Peperomia Schumi Red Care - How to Grow Peperomia Caperata Schumi Red

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by Admin

The Peperomia Schumi Red is one of the many beautiful hybrids of the Peperomia caperata. As such, its complete name is Peperomia caperata Schumi Red.

It also inherits the beautiful, thick, rippled leaves that make it a standout. I’ve also noticed a couple of different colors with this plant. At least those from what I have seen.

So, your Peperomia Schumi Red may have a purple-black color combination. Or is may have a red-burgundy color with lighter hints of purple.

Either way, they are stunning to look at.

The plant itself is native to Central and South America and can be prominently seed in Brazil and Colombia.

How do you care for Peperomia Schumi Red? This peperomia plant enjoys bright, indirect light. Make sure to keep the soil moist and allow it to dry between waterings.

The Schumi Red also enjoys warm, humid environment as it is used to this in its native habitat. Give the plant fertilizer when it is actively growing for best results.

You can propagate it from stem or leaf cuttings.

Table of Contents

Peperomia Schumi Red Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Peperomia Schumi Red needs medium to bright, indirect light if you want to maintain is lovely red-purple color. While it can tolerate low light, I don’t suggest leaving it in that kind of condition because you do lose some of the luster.

Besides the wide range of lighting environments it can take, it also does well in both natural and artificial light. Again, I do prefer natural light if you can get it in your home because the sun gives you the full color spectrum.

That said, it will not have any issue with artificial lighting.

So, you can use grow lights to supplement natural light or use them on their own to keep the plant healthy and happy.

But if you do decide with going with just artificial lights, note that the plant will need at least 12 hours of exposure daily. In contrast, as long as it gets 6 hours or more sun, it will thrive.

On the other hand, since the plant comes from the forest understory where it lives under the canopy of larger trees, it is not accustomed to direct sun or very intense light like that in the summer.

This means it cannot tolerate this kind of intensity for more than 2 or so hours a day. If you leave it there, you’ll notice its leaves develop bleached patched.

Similarly, excess exposure can also burn its foliage.

As such, the best light for the Peperomia Schumi Red indoors is bright, indirect light. Meanwhile, it will do best when under partial shade outdoors.

Temperature

The Peperomia Caperata Schumi Red prefers temperatures between 60 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. This is where it feels most comfortable.

The good news is that this also happens to be around the same range that most homes keep their thermostat. That’s because humans feel best between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Like lighting, this makes it easy to care for the plant indoors.

It is also important to note that the Peperomia Schumi Red can tolerate warmer conditions as well. And it won’t mind weather that goes up to 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, avoid leaving it in places with over 100 degree heat for long periods of time. It will experience heat stress there.

On the other hand, you do have to watch out more for the cold.

Since the plant is a tropical native, it is not used to cold, snowy or freezing weather. Therefore, it has low tolerance for colder environments.

This also means it is important to keep it away from temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

As such, makes sure that if you have cold winters to bring the plant indoors if you take it outdoors for the summer.

Alternatively it enjoys USDA Hardiness Zones 10-11 where it won’t have a problem living outdoors the entire year because these areas have sunshine and warm weather throughout.

Humidity

The Peperomia Schumi Red is not picky about humidity. it can tolerate average and low humidity thanks to its semi-succulent leaves.

The leaves are able store moisture which lets the plant tolerate lower humidity as well as drought.

Also, its gets most of its moisture needs through its root system instead of its leaves. So, it does not mind drier air as much as most other houseplants.

As such, make sure to keep the plant hydrates to keep it happy and not bother much about humidity.

However, it is also worth noting that the plant does like moderate to high humidity when given a choice. This is because it is native to the tropical forests where humidity constantly stays high.

Thus, if you want to allow it to grow at its best and produce the best color in its leaves try to keep humidity between 40% to 60%.

How Often to Water Peperomia Schumi Red

In the previous section, I touched on water a little bit. Here, I’ll go into more detail.

Water is probably the most important thing to keep an eye on with your Peperomia Schumi Red. That’s because it is where you can trip up if you treat it like other houseplants.

I know I did.

And that caused me to lose a couple of my peperomia when I started learning how to grow the plant.

The reason is that it needs the soil to dry out a bit between waterings.

This is why some advice on keeping the soil moist can be misleading, not because it is wrong. But many new peperomia growers will think that it okay to add more water even then the soil is still moist.

This is a recipe for disaster, as I unfortunately found out.

The reason is that the Peperomia Schumi Red has a small root system. So, it does not need a ton of water. Additionally, its leaves are semi-succulent which means that they store water to allow the plant to tolerate periods of dryness.

These features also make it more prone to overwatering than other plants.

Therefore, the best way to water the Peperomia Schumi Red is to wait until the top 2 inches of potting mix has dried up or feels dry to the touch before you add more water.

This way, the roots still have moist soil but you don’t overwater the plant.

Related

Peperomia Schumi Red Potting Soil

Once you mastering how to water the plant, the rest of Peperomia Schumi Red care is quite easy.

With potting soil, the simple rule is to use well-draining soil that’s rich in organic matter.

This is the best kind of soil for the plant. You want something that drainage excess moisture while still holding on to some water to keep the roots hydrated.

Good aeration and likewise key as its roots like to breathe. In fact, they need a balance of water and air to stay healthy.

The organic matter gives the plants nutrients. You can use fertilizer of course. Although this will reduce the amount you need to use.

The simplest way to achieve this kind of soil is to combine standard potting soil with some perlite or pumice. A 50-50 blend will do the trick and keep the plant happy.

Fertilizer

From experience, the Peperomia Schumi Red does not need fertilizer and it grow without plant food. However, I do suggest using fertilizer to help it grow faster and keep it from experiencing any nutrient deficiencies.

Like the other aspects of the plant’s care, this is easy and straightforward. But with one warning.

Avoid the temptation of giving the plant more than what the product labels tells you in the instructions.

Again, this has to do with its delicate roots. And that fact that commercial fertilizers contain salts.

As you use the product, the salts will build up in the soil as by product of the fertilizer. That’s because

The roots will absorb the nutrients and the water will eventually evaporate. This leaves you with the salts.

Sadly, these mineral salts are toxic to the roots and will cause fertilizer burn if too much collects in the soil. So, be careful not to apply too much, too often or without diluting it.

Since the Peperomia Schumi Red is a light feeder, you only need to feed it once a month during its growing season. I like to use a balanced houseplant fertilizer in liquid formulation. This makes it easy to dilute to half strength.

All you need to do is add water.

Don’t feed the plant when the weather gets colder during late fall and in the winter. Since the plant will not grow much during this time due to the climate, feeding the plant will just leave salts in the soil.

Pruning

The Peperomia Schumi Red is a fairly small plant with a compact growth habit. It will grow to about 9 to 12 inches high and in width.

Its beautiful, rippled, purple-red foliage will layer over one another. Thus, it looks amazing when you let it get bushy.

Its compact nature and small size means it does not need pruning.

However, you can do so to shape the plant a bit and remove some outliers Beyond that, pruning is pretty much about removing old, dying, diseased or discolored foliage.

How to Propagate Peperomia Schumi Red

The three most common ways to propagate the Peperomia Schumi Red are:

Leaf cuttings
Stem cuttings
Plant division

In that order.

These are likewise the most efficient and fastest methods to grow a new plant.

Leaf and stem cuttings are quite similar, while division is different from the two.

And because the plant s small, division is also limited in that you cannot just keep splitting up the plant any time you want. Instead, you need to wait for it to grow before being able to do so.

Thus, leaf and stem cuttings are what most home growers usually do.

The best time to propagate the plant is spring to early summer.

Propagating Peperomia Schumi Red from Leaf Cuttings

To propagate the Peperomia Schumi Red from leaf cuttings:

Take a few leaves along with their petioles. You want to get quite a few because not all of them will propagate successfully.
Fill a small pot or seed germination tray with potting soil.
Then plant the leaves by buying the petioles into the soil. Also get a small part of the leaves into the soil as well. Space out the cutting.
Keep the soil moist and leave the cuttings under bright, indirect light in a humid place.
It will take about 4-8 weeks for the leaf cuttings to root.

Propagating Peperomia Schumi Red from Stem Cuttings

While leaf cuttings are more popular, they don’t have as high as success rate as stem cuttings. As such, if you don’t get the leaves to propagate the first time, keep trying.

In the meantime, you can use stem cuttings instead.

To propagate Peperomia Schumi Red from stem cuttings:

Take a healthy with at least a few leaves on it.
Fill a small pot with fresh, well-draining potting mix.
Dip the end of the stem into rooting hormone.
Plant the cutting into the soil so that a good portion of the stem is in in the soil but not the leaves.
Keep the soil moist and leave the new plant in a well-lit location with no direct sunlight.
In about 4 weeks or so, you the cuttings should root.

How to Repot or Transplant Peperomia Schumi Red

The Peperomia Schumi Red does not need to be repot regularly. Instead, it only needs to do so every 2-3 years.

That said, use this figure as a guideline. That’s because I’ve found it to be more reliable to see what the plant is telling.

For one, peperomias like being kept in a tight pot. So, you can leave them there for a little while longer.

Additionally, the best way to tell when to repot the plant is when you see roots coming out from its drainage holes.

This is your sign to get ready to repot.

The best time to repot is during spring to early summer. This is when it is actively growing. Thus, it can recover from the stress of repotting much better.

Also, it will grow quickly after being repotted.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

This plant is not toxic. Therefore, you can put it anywhere in your home without the risk of poisoning your pets in case they happy to eat it.

Peperomia Schumi Red Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

Pests are always going to be a problem for houseplants. This is true for those with lush leaves like the Peperomia Schumi Red.

Although the plant is generally resistant to pests, it can still experience them at any time. Similarly, if it is not feeling well, sick, weak or stressed, it will become more susceptible.

Another thing that attracts pests is dust which can accumulate on the leaves. Thus, it is a good idea to regularly give your plant a shower.to clean its foliage.

This is the easiest way to clean its leaves since there are so many of them.

Wiping them one by one is not really a practical option because it is too time consuming.

The most common pests that will bother your Peperomia Schumi Red are mealybugs, spider mites, scale and aphids. All of them are troublesome.

And if you let them grow in number, they will cause substantial damage to your plant.

This is why regular inspection is a must.

You can treat the bugs with neem oil or insecticidal soap.

Diseases

Because of its susceptibility to overwatering, root rot can be an issue if you don’t allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

Additionally, using well-draining soil will prevent waterlogging.

And make sure your pot has drainage. Otherwise, the excess water that drains from soil will get stuck and pool at the bottom of the pot keeping the soil wet.

Peperomia Schumi Red Care – How to Grow Peperomia Caperata Schumi Red