Botanical Title: Hypoestes phyllostachya
Splattered leaves make Polka Dot Plant an uncommon and charming home plant. Many are pink, nonetheless newer hybrids give us beautiful new decisions, together with crimson or white noticed leaves.
Uncover learn how to hold these colourful leaves vibrant, when to water, and why you must pinch your plant.
Polka Dot Plant provides a colourful present all 12 months lengthy. Picture © KatrintimoffThis bushy plant grows shortly with good gentle. Pinch again rising ideas usually to encourage branching and to maintain the plant compact.
Insignificant purple flower spikes could seem. Pinch them off as a result of they detract from the foliage and might trigger the plant to deteriorate after blooming.
Shed some gentle. Leaves could revert to solid-green in low gentle. Put Polka Dot Plant the place it’s going to get loads of gentle, however out of direct solar. Filtered gentle from a south- or west-facing window will give it the sunshine it wants. For those who transfer your plant outdoor for the summer time, hold it totally shaded from sizzling solar, which may trigger leaves to curve up and develop brown scorch marks.
Sustain the humidity. If relative humidity drops under 50%, use a humidity tray or room humidifier to extend the moisture within the air. Grouping crops additionally helps to keep up the humidity round them. A terrarium is a perfect residence for this humidity-loving plant, the place it’s going to add eye-catching shade amongst inexperienced foliage crops.
Water frequently. Hold the soil frivolously moist, however take care to not overwater. Too-dry soil will trigger leaves to wilt and drop off. Rapidly revive a wilted plant with a radical watering. Soggy soil will trigger the leaves to show yellow.
Pinch your plant. Pinch off tall stems to stop the plant from getting too leggy. Additionally, pinch off rising tricks to encourage stems to department out for a fuller, bushier plant.
Pink-splattered leaves make this houseplant irresistible. Picture ©OneponyPolka Dot Plant Issues, Options and Solutions
Curled-up leaves are usually the symptom of an excessive amount of solar. Hypoestes phyllostachya wants shiny, oblique gentle to keep up its shade, however hold it out of sizzling, direct daylight.
Questioning when to repot? New crops will be moved to barely bigger pots straight away. Use a container with drainage holes to stop soggy soil. If you wish to use a cachepot — an ornamental container with out drainage holes — set the nursery pot within the cachepot. I put small river stones within the backside of cachepots to maintain the inside pot above the drainage water. You’ll be able to repot older crops in spring or summer time once they outgrow their containers. This is learn how to know when to repot and learn how to do it.
Dropped leaves are attributable to dry soil. This Madagascar native likes constant watering, however not soggy soil. Over-watering could trigger yellow leaves that fall off. At all times use a container with drainage holes so you may water totally with out fear of drowning your plant. For those who suppose you have hopelessly over-watered, repot it straight away in contemporary soil.
Webbing between stems and leaves are a tell-tale signal of spider mites. These tiny pests can do a number of harm to crops and are usually not simple to eliminate. Spider mites are drawn to houseplants within the winter, when indoor air is dry; you may assist to stop them by boosting humidity round your plant. Lower off any badly infested stems and wash off your plant with room-temperature water.
Is Hypoestes phyllostachya toxic? No — it is not poisonous to folks or pets.
Polka Dot Plant Care Ideas
Origin: Madagascar
Peak: Hold to about 10 in (25 cm) by pinching off.
Mild: Polka Dot Plant will lose its variegation in low gentle. Give your plant loads of shiny, oblique gentle for sensational shade. Protect crops from direct solar to stop scorching leaves.
Water: Hold soil frivolously, evenly moist spring via fall, and barely drier in winter when development is slower.
Humidity: This tropical native desires larger humidity than most houses present. Attempt to keep 50% relative humidity round polka dot plant. That is simpler than it appears. Use a cool-mist room humidifier or humidity tray. Try these simple methods to elevate the humidity on your houseplants.
Temperature: Common to heat 65-80°F/18-27°C year-round
Soil: Good-quality, houseplant potting combine
Fertilizer: Feed each 2 weeks spring via fall with a balanced liquid or water-soluble fertilizer blended at half the common energy.
Propagation: Grows simply from seeds. Take stem cuttings in spring and early summer time.