Looking for How to Fix Leggy Pilea with easy steps to ensure it thrives and looks at its best? Here are the best tips!
If your Chinese money plant is stretching towards the light and losing its thriving and compact appearance, don’t worry – you’re not alone; this affects many, and this article will guide you with the best tricks on How to Fix a leggy Pilea peperomioides.
Read about Pilea peperomioides Care here
What is a Leggy Pilea?
When pilea plants start to become elongated and bare stems become long and lanky, giving them a messy appearance, that condition is termed the plant being “Leggy.”
Plants that lack access to sufficient light tend to divert their energy towards reaching out and stretching to find a light source, which gives them this uneven and ugly appearance.
How to Fix Leggy Pileas?
If you notice that your Pilea is becoming leggy, the number one fix to this problem is to place it at a location that receives more light. Move it where it gets 2-3 hours of direct morning sunlight and then bright indirect light for most part of the day.
However, it’s vital to move your plant gradually since sudden environmental changes can be stressful. To ensure a smooth transition, move your Pilea closer to the light gradually every few days and complete this transition in 5-6 days.
Another important point to note is, this won’t change your plant overnight, this will take time.
Check out 16 Pilea Types & Varieties To Grow Indoors here
What to do If Your Pilea is Extremely Leggy and Bare?
In some cases, a Pilea may become so leggy and sparse that relocating it to a brighter spot may not be enough to restore its shape. If you find that your Pilea is mostly stem with few leaves, you may want to consider topping the plant by trimming 30 to 40 percent of its growth. But do this in active growing season, when the weather warm.
Use a clean and sharp knife to make a clean cut on the stem. Choose a spot about halfway up the stem and make the cut. After that, the bottom half of your Pilea should start growing new leaves in a few weeks.
This process redirects the plant’s energy to expanding its foliage rather than elongating its stem. Moreover, the removed portion of the plant can be rooted and replanted, resulting in more healthy Pilea plants!
11 Most Beautiful Hanging Pilea Plants
Note: Pileas tend to recover faster during their growing season, which usually lasts from spring to early fall. During the colder months of the year, they become dormant and may take longer to recover.
Most Important Tip to Prevent Leggy Pilea
To achieve the round and balanced shape that Pilea plants are known for, rotation is key. Without it, the leaves will grow in the direction of the light source, causing the plant to become lopsided.
To avoid this, you need to rotate your Pilea 90 degrees every time you water it. This will ensure that all sides of the plant receive equal exposure to light, resulting in a fuller and more symmetrical plant.
