There are many plants in the Pilea family. The surprising news is pilea glauca does not have its botanical name. Because the plant is still under research. Scientists need more time to study this new variety before they name it.
Despite all, it looks beautiful. Hundreds of mini leaves together look amazing. Pilea Glauca care is simple, just follow the few steps and grow it in containers.
It can easily be grown in containers and hanging baskets. In my experience pilea glauca is made for containers.
The way it covers the entire container and forms a shed over it with its hundreds of silver dusty leaves attract everyone.
To grow it at home, keep the soil moist, increase the humidity, and set the temperature between 18 to 27 degrees C. light fertilization promotes healthy growth and heavy bloom.
In today’s article, we are going to discuss every detail that is required to grow and care for pilea glauca plants.
About the plant
The plant has tiny blue-grey leaves with silver dust. This silver power on leaves reflects the light. Due to this reflection, it looks like the plant leaves are shining.
Nobody knows where it comes from. This is the reason it is famous with many names. Pilea silver sparkle, Red-stemmed Pilea is its common names.
In normal growing conditions, the plant stays short. But in ideal conditions, it grows up to 3 feet long. You can grow it as a container plant, ground cover, and a hanging plant.
Pilea glauca is non-toxic to pets and children.
Quick care guide
| Common Names | Pilea glauca ‘Aquamarine’, Silvery sparkle Pilea |
| Family | Urticaceae |
| Humidity | Medium to high |
| Light | 2 hours of direct light and then indirect light |
| Water | Keep soil moist |
| Temperature | 18 to 27 degrees C |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to humans and animals |
| Pests | Spider mites, Root mealybugs, Scales |
| Diseases | Leaf Spot, Botrytis, and root rot |
| USDA Zones | 10 and 11 |
Pilea Glauca care
Growing and caring for pilea glauca plants are easier than other houseplants. Follow our below guide and grow healthy pilea plants. Also, to multiple them see our Pilea glauca propagation section.
Light requirements of Pilea Glauca
This plant needs indirect bright light all day long. So, it is best to put the plant pot near the sunny window. Pilea Glauca is succulent which means it needs few hours of direct sunlight.
To fully fill its direct light needs, put the plant pot in sunlight in the morning time. Save it from the high intense sun rays at afternoon. Extra bright light can scorch the soft leaves.
Grow lights are the best option if you do not have a sunny window.
Or
If you want to grow it in your basement or in another shady place.
Plants cannot differentiate between natural light and artificial light. They just need the full spectrum of light to grow. LED grow lights are able to grow plants from seeds to bloom.
These artificial grow lights consume a negligible amount of electric energy.
The good news is under one grow light you can grow many plants. Also, you can use the same light to grow vegetables in pots, herbs in containers.
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Best Soil for good Pilea glauca care
Soil is an important part of indoor gardening. Because we cannot use normal soil in the plant pots. For growing pilea glauca grow it in light, fluffy soil.
Fluffy soil is light in weight and does not become heavy and soggy even after the watering sessions. Such soil is necessary to grow and care for pilea family plants. Because these plants need continuous airflow to grow with regular moist soil.
The best potting mix will be half peat and half perlite with few ounces of normal garden soil.
Sterilize the garden soil before adding it to the mixture. If you do not like extra work of sterilization then do not use garden soil. 50% peat and 50 % perlite will be the best potting mix for pilea glauca care and maintenance.
Best Soil for good Pilea glauca care
Soil is an important part of indoor gardening. Because we cannot use normal soil in the plant pots. For growing pilea glauca grow it in light, fluffy soil.
Fluffy soil is light in weight and does not become heavy and soggy even after the watering sessions. Such soil is necessary to grow and care for pilea family plants. Because these plants need continuous airflow to grow with regular moist soil.
The best potting mix will be half peat and half perlite with few ounces of normal garden soil.
Sterilize the garden soil before adding it to the mixture. If you do not like extra work of sterilization then do not use garden soil. 50% peat and 50 % perlite will be the best potting mix for pilea glauca care and maintenance.
Watering
Like other succulent plants, pilea glauca does not need much water. But it does need continuous moist soil. The soil that we use to grow it should stay moist for long hours. Because the perlite has the tendency to absorb water in its pores for long hours.
So do not worry about the continuous moisture.
The problem is the plant is more prone to root rot. Therefore, you need to learn how to water pilea glauca plants.
Before watering wait until the top 2 inches of soil become dry. You can check it by inserting your finger in the soil. If you are new to gardening and have no experience. Then you might need to buy a soil moisture meter. To find out the moisture in the soil.
Save the plant from overwatering and give it high-quality water. High-quality water is such water that is suitable for drinking purposes. Rainwater, distilled or any kind of pure water is the ideal choice. In some parts of the country tap water contains heavy minerals. These salts are not good for soft leaf plants like pilea plants.
Before watering check the temperature of the water. Hot or cold water gives a shock to plant roots. It will block the nutrient absorption process.
The temperature of the water should be normal. Room temperature water is best for watering pilea glauca.
Humidity
The good news is pilea glauca grows healthy in indoor humidity. Normally we have indoor humidity between 40 to 72 %. This range is perfect to grow most of the succulents.
The problem comes in the winter season when we start our heating systems. The hot air makes the room air dry and reduces the humidity.
In this situation, you need to make some arrangements to increase the humidity of the grow room.
Place all plant pots together
By doing so you can increase the humidity by 15 to 20%. It is not necessary you need the same type of plants for grouping.
The second option is humidity trays these trays have pebbles in them and you need to fill it with water. Then put the plant pots on it. Buy these trays according to the size of your plant pot.
Fertilizer
Fertilize the plants with a balanced liquid fertilizer every month. This way you can save your plants from seasonal over-fertilization. Choose a fertilizer with an equal NPK ratio of 10-10-10.
Read the bottle instructions carefully then dilute accordingly. Every brand has its own diluting process. Remember that the highly concentrated fertilizers cost more. And you do not need to use them. They are for the heavy feeders.
Pilea glauca is not a heavy eater plant. It needs light fertilization to maintain optimum health.
For best results use organic slow releasing fertilizers. They are a little costly than synthetic chemical-based fertilizers.
On the other hand, if you do not like to use fertilizers or you forget to use them. Then add some organic material to the potting mix. Go to the local garden store ask them for the pre-fertilized potting soil for the pilea glauca.
This potting soil has all the nutrients that a plant needs to grow for its entire life. Pre-fertilized potting soils are a little bit expensive than normal potting soil. But then you do not need to buy fertilizers separately.
Temperature
If you are growing this plant in the USDA zones 10 and 11 then the temperature will not be a problem. Outside these zones keep the temperature between 18 to 26 degrees C.
As a succulent, it is warm-season plants. A little drop below 18 degrees seriously affects the plants.
This means it is not a good idea to grow it as a ground cover outside the 10 and 11 zones.
Grow it in hanging containers and move them inside when the night temperature starts to drop.
Pruning
Pruning is removing dead and dry parts of the plants. If you think your pilea glauca is overly grown then you can thin it by removing the dense growth. This is called pruning.
It is necessary to keep the plant fresh and also in controlled size. In pruning, you can cut any unwater part of the plant. But at once do not cut more than 20 % of the plant parts.
Never touch the main branch.
Generally, we remove brown leaves, overgrown parts, dry leaves, dead stems, etc.
Pilea Glauca Flowers
Pilea plants develop flowers in spring. The bloom stays through the entire growing season. It forms flowers in small clusters.
In low light, the plant produces pink flowers and in perfect light, it produces peach flowers.
Repotting
Do not repot the plant in the first year. It will take 3 years to get matured then you can decide to repot it. Because repotting causes many problems in pilea glauca plants. These problems are sometimes not fixable.
If the plant is large in size and everything is good but still it forms yellow leaves. This means the pot is small and the roots are dense. This reduces the aeration and also blocks the absorption of nutrients.
In this condition, you have to repot it. Take the 2 inches wide and deep pot. Do not use the same potting mix. Here you need to use a fresh mix.
Because in 3 years the potting mix reduces its strength and lose its fast-draining power.
Pilea glauca propagation
Pilea glauca propagation is quick to process. You can easily copy your existing plant by propagating it in soil or in water. Both the methods are explained below. Choose which is convenient for you.
Rooting in Soil
Take a good healthy cutting of the donor plant. Then take the pot and use the same soil that the mother plant is using. Then make a hole in it and plant cutting in the pot.
Water the soil and keep the pot in the high humid location for few weeks.
You can also cover the plant pot to increase the humidity. But in this method, you have to lift the cover once every 2 days. Because pilea glauca plants are prone to root rot and stem rot.
Here you can dip the cutting in the rooting hormone for the fastest development of roots. I recommend you to buy a rooting hormone if you do not have one.
Propagation in water
Take a glass of fresh water and put the cutting in it. The main advantage of this technique is you can see the development of roots. No guesswork is required.
Purified water is necessary for cuttings.
Put the glass of water in the high humid area. Change the water once every week.
Once you see the white roots and new tiny leaves. then you can transfer it into the original potting mix and pot.
Pilea glauca pests
The common pests are the main enemy of this plant. Following are the main culprits. Read the below section and find out who can attack your plants what to do if this happens?
Spider Mites, Aphids, Mealybugs, and scales are common pests. They disturb the normal growth and functions of the plant. All these insects drink the sap of the plant. If you do not fix the problem on time then your plant will surely die.
There are few common solutions to these common pests.
The first step is spray rubbing alcohol on the affected parts of the plants. You can also pour it on a cotton ball and wipe the stems and leaves. But this is a time-consuming task. And wiping every single small leaf is not possible.
Once the pests got kill then remove them from the plant and spray neem oil to help the plant heal soon.
Never use commercial pesticides at the first step. They must be the last choice when all-other methods do not work. Because pesticides kill beneficial and non-beneficial insects.
They also put a negative effect on plant health. Use them in Out-of-Control situations only.
Pilea glauca diseases
Root rot, stem rot, and leaf spot are the common disease in pile glauca plants. If you give good care to pile glauca it will not get affected by any plant disease.
All these diseases are the result of overwatering. Extra water causes many more problems in pilea glauca plants.
Check our watering pile glauca section to know about watering this plant.
If you control your watering habits then your plants will not face any plant disease.
I hope you understand the pilea glauca care guide. If there is any confusion in your mind or you are not sure about anything. Write us we will reply ASAP.
