Water polka dot plant enough to keep the soil consistently moist (but not soggy). The delicate, downy green leaves are covered in spots and splashes of red, rose, white, or light green which give the plant its other nickname pink, red, or white splash. Simply take a suitably long cutting from the tip (e.g. Polka dot plant can become leggy fast. Polka dot plants are known for their gorgeous variegated leaves. You can find this fun houseplant in pink and white, green and white and pink and green. Also called freckle face plant, this houseplant can grow in any type of indirect light but has best color in lower light situations. Placing your plants on a tray filled with pebbles and water will help to raise humidity levels. They need light to germinate. Always water the soil, not the leaves, to prevent damaging the polka-dotted leaves. Once you’ve successfully propagated polka dot plants, it’s time to familiarize yourself with the basics of what they need to survive and thrive! Once you have them ready to go, then it’s time to prep the pots. Although having a humid environment is not absolutely crucial for polka dot plants, they do appreciate the humidity to be 50% or higher. Water polka dot plant regularly . Luckily, these popular houseplants are not challenging to grow at all. Use pink polka dot plant to play up the colors and design patterns of your indoor furnishings. When it comes to watering polka dot plants, they like the soil to be lightly moist at all times but never soggy. 5 inches) then remove the leaves from the lower half so that it can be planted. Without sufficient bright, indirect sunlight, the variegation will gradually fade away and your plant will start growing leggy. Polka dot plant doesn’t appreciate drying out. You should make it a habit to check at least twice a week if your polka dot plants need to be topped off. Add water to the dribble tray, but make sure that the water level does not reach the bottom of the plant. Make sure the plant is moist but not soggy. Keep the soil moist, but don’t let your plant sits in its water. Polka Dot Plants can be readily propagated from cuttings at any time of the year. @2015 - PenciDesign. Water needs to be able to flow out of the container to prevent issues with root rot, which can quickly kill a houseplant. The easiest way to check is to poke your finger an inch or so into the soil. In order to propagate the polka dot plant, you’ll want to take cuttings of the plant which include at least a leaf or two, as well as a node. During its growing season, it … Use pink polka dot plant to play up the colors and design patterns of your indoor furnishings. Plants transpire, which refers to cycling moisture from their leaves. A coarse soil, such as a cactus mix, will do fine fo a polka dot plant. Polka dot plants need a balance of just the right amount of water. Standard plastic nursery planters work well! Keep in mind that the more stem cuttings you have, the more likely you are to succeed with the propagation. "[The] polka dot plant is best in a container or used as a houseplant, as it tends to get lost in the landscape," says Green. If the room temperature drops into the 50s (low teens in Celsius), like in a garage, then these plants may not do well. The standard rule of thumb is to wait until the roots have grown at least two inches before repotting into soil. Place polka dot plant two feet from an unobstructed eastern or southern window. Polka dot plant doesn’t appreciate drying out. Give It the Right Amount of Light. Take your stem cuttings and place them into containers of water. When I give my garden talk on decorating your home with houseplants, polka dot plant (hypoestes phyllostachya) is one of my favorite examples. Strong but indirect light, like on a windowsill that doesn’t receive direct sun, is perfect. Check out this, Grow Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia) in Your Indoor Garden, Elegant Peace Lily Adds Flair to Your Indoor Garden, Arrowhead Plant An Eye-Catching Vining Houseplant, Calathea: Colorful Foliar Tapestry for Your Indoor Garden, Sago Palm: Prehistoric Plant Adds Pizzazz to the Modern Home, Decorate for the Holidays with Christmas Cactus, Maidenhair Fern: Delicate Beauty for Your Indoor Garden, Boston Fern: Growing Nephrolepis exaltata, Coleus: Tropical Beauty Decorates Your Indoors, Medinilla: Gorgeous Blooms for Your Indoor Garden. If you have any more questions about polka dot plant propagation or want to share your own experiences with these colorful houseplants, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. Hypoestes likes water and moist soil. They are highly hybridized to produce a variety of colors and types of leaf spotting. To grow well, polka dot plant requires even moisture. Water regularly Though they require even moisture, polka dot plant will easily succumb to root rot if conditions are too wet. You can find out of you need to water your Begonia Maculata by touching the soil with your fingers and determine if it's still moist of if … Add to the polka dots on the plant the fact that this species comes in several striking color combinations. Since they are tropical plants, they appreciate a higher level of humidity. Polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), also known as freckle face plant, is a popular indoor plant (though it can be grown outdoors in warmer climates) grown for its attractive foliage.In fact, this is where the plant’s name derived, as its leaves are dotted with splotches of color—from white to green, pink, or red. Leave a layer of stone or rock on the bottom of the plate and a pan on top. Bright, indirect light is what pink polka dot plant requires. However, you want the soil to drain well. Pruning polka dot plant can be tricky when you are in a condition where it becomes leggy. Feel any resistance? Photos in order of appearance (except for last image): © rhoenes, Liudmyla & PIXATERRA on Adobe Stock. Tip: You might have noticed that polka dot plants grow leggy quite easily. Put them in a mass of ferns or ivies, and their colors will stand out in bright contrast. The plant also grows well under full-spectrum lighting. This plant loves bright indirect light. Prevent this from occurring by pinching back the leaf tips on a weekly basis. Use a solution of ½ strength soap and water to gently wipe the critters off of the leaves. If you’re feeling cold, your plants are likely feeling it, too! Whatever mix you use, it needs to be well-draining so that your stem cuttings don’t sit in excess water at any point. Basically Just Start with the tallest stem at the top, prune it back and then check for another stem that is hanging downward and shorten them an inch. Polka dot propagation is an absolute breeze and allows you to create new plants for free. Propagating arrowhead plant | In water or soil! The plant’s exotic look has many moving parts: silver polka dots that seem painted on olive-colored leaves, crimson-colored undersides, and sprays of open bell-like red or white flowers with bright yellow centers on bamboo-looking knotty stems. Begonia Maculata commonly referred to as the Polka dot Begonia, is undoubtedly one of the most strikingly gorgeous species of indoor plants. Finally, polka dot plants thrive in humid conditions. Misting a few times a day also works well. This colorful houseplant will wilt if it dries out too much, but is quick to spring back to life when you water it again. While this is great news for any pet owner, just be sure to keep the plants out of harm’s way, anyway. Or add the plant to an indoor terrarium or fairy garden. As long as it’s watered, the cutting should readily root without much intervention. Polka dot plants do best when kept at temperatures of around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 26 degrees Celsius). Polka Dot plants are sensitive to chemicals so it is a good idea to water this plant with rainwater or tap water which has been allowed to set for 24 hours so that chemicals can dissipate. For most houseplants, this is the go-to method, as it almost always works as long as you can afford a little patience. The polka dot plant thrives in moist soil. Problems with Calathea | Yellow leaves, curling, drooping... Chinese money plant care & info | Pilea peperomioides. I like to water before I plant my seeds because if I water afterwards, both the soil and the seeds float out of the container. Do not cover them. As mentioned above, polka dot plants aren’t too picky when it comes to soil, although your mixture should be well-draining and rich in nutrients. You don’t have to do anything fancy when it comes to creating a mix. The polka dot plant is susceptible to whiteflies, mealy bugs, and aphids. All Right Reserved. The plant also grows well under, Plant polka dot plant in well-draining, rich soil, To grow well, polka dot plant requires even moisture. Polka plants are tropical plants from South Africa and Madagascar. So it’s not a big plant even though the leaves can get quite wide and you’ll need a medium-sized pot to grow it. Polka dot plants are very vigorous growers, after all! Use a clean pair of scissors or a sharp knife to cut a two-inch section of plant (a stem cutting), which can be taken from anywhere. The outdoor plant once a month during the growing season. When it comes to watering polka dot plants, they like the soil to be lightly moist at all times but never soggy. Do this by creating a humidity tray. If polka dot plant gets too tall, you can prune it back at any time. Just like too much or too little sunlight isn’t good for it, the same is true for water. The colorful polka dot plant with all its different colors is a joy to have in your home. Because of this, they don’t do well in a chilly house. Here are the steps for propagating a polka dot plant using the water method: Although the times vary, you should start to see new roots growing in as little as a week. In most cases, you may need to water your plants a couple of times a week. Leave a layer of stones or pebbles on the bottom of the tray, and balance the pot on top. Alternatively, create a sort of mini greenhouse out of plastic wrap. To keep the soil moist, often water the Polka Dot plant and keep it in a warm place. A Polka Dot plant (hypoestes) is a small colorful plant native to Madagascar; it usually comes in 2″, 4″, or 6″ pots. Polka dot plant is native to Madagascar, where it grows quickly. This will cause the plant to branch out and become bushy rather than long and lanky. Change the water out once or so a week to get rid of any gunk buildup and promote healthy growth. To keep, or to give away! Avoid letting the soil dry out completely, but if you have to pick between not watering enough and watering too much, go for the former. When it comes to the soil method, it starts off the same as the water method described before, meaning you’ll need to first grab some stem cuttings. Once you have your pots prepared, gently poke your stem cuttings into the soil and you’re good to go! Use pink polka dot plant to play up the colors and design patterns of your indoor furnishings. Depending on the season, this could be once every 4 days in the summer and every week to two weeks in the winter. Thankfully, according to the ASPCA, polka dot plants are not toxic to cats and dogs. The best thing? This angel winged cane begonia is also called a Wightii, Clown, Spotted, or Polka Dot begonia. . When the top 1” (2.5 cm) is dry, that is the ideal time to water your plant. For example, you can tuck your plants into the bathroom where the humidity tends to naturally be higher. To prevent water from spreading everywhere, either place a coffee filter at the bottom of the pot, or line the bottom of the new pot with small river rocks. If you over water the plant you may also notice some powdery mildew on the plant. It’s recommended to keep the soil moist but not soggy. The Begonia Maculata does well in a potting mix with good drainage using a soil mix with sand and clay. And it doubles as home decor: plant cuttings in a nice propagation station are a great statement piece. Also remember that the smaller the container polka dot plant is in, the more quickly it will dry out. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Those colorful leaves can be pretty irresistible! Use a high-quality, organic potting soil that contains a draining agent, such as pumice or perlite. You can also run a humidifier. If the soil feels damp, then you can skip watering that day. This isn’t always possible depending on where you live, though there are little things you can do to help your plants out. Whatever mix you use, you can toss in a handful of compost or worm castings for that extra nutritious kick that your plants will surely appreciate. Be sure not to over water though, as this can lead to root rot. In most cases, you may need to water your plants a couple of times a week. Place the plant within 4 to 6 inches of artificial lighting. Polka dot plant likes a fertile soil. Keep these growing tips in mind. Polka dot plant propagation | In water or soil! Any container works as long as you can submerge at least one of your cuttings’ nodes. If it’s been a few weeks and you’re not sure, give the cuttings a slight tug. Then, you’ll want to place the cutting in water (changing the water every week or so) until roots which are at least a few centimetres in length start to develop. Polka dot plants can also be grown from seed. Like many houseplants, polka dot plants benefit from getting extra nutrients during the growing season (spring and summer). If you really want to give your cuttings a boost, you can place them in a clear plastic storage box (that still allows light to enter). You can use a diluted general fertilizer once a month to help promote new growth. Once a month, feed the plant with a high-quality, Provide moderate temperature and high humidity, Polka dot plant requires relatively humid conditions and temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees. The new pot needs to have a drainage hole. You can also use balanced fertilizer for your home plant. Use a balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20 is good. Once a month, feed the plant with a high-quality organic fertilizer designed for houseplants. Watering. When the plant is overwatered, leaves go yellow and eventually start do drop. Did you know? If you need to the raise humidity, you can mist the leaves or place the pot on a tray filled with pebbles. Direct sun is a bit too much and can increase algae growth, which is not harmful but also not the nicest thing to look at. It's very sensitive to how … However, you want the soil to drain well. At the same time, be sure not to keep the soil soaking wet, as the plant will also succumb to root rot. Not letting the splash plant sit in water helps prevent root rot due to soggy soil. After purchasing the polka dot plant, the first step would be to transplant to a pot, because they come in plastic containers. "It fills space nicely in a mixed container, particularly with other intensely colored foliage plants like coleus. Propagating a jade plant | From stems or... How to propagate string of hearts | Ceropegia... Brown tips on spider plant: Causes & solutions. Pink Dot. Just like most tropical houseplants, really! And grouping plants raises humidity. Or add the plant to an indoor terrarium or, Provide polka dot plant with good indoor lighting, Place polka dot plant two feet from an unobstructed eastern or southern window. Check out this Healthy Houseplant's video to see how. On the other hand, when dropping leaves occur, that … Pinching also prolongs the life of the plant. If you want to propagate a polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) with as little effort as possible, the water method is your best friend! This is more of a problem in humid climates. When watering this attractive indoors plant, allow the water to drain out the bottom of the pot. The plant's small size means it won't make much of an impact in an outdoor garden but can add a pretty accent to a small-scale planter. During the fall and winter months, when houseplants like the polka dot plant aren’t actively growing, you should stop fertilizing. This variety also has pink dots on the leaves, and it is very similar to the above-mentioned … Learn how your comment data is processed. However, this varies greatly depending on how dry or warm your house is during the different seasons. This will keep the plant from becoming leggy. Grow the plant in a warm location and raise the surrounding humidity. Add water to the drip tray, but make sure the water level doesn’t reach the base of the plant. The plant thrives in the warm environment of many homes. By propagating in a clear, water-filled container, you can see the cutting’s roots grow in real-time. If you drought the plant, water it immediately with warm water. To get yours looking nice and bushy again, just snip off the tops, root them and place them back into the same container. If your watering with conditioned water this can lead to build up of salts in the soil, allow the water to sit on the counter for 24 hours before using. 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