Taming The Ruby Glow

Last year I bought this gorgeous succulent from Moss & Timber, my favorite shop for indoor plants. It is called a Ruby Glow (Peperomia graveolens) and it makes an excellent accent plant. I had it on my top plant shelf in the corner and it grew nicely to fill in the space. At least I thought it did. 

My top-heavy Ruby Glow (Peperomia graveolens)

Last week when I started pulling plants off the shelves, I realized that the Ruby had been growing sideways, not upward. It only looked upright because the plant in front of it was propping it up. Time for some plant rehab. 

Prune the stem just above a node

I have a specific gardening kit for my indoor garden. It contains a pair of small and very sharp scissors, a spoon to use as a trowel, a pair of tweezers for tight spaces, a 1/4 teaspoon scoop for fertilizer, and a
small funnel for pouring sand or other substrates. I also have at least two of what I call nursery pots: medium pots with standard potting soil that I use to sprout seeds and/or root plants. I will usually have seeds in the center and rooting plants around the edge.

 

Trim the leaves around the bottom node on the cutting. this leaves the node intact so it can root.

I had to trim quite a bit off the Ruby to take off weight and allow it to grow upward. To trim a succulent, use sharp scissors, a pruning knife, or razor blade to cut diagonally just above a node, which is where leaves or branches diverge from the main stem. Then trim the leaves on first node on the cutting. This keeps that node active for rooting. Use a spoon or small shovel to make a hole in the potting soil deep enough to cover the bottom node, then plant it and pack the soil firmly around the cutting. If any leaves fall off, go ahead and push the ends into the soil next to the cuttings or in another pot. They often root at well. 

My nursery pot ended up rather full. If they all root, I will have a lot of Ruby Glow.

At this point I use my favorite fertilizer to spray down the original plant and the cuttings. Dr. Q's Plant Tonic is made by Star Nursery, which has locations in Southern Utah and Southern Nevada. Dr. Q's is a concentrate that you mix with water and it helps with transplant shock and with plants that are under stress, such as one that has just been pruned. I use it in my watering can and I keep a spray bottle of the mixture for use on cuttings or seed sprouts. After giving the cuttings a good spray with the fertilizer, I put the nursery pots under some grow lights and put the plant where I want it on the shelf. 

My rehabbed Ruby Glow back on the shelf. I love the contrast of the leaves and the rounded pot. 

I ended up with a bunch of cuttings and loose leaves from the Ruby. I have no idea what I will do if all of them root. I may end up doorbell ditching plants like we used to do with our excess zucchini when I was a kid. 

If you live in the Desert Southwest, you can probably find a Ruby Glow at your local nursery. If you are in the St. George, Utah, area, you can check out Moss & Timber. Or Star Nursery is in Southern Utah, Southern Nevada, and Northern Arizona. Links are on the sidebar.