If you notice your Watermelon Peperomia drooping you might be wondering what is going on. Many times the problem of drooping leaves of a Watermelon Peperomia is a simple issue of watering the plant. But other times the issue could be something more involved. In this article, we go over why a Watermelon Peperomia could have droopy leaves and what you can do to fix it.
In order to save a droopy Watermelon Peperomia, you will most often need to correct the water amounts that you are giving to your plant. If you find that you are not giving enough water, increase the amount or frequency. If you find that it needs less water then you will want to concentrate on inspecting soil moisture levels before watering your plant. For more information on general care check out our Watermelon Peperomia Care Guide.
Check The Soil
The first step to troubleshooting why your Watermelon Peperomia has droopy leaves is to check the soil the plant is in. If the soil is dry then most likely this is just a case of underwatering.
If the soil is moist, then there could be a more serious issue such as root rot causing the plant leaves to droop.
Drooping Watermelon Peperomia Leaves Due to Underwatering.
The most common cause of drooping leaves on a Watermelon Peperomia is due to the plant needing water. If you have dry soil and droopy, soft leaves this is most likely your issue.
Watermelon Peperomias store water in the leaves of the plant. Once the soil has dried out and the plant starts using up the water in its leaves you will notice the leaves start to droop.
Another indication that the plant is running out of water is that the leaves become soft and don’t have much resistance if you try to fold the leaves by pinching the sides. You might also notice some dimpling or wrinkling on the back sides of the leaves.
If the issue is only from not enough water then this is easy to fix. Just give your plant some water and make sure to adjust the watering schedule so the plant doesn’t get to this point between waterings.
Watermelon Peperomias do best to let the soil dry out between waterings. Do not let them sit in soggy soil. They can be prone to getting root rot easily when they are overwatered.
Consistent Underwatering
If the plant is constantly underwatered and getting to the point of drooping leaves often this can more issues with the plant.
Continuously underwatering to the point of droopy leaves can cause the plant to start losing leaves. You will start to notice browning on the leaves and wilting.
Drooping Watermelon Peperomia Leaves Due to Overwatering
If you are seeing drooping leaves on your Watermelon Peperomia and the soil is still moist then this is most likely due to overwatering the plant rather than underwatering.
Often this can start due to droopy leaves due to underwatering so plant owners will greatly increase the watering causing the plant roots to sit in soggy soil. This causes root rot to set in and the plant starts to have damage on the roots to where it cannot uptake the water it needs so the leaves will start to droop and then proceed to drop off.
Root rot can be detrimental to any houseplant, including a Watermelon Peperomia.
You can try to save the plant by repotting the plant, but it is not always a guarantee that the plant will pull through. Take your plant out of its pot and clean the soil off the root ball. At this time any damaged roots from the root ball. Check your pot at this time to see what kind of drainage it has. If you don’t see any drainage holes in your pot then you will need to get a new pot that allows for drainage. Put the plant back in its pot or into its new pot and make sure to use well-draining soil.
Very Low Humidity
Watermelon Peperomias are originally from tropical forests and these areas have high humidity. If you live in an area that has very low humidity levels this can cause the leaves to doop too.
If the humidity is below 50% you can mist your plant. You can also look into getting a small humidifier for the room that your plant is in.
Another option is to keep your Watermelon Peperomia in the kitchen where humidity levels are usually higher than in other rooms of the house.
Pebble trays are another humidity boosting tactic that some plant owners use. This is a great DIY option, but it usually won’t do as good of a job for boosting humidity as a humidifier will.
Too Cold
Droopy leaves can also be due to cold temperatures. If you have your Watermelon Peperomia somewhere that is close to a door or window that causes the plant to get drafts of cold air often this can result in leaves drooping.
Check the windows and doors that you plant is near to see if there are any cold air drafts that you weren’t aware of. You might need to move your plant if the cold air is unavoidable.
