Why Is My Watermelon Peperomia Dying?

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The majority of reasons a Watermelon Peperomia may be dying are to do with overwatering or the roots being exposed to too much water in some way. Peperomia in general are plants that don’t like to be overwatered and need to be left to dry out between waterings. Even though this is the most common issue, there are also other causes including underwatering, insufficient light, too much light and low or inconsistent temperatures. Let’s take a look at each of this issues in turn to try and work out why your Watermelon Peperomia is dying.

Overwatering Watermelon Peperomia

The main answer to why is my Watermelon Peperomia dying is overwatering. With a Watermelon Peperomia you need to let the soil dry out between waterings or you risk root rot. If you are overwatering your plant then you may notice the leaves and stems starting to feel squishy between your fingers, the leaves may turn black and then they’ll drop off.

If your plant is dying and you notice any of these symptoms then the most likely cause is overwatering. If the rot is in the root then it may be too late for your plant but if you’ve only lost a few leaves then it might not be too late to act. You can start by readjusting your watering schedule to when the plant has dried out. If the soil is currently soaking wet then you may want to do a rescue mission on your plant and remove it from the soil to allow it to dry out.

Inappropriate Potting Mix

If your plant is experiencing symptoms of overwatering but you’re waiting a long time between waterings and your soil just takes a long time to dry out then the cause could be inappropriate potting mix. If you use a heavy potting mix like compost the water will stay trapped for longer and this can drown the plant.

Instead opt for a standard houseplant potting mix, or even one for cacti and succulents and then combine the soil with perlite for a light well-draining mix. This should help prevent your soil from becoming too water logged.

Lack Of Drainage Holes

Lack of drainage holes could also be causing the issues with your Watermelon Peperomia. This is because when you water your plant, if there are no drainage holes, then there’s no where for the excess water to go and your plant ends up sitting in soggy soil which is bad for the plant and can cause root rot.

As most of the issues to do with a Watermelon Peperomia dying are to do with overwatering make sure you check these first, how wet the soil is, how heavy the pot is, how often you’re watering your plant, the potting mix and finally the drainage holes. If you’ve checked all of those or if you plant doesn’t have the typical symptoms of overwatering then you can move onto other possible causes.

Less Common Causes

Although these reasons are less common, if you’re sure overwatering isn’t the cause, then it could be down to one of these.

• Underwatering – Don’t let the soil dry out so that it’s bone dry. Once the soil has dried to the touch then it’s time to water your plant again.
• Insufficient light – Medium to bright indirect light is best. A Peperomia that is receiving too little light will become leggy.
• Too much light – If your plant is receiving too much light then it will dry out quickly, the leaves may curl in on themselves and they may start to crisp and turn brown.
• Low temperature – A Peperomia needs to be kept relatively warm. If it experiences low temperatures or is located near a draught then it will start to suffer very quickly.

Diagnosing what’s wrong with your plant can be difficult especially if you don’t know where to start. Our recommendation would be to look at each of the possible causes of a dying Watermelon Peperomia, check out the symptoms and look at your plant’s environment until you’ve worked out the problem. Then you can look into finding a solution.

Article: Why Is My Watermelon Peperomia Dying?

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