pilea cadierei

Cause: Pilea cadierei roots sit in constantly damp potting mix because the soil is kept wet rather than barely moist; without air in the root zone, the roots suffocate and rot, after which the plant loses its grip on the soil and weakens. Watering too freely while the compost is already damp and leaving the pot standing in drainage water are the two patterns most often blamed.

Solution: Take the plant out of its pot and tease away any brown, lifeless roots from the central root mass; if the outer skin of a suspect root slips off and leaves only the core behind, that root is rotted and should be removed before repotting into a fresh, fast-draining loam-based or peat-based compost.

Prevention: Keep the potting mixture lightly moist at all times but never sodden, water freely only in the growing season while ensuring good drainage, and never let pilea cadierei stand in accumulated water because the roots will deteriorate when air is driven out of the soil.

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Cause: Pilea cadierei is a tropical understory plant that suffers when kept in a dry room because the thin, soft foliage loses moisture faster than the roots can replace it, and brown leaf tips and edges follow. In centrally heated homes the humidity often falls well below what aluminum plant needs, and the stress shows first at the leaf margins and on plants grown close to a radiator.

Solution: Mist the leaves often with tepid water and place the pot on a pebble-filled tray of water so the air immediately around the foliage stays humid, keeping the pot itself above the waterline so the roots never sit in water.

Prevention: Grow pilea cadierei in medium to high humidity by misting the leaves often, standing the pot on a pebble tray, and keeping it away from cold drafts, radiators, and other sources of dry air, because aluminum plant adores high humidity and the thin leaves will not tolerate a dry room for long.

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