Botanical Identify: Hypoestes phyllostachya
Splattered leaves make Polka Dot Plant an uncommon and fascinating home plant. Many are pink, nonetheless newer hybrids give us gorgeous new decisions, together with purple or white noticed leaves.
Uncover maintain these colourful leaves vibrant, when to water, and why you need to pinch your plant.
Polka Dot Plant provides a colourful present all yr lengthy. Photograph © KatrintimoffThis bushy plant grows shortly with good gentle. Pinch again rising ideas typically to encourage branching and to maintain the plant compact.
Insignificant purple flower spikes might seem. Pinch them off as a result of they detract from the foliage and may trigger the plant to deteriorate after blooming.
Shed some gentle. Leaves might 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. In case you transfer your plant open air for the summer time, maintain it absolutely shaded from sizzling solar, which might trigger leaves to twist 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 vegetation additionally helps to take care of the humidity round them. A terrarium is a perfect dwelling for this humidity-loving plant, the place it’ll add eye-catching shade amongst inexperienced foliage vegetation.
Water often. Hold the soil evenly moist, however take care to not overwater. Too-dry soil will trigger leaves to wilt and drop off. Shortly 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 forestall 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. Photograph ©OneponyPolka Dot Plant Issues, Options and Solutions
Curled-up leaves are sometimes the symptom of an excessive amount of solar. Hypoestes phyllostachya wants brilliant, oblique gentle to take care of its shade, however maintain it out of sizzling, direct daylight.
Questioning when to repot? New vegetation might be moved to barely bigger pots straight away. Use a container with drainage holes to forestall 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 possibly can repot older vegetation in spring or summer time after they outgrow their containers. Here is know when to repot and do it.
Dropped leaves are attributable to dry soil. This Madagascar native likes constant watering, however not soggy soil. Over-watering might trigger yellow leaves that fall off. All the time use a container with drainage holes so you’ll be able to water completely with out fear of drowning your plant. In case you assume you’ve got 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 plenty of injury to vegetation and usually are not straightforward to do away with. Spider mites are interested in houseplants within the winter, when indoor air is dry; you’ll be able to assist to forestall 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 individuals or pets.
Polka Dot Plant Care Suggestions
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 brilliant, oblique gentle for sensational shade. Protect vegetation from direct solar to forestall scorching leaves.
Water: Hold soil evenly, evenly moist spring by means of fall, and barely drier in winter when progress is slower.
Humidity: This tropical native desires greater humidity than most properties 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 straightforward methods to elevate the humidity in 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 by means of fall with a balanced liquid or water-soluble fertilizer combined at half the common energy.
Propagation: Grows simply from seeds. Take stem cuttings in spring and early summer time.
