Soil also becomes compacted over time, and refreshing the soil by repotting periodically will help your Pilea to thrive. Pilea prefer for their soil to dry out in between watering. You can use a soil moisture meter as well if you want to be precise but it is not necessary. Set the Pilea and its roots on top of the new soil, making sure that it will sit at the right height. To prevent over watering, always check that the top layer of soil is dry before watering by sticking your finger in or using a moisture meter. If you have a few Pilea of different sizes, they may not all need to be watered at the same time. I find that cactus and succulent soil blends work best. So you should always avoid overwatering. Water should be added to the plant when the top inch of soil has dried out. Repot sometime during the spring to summer, because that is when your plant is the strongest. INSIDE : After your Chinese Money Plant makes little pups, learn how to Propagate Pilea. For more information on containers and soil, read the section above about repotting mature Pileas. As stated before, Pileas in terracotta pots should be watered more often than those in ceramic or plastic pots, or those planted in terrariums. However, for best results, repot your Pilea just before it starts growing again for the year in the early spring. It is more important to check the condition of the soil every few days to determine when water is needed. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Polka Dot Begonia Care & Propagation (Begonia Maculata). You can use filtered tap water or let the water sit out in a bowl overnight before watering so the chlorine has time to evaporate. It can be repotted a bit earlier using the same soil as well. If the air around the Pilea is very dry, it should be watered more often. Use room temperature filtered water. Why Are My Rubber Plant Leaves Curling? Cut off the rotten roots with sharp scissors, sterilizing the scissors with rubbing alcohol between each cut. To grab a Pilea and try to yank it from its container will most certainly break or damage the plant. If you prefer one material over another or want to go with something that matches other pots you already own, any of those options will be fine. Plastic pots tend to keep the water soaked in the soil and do not let the roots breathe. It is still possible to save an over or under watered Pilea, so do not give up hope. If you are seeing a lot of leaf loss, you potentially have another issue, the most common of which is overwatering. If the damage is extensive, you can propagate the Pilea plant. If you are growing a Pilea that is tall, you may start to notice the plant becoming top heavy, even tipping over at times. If you need to remove the Pilea babies from their mother Pilea before repotting, you will also need a sharp knife or pair of scissors. Set the Pilea on top of the new soil, making sure that it will sit at the right height. The water on the surface will evaporate relatively quickly, but moisture will still be trapped in the deeper soil… so that’s where the roots will do. Read the section above for tips on getting your Pilea out without damaging it. At first, root rot is only visible underground, making it difficult to detect in the early stages. is a genus consisting of more than 600 species of frost-tender, tropical foliage plants—including both upright bushy types and trailing varieties.Several smaller species are commonly cultivated as houseplants because they are easy to grow and care for. There is, however, a solid argument to be made for terracotta pots for Pileas, especially if you are prone to overwatering your plants. Move the plant to a pot one size up (about two inches wider in diameter than the current pot). Pileas cannot tolerate direct sunlight on their foliage, and new baby Pileas are even more sensitive. For a more extreme option, you can cut the top off of your mature Pilea, root it in water, and replant it. The quickest way to kill a Pilea is by over watering. Drainage holes are necessary for Pileas. Healthy roots are white and crisp. How to save a dying Pilea: complete guide, How to Fix a Drooping Schefflera (Umbrella Plant), Propagating ZZ Plants Easily (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia), Pothos Leaves Drooping? If your Pilea is getting to leggy, this is a good solution! You can repot your plant any time during the year, even when it is dormant in the colder months of the year. However, if the majority of the leaves are damaged, including the new growth on top, it is likely you have a watering problem. If you are unsure, wait a few days before checking again because it is easier to fix under watering than it is to fix over watering. Once you get past this period, return to caring for them as you did before. The amount of water needed by the plant varies depending on the time of year. Water heavily, drench them, right after you repot. Once the soil is saturated, remove the water from the tub and allow the pot to drain the extra water. Now that your plant is potted, make sure you continue to care for it properly. Answer: This is a mistake easily made by novices. If the top few inches of soil are dry, it is time to water your Pilea. If the Pilea is very dehydrated, you may need to bottom water the plant to increase moisture. There are a few instances in which you should potentially repot your Pilea earlier. There are several things to think about with each of those options, and I’ve given them their own section below. Use some coco peat fiber or peat moss, and then mix the soil with a small portion of perlite (one part perlite to nine parts soil), which is great for soil aeration and drainage Lots of times, the bottom and top portions of your Pilea will start to produce pups after they have been separated and replanted. Sterilize your cutting tools before and after. If it has been a while since you last repotted your Pilea and you notice roots popping out of the soil and the drainage hole, it likely needs a new container. I like to water my Pilea a few days before I plan to repot it. I place my babies near a south facing window but on a table about three feet back so that they are not in danger of direct light. Pots with drainage holes help remove excess water. This plant isn’t repotting often, but many gardeners replace the topsoil around this plant once every spring. Then, I water thoroughly until water runs through the drainage hole in the bottom of the container. This helps keep the soil together and in place when I remove it from its old container, and makes it easier to slide the plant out of the pot to transplant it. You can trim off the damaged leaves to improve the plant’s appearance. Pilea like for their top layer of soil to dry out between watering. For more information on removing Pilea pups, read this article where I walk you through the entire process step-by-step. Wash afterwards with dish detergent. As Pileas grow taller and fuller, their root system grows beneath the surface of the soil as well. Repotting a Pilea will allow it the space it needs to grow. If the soil still feels moist, wait a couple more days before checking again. Terracotta allows extra water to evaporate out and lets the plant’s roots aerate, which prevents root rot. If you stick your finger into the soil, you should feel some dampness at the tip but the top should be dry. The following section should give you everything you need to know about the step by step process of repotting your mature Pilea. Terrariums, plastic pots, and ceramic pots, retain moisture for longer.