plants need sufficient water for foliage development to aid in healthy growth. Leaving the spikes requires even more water for the spikes and leaves.
It’s advisable to always check the soil moisture before watering your peperomia plant. You can use a finger test where you insert your index finger into the first knuckle into the soil. If the soil feels dry, it’s time to water it.
Peperomias Thrive in Tropical Temperatures
Peperomia plants prefer warm and steamy temperatures. These plants can’t thrive in cold conditions, so keep them away from drafts or air-conditioning units.
The ideal temperature range for peperomia plants is 18 to 28°C (64.4 to 82.4°F). This temperature range ensures optimum respiration, transpiration, and photosynthesis.
Overall, whether you remove or leave the flower spikes on your peperomia plant, ensure to follow the proper growing conditions and techniques to ensure optimum and healthy plant development. Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not you want the flower spikes on your peperomia plant.
Reasons Your Peperomia May Grow Spikes
Finding a peperomia with flower spikes is like finding a needle in a haystack. These plants rarely bloom, with some varieties not blooming at all.
If you see your peperomia blooming, it means the following:
You’ve Provided the Ideal Tropical-Like Conditions
The main reason most peperomias fail to bloom is the indoor environment. When potted indoors, these plants don’t get the optimum conditions necessary for their growth.
Your peperomia may reward you with its rare bloom if you provide the right environment and growing conditions similar to a tropical habitat. This is an excellent way to get your peperomia to flower.
Some of these conditions are:
- Light: You ensure the plant has sufficient indirect light to facilitate photosynthesis.
- Humidity: Your plant has access to sufficient water. However, the water should not make the soil soggy as this impairs oxygen absorption and may lead to stunted growth. The best thing to do is to have perforations at the bottom part of the pot to drain the excessive water.
- Temperature: Besides photosynthesis, temperature affects respiration, transpiration, and growth. Therefore, providing an optimum temperature similar to the tropics will see your peperomia grow and bloom.
- Soil conditions: Peperomias thrive in acidic soil, similar to their natural habitat.
- Fertilizer: Using a balanced fertilizer for your peperomia plant could be one of the reasons it has flower spikes. Fertilizing the plant monthly, not just during its dormant stage, will see it grow faster to attain the blooming age.
Generally, the presence of peperomia spikes narrows down to how you care for the plant. Following proper growing conditions will ensure healthy growth and potentially encourage blooming in your peperomia plant.
Your Peperomia Is Mature Enough
Peperomias bloom during their maturity stage, typically when they’re 2 to 3 years old or older.
You can propagate the plant if it’s mature enough to bloom. Apart from producing more peperomia plants, propagation encourages foliage development by eradicating nutrient competition in one pot.
Is It Possible To Propagate Peperomia Flower Spikes?
Peperomia plants are among the easiest species to propagate. All you need to do is insert a healthy leaf in the potting mix.
Unfortunately, you can’t propagate peperomia from the flower spikes. Instead of growing and developing a new root system, the flower spikes will eventually wither and die.
It’s also worth noting that it’s only possible to propagate peperomia from leaves due to the leaf nodes. These nodes are where the roots emerge when propagating. Flower spikes don’t have these nodes, making propagation impossible.
Should You Repot Peperomia Plants?
Repotting your peperomia plant is necessary to give it new room to grow and refreshen the soil as nutrients become depleted with time.
It’s advisable to repot your peperomia every 2 to 3 years. Doing so prevents them from becoming compacted and promotes healthy growth.
You can use a larger pot size if your plant is bigger and exceeds the previous pot’s size. Otherwise, use the same pot size.
It’s also best to prepare an appropriate potting mix for your peperomia plant. The soil should be well-draining but retain moisture to support the specific needs of peperomias. It’s also worth using a pot with drainage holes at the bottom to prevent root rot due to overwatering.
Conclusion
Providing the ideal tropical-like conditions in terms of humidity, temperature, and soil pH will see your peperomia plant blooming in no time. Peperomia flower spikes signify that the plant receives the optimum conditions for blooming. You can remove or leave them as they are since they’ll eventually fall off.
