Potting and Soil

Pick a pot that’s about 2 inches wider than your plant’s root ball. Use a peaty, fast draining soil with a pH of 6-7. You can mix a handful of peat moss and a few handfuls of perlite to indoor potting mix for a nice DIY blend for your pilea plant.

Pilea plants grow quickly in the right conditions, so plan on repotting your plant into a larger pot each spring.

Light

 Pilea plants like bright, indirect sunlight. The best place for a pilea plant is very near an east-facing window. A few feet back from a south- or west-facing window can also work well, and you may want to consider putting up a sheer curtain to filter the bright sunlight. Make sure to rotate your plant regularly so that it grows in symmetrical shape instead of reaching to one side. Sunlight is key, not too much and not too little.

Water

These plants are quite drought-resistant and don’t require a lot of water, so wait until the top half of the soil is completely dry before watering. Then, water thoroughly with distilled water, until water starts to run out the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.  Let the soil mostly dry out between waterings and then give the soil a good, thorough soaking on watering day; but make sure to empty the drainage tray right away so your plant isn’t sitting in a puddle.

Pilea peperomioides tends to droop when it’s thirsty, which is a convenient signal that it’s time to water! You can also tell that it’s time to water when the top half of the soil is dry, or when a moisture meter reads 2-3. When you’re watering your pilea, you have two options: add water to the top of the soil and let it drain completely, or try bottom watering

 Temperature and Humidity

Your Pilea will be happy at room temperature and can even handle freezing temperatures, but most indoor Pileas probably won’t be acclimated to anything lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fertilizer

In the spring and summer, when your Pilea is most likely growing, give it nutrients with a balanced liquid fertilizer. You can stop fertilizing in the fall and winter if your Pilea seems to be dormant; however, indoor plants can sometimes grow in spurts year-round instead of having distinct seasons of growth and dormancy. If you notice that this is the case with your Pilea, you may want to fertilize ⅓-½ as often as usual through the fall and winter to keep up a steady supply of nutrients to support your plant’s growth.

Pruning and Propagating

Pilea plants only grow to be about a foot tall, so you probably won’t have to prune much. Make sure to remove any damaged leaves or stems to promote the overall health of the plant, but pruning to control size won’t be necessary.Your Pilea plant will put out offshoots from both the root system and nodes on the stem of the mother plant. For propagation, all you have to do is remove those offshoots and plant them! To remove an offshoot from a node, simply use sharp, clean, shears or a knife to cut off the offshoot at the base where it connects to the stem. When removing one that’s growing from the roots, simply dig down about an inch and cut the root the offshoot is attached to. Then plant the offshoots in a separate small pot, and you’ve got a brand-new baby Pilea plant!

Pests 

Pilea plants aren’t particularly prone to pests, but it can happen! If you notice insects, webbing, or sticky residue on your plant, rinse the leaves in the sink and use a diluted neem oil product to treat the leaves (be sure to follow the directions on the bottle to avoid chemically burning

Troubleshooting

- Small leaves: Your Pilea plant needs more light. Place near a window where it will receive bright, indirect sunlight for most of the day.

-Drooping stems: Your Pilea probably needs water. If the soil feels dry, give it a drink! When the soil is still damp and thirst doesn’t seem to be the issue, make sure it isn’t near a vent. Have you repotted or moved the plant recently? It may just be in shock. Give it a few days to perk up.

-Browning stems: You might have overwatered your Pilea! If it doesn’t dry out in a few days, you may need to repot your plant into fresh, fast-draining soil. Make sure the pot is draining as well. If not, it’s time for a new pot with better drainage. If the browning gets worse, repot your plant into a clean pot with fresh soil.

-Leggy: If you’ve got some long stems with tiny leaves, your pilea might be reaching for light! Find a better spot where your plant will get more bright, indirect sunlight.

-Insects: Pilea plants aren’t particularly prone to pests, but it can happen! If you notice insects, webbing, or sticky residue on your plant, rinse the leaves in the sink and use a diluted neem oil product to treat the leaves (be sure to follow the directions on the bottle to avoid chemically burning your plant). Our Leaf Armor can also protect the leaves from pests as well as dust, debris, and pathogens.

-Curling leaves: If your Pilea’s leaves are rolling up like tacos, your plant might be thirsty! It’s also a good idea to make sure there isn’t a vent or heater nearby that might be drying out the leaves. This is a common problem when the weather gets colder and we turn on the heater!

Yellowing leaves: Your Pilea is probably overwatered. Scale back on the watering a little bit, make sure it’s getting plenty of light, and make sure the pot and soil drain well so the plant isn’t sitting in water. You might also want to use our Root Supplement when you do water to protect the roots from infection.

-Stunted growth: If it’s the middle of spring or summer and your pilea isn’t growing, make sure your plant isn’t root-wrapped. If it is, it’s time for a pot upgrade—it won’t be able to grow if the roots are scrunched! 

Note: Pileas are non toxic.