Polka Dot Plant Care: What to Know

[@lynniepop]

I got a nursery pot of this plant with different varieties and kind of "set and forget" it. I watered it when needed and now I realized how tall it got! I also have a bunch of flowers coming in. I appreciate you explaining that these guys are fast growers and how to prune. I'll be working on that ASAP.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@sherilynreyes1687, Glad to hear the video is helpful! Here's another video that shows you the pruning process, if you haven't seen it already: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnLRnKZ-oNuiq9k

[@B33-Animates]

My room gets very little natural light, so I put Greg (my polka dot plant) on my window sill. I don’t get direct sun from it but it’s really the best I got. He was a gift and he’s my first plant. I want him to livvveeeee!

[@HealthyHouseplants]

B33, Polka dot plants can grow in the windowsill, providing there is some light coming in. Make sure to pinch Greg back when he starts to get leggy. Here is a video on how to do that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnLRnKZ-oNuiq9k

[@DeeDee597]

How's Greg doing?

[@B33-Animates]

@@DeeDee597 oh yeah Greg’s dead… very dead…but it’s okay, I’ve mourned, I’ve grieved. I’ve moved on. Greg will forever be remembered in my heart. Also this reminded me of my other plant that’s a succulent… I should make sure they’re okay… thanks for asking tho lol

[@DeeDee597]

@@B33-Animates 😳 I just bought this plant today. Everyone is saying theirs died. Well im glad you got another plant you like. Keeping my fingers crossed about mine Lol

[@B33-Animates]

@@DeeDee597 good luck my dude!

[@aida087]

Thank you for sharing Julie!! My Polka Dot plant was struggling and, so I took cuttings and placed them in sphagnum moss under grow lights!! So far they've been growing so I'll be planting some today to see how they'll do!! Btw, mine have bloomed with tiny purplish flowers, I never knew they bloomed!!❤️🥰🙏🏼

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Aida F. You're very welcome! That is great about the cuttings you took and grew! They do create purplish flowers! Another pretty thing about the plants. :)

[@AshleeyEm]

I impulsively bought far too many bunches of these on sale today and your video is so helpful thank you! Im a beginner and had no business taking on anything new 😂

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@AshleeyEm, As far as I'm concerned, you can't have too many houseplants! Especially Polka Dot Plants! I'm so glad the video is helpful. I'm sure you'll have fun with them. :)

[@meropale]

A very pretty plant. When I see them in the store they usually have three different variagations combined in one pot.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@meropale, They are very pretty! Yes, three different variegations--white, green and pink--are common.

[@alice.in.maddness]

I purchased small ~2" Polka dot plant plug and its super unhappy 😢 Im def watering it enough, and I'm pretty certain the lighting is good because the colors still look great...my issue is all the bottom leaves have dried up and fallen off. I may have over fertilized haha , but will that cause all the lower leaves to fall off? I thought id chop and prop but the stems are super thin because its so young. I'm not sure what to do now....do you have any advice? Thanks so much! btw, I love all your videos! You explain things so well and my plants are certainly grateful to you 💚

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@alice.in.maddness, I'm so glad you like my videos, and they are helpful to you and your plants! :) Overfertilizing can cause leaf drop. Plants generally drop lower leaves first when stressed. I would give the plant a little more time before doing anything but watering to let it recover some before pruning. If it looks okay in a week, then you could prune it some and support as necessary. Just don't prune any more than 1/3 of the plant at a time and wait a week or two in between, as over-pruning can also cause shock, and not enough foliage will hamper the plant from photosynthesizing and growing. Although Polka Dot Plants do respond well to pruning, so if it looks like it's continuing to grow and stops leaf drop, it should be okay.

[@alice.in.maddness]

@HealthyHouseplants Many thank yous 🙏🏼 It looks like it's still growing now, but nothing is happening on the lower area of the stems. Because it seems quite fragile with the little stems, I was thinking just one cutting at a time? Waiting a few days and take another. I plan to take all the tops to start a new plant, but if I go slow enough, maybe the initial plant will survive, too 💚 Thanks again!

[@plt1969]

Warmer FILTERED water has made mine so healthy and dark pink its almost fuscia coloured. It made a huge difference, i seriously believe they hate chlorine and all the nasty chemicals in our drinking water. Beautiful plants and thx for sharing your tips.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@pamelatabachak6564, You're very welcome. Thanks so much for sharing regarding your experience with Polka Dot plants and chlorine. I think that's a really important point! And houseplants love warm water!

[@pinoysoutsidepinas]

My hubby got me this yesterday as valentine gift, thanks for this video. I really want it to last

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Pinoys Outside Pinas, Aww, what a nice gift! You're very welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@anabelaguilar5720]

Thank you for such great explanation! I just got my own (her name is felicia) and this video was really helpful because I didn’t know where to place her or how often to water her. Thanks !

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@anabelaguilar5720, So happy that the video was helpful for you and Felicia! :)

[@cefcat5733]

Great video for new owners of Polka Dot Plants. My red one got tiny purple flowers!!!

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Cef Cat, I'm glad you liked the video. I bet the pruple flowers are pretty! Thanks for watching. :)

[@A10TOES]

I’ve heard that if you let them flower, afterwards they die. Is that true?

[@cefcat5733]

@@A10TOES My parent plants turned brown, as if they had gone completely dormant in the Winter months. I am waiting to see what happens with that one. I didn't upset the soil. Before all of the healthy growth was totally gone, I propagated a cutting of each of the 3 colors of plant, in water and planted them later. They are currently tiny but thriving in a small pot. The big pot with the dried up parent plant is now outside to watch, if something comes up out of the soil. I used soil from the big pot, to fill the little one and the nice surprise is that some seeds are sprouting in it! If that is the case, then I hope to see seeds, from the parent plant in the original soil, sprout some seeds too. I liked the flowers. The plant was pretty tall before it turned to seed. I hope to harvest the new seeds, if lucky, if all goes well. They must be extremely tiny because I actually didn't specifically see them amongst what falls from the flowering plant tops. So, I can't answer your original question yet... but I hope to see new life of some kind, in that pot.

[@kalanelson1634]

I love these little beauties too! I'm trying seeds this year 🤞

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Kala Nelson, How exciting! I'd love to hear how it works out!

[@roshromcharlottenc9265]

Nice Video Can you please advise if using Grow Lights, how many hours of full spectrum grow lights they need per day. The room is low light w/o these grow lights. I love these plants and just got them, want them to do well in my indoor big planter Thank you for help

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@roshromcharlottenc9265, Thank you. Give polka dot plant 10-12 hours of full-spectrum lighting per day in a low light room.

[@robertberkowitz2234]

I wish more people talked about north-facing windows, I don't know if homes just normally don't have them or what, but most of the windows in my apartment (all the ones I have access to) are north-facing. I understand the lighting isn't great from north-facing windows but I don't really understand what I should be doing and what plants are going to be happy with north facing windows. I'm on the top floor with no buildings in my way so I can get good light despite the direction, but I'm really lost on lighting with these windows.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Robert Berkowitz, I agree, this is a great topic. You have inspired me to do a video on the topic, which will include good houseplants for north-facing windows, so stay tuned!

[@A10TOES]

I bought a violet, I have 3 north facing windows in my kitchen and a garden window facing east. My violet plant finally bloomed! Yay! It sits in between the two windows bc violets don’t tolerate sun, it’s also where I have put my poka dot plant, going on 4 days now.

[@undergroundlady5892]

Hi there! Recently just purchased polkadot plant for my son's teacher for teacher appreciation week. At the moment it looks pretty vibrant to me, my question is what type of water do I need to give the plant? Will bottled water or water from the sink be okay? I might have had this plant for a week or until Monday I'm afraid it just might die under my care) I will also be placing this plant in a small disco ball planter, you think it would be okay?

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@undergroundlady5892, It looks like you may have given the plant to your son's teacher already. For reference, polka dot plant does well with tap water and bottled water. The disco ball planter should be fine.

[@KaySkywalker]

I just bought one a week a go and the leaves have gotten bigger in the past week and a half week. It has pink and red mixture.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Kay Skywalker, Pretty!

[@dawnamani]

Mine shriveled :( and it was fine a for a few weeks ago. Thank you for these tips !!

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Donna P., Sorry to hear about that! It sound like it might have gotten dry.

[@fchho]

I didn’t know about pruning, mine got too tall and the bottom leaves dried and dying, so I had to propagate by cutting out the new leaves at the top and put them in water to grow roots and repot it. Sad I have to sacrifice the old stems.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Noctis Yic, now that you know you can make sure to keep your polka dot plants pruned back. Cutting out the long stems and rooting them is a good solution!

[@privateperson5769]

I have one - got really leggy and awful. I did pinch it bck but its still really leggy again. I didnt know to pinch them i wonder if i should get a new one.. I can't find a spot in the house with bright "indirect " light . Its either too hot and sunny, or too dark :(

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Private Person, You could try getting a new one and pinching it before it starts to get leggy, which is usually the best approach. They do really well under full-spectrum lighting. There are full-spectrum light bulbs that can be put in any fixture, such as a lamp.

[@user-yg9ym4rq5m]

Do you leave them in a small pot or change the size

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Generally you leave them in the same pot and continue to pinch them back and repot in the same size pot to keep them full and bushy. If you plant in too big of a pot, they can have problems and not grow as full and lush. However, you could pot up one pot size if the plant is thriving and really filling in the pot. So if the plant/pot combination becomes 3/4 plant to 1/4 pot, then go up one pot size. But I wouldn't go any larger than one pot size.

[@maureenoconnor6413]

My polka dot’s leaves were turning black. I’m trying to grow cuttings from that plant. I’m having a hard time.

[@nourahmed179]

hii! thank you so much for this amazing video , i have a question concerning my polka, is it normal that the plant is getting out of the soil , i mean i can see from the top of the pot a part of the roots , so i don't know why its getting out of the soil ? thank you

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Nour Ahmed, sometimes the soil on top of the plants will wash away and the roots may become exposed. You can cover it with some more soil. You may also want to repot the plant in the next few weeks.

[@nourahmed179]

@@HealthyHouseplants thank you so much

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@@nourahmed179 You're very welcome!

[@AstralAu]

Lovely, informative video! I have recently got a tiny Polka Dot Plant in a kokedama string ball style pot. Hoping it will turn out nicely, as the 1 plant has white, pink and almost lilac coloured leaves. I live in a cooler climate, so it is indoors in the kitchen by a window. Hopefully a light (diluted) liquid fertiliser every 6 weeks would be enough for it?

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Astral Au, Sorry I missed this. How's the plant doing now? And yes on the fertilizer.

[@AstralAu]

@@HealthyHouseplants Hello! After a panic attack, it is doing well! The existing main stems started sprouting tiny little leaves at the base of the plant (great!), then the mature leaves all died off (begin panic mode lol). At first I was panicking, but now the plant has formed a really tight and dense bunch of beautiful foliage! I recently bought a second, and will repot them both soon! I dialled the fertiliser back during the cooler months as the kokedama started to get fungusy, and I didn't want the plant to get unwell... I think the kokedamas are cute, but will be moving to a normal pot for them both. Thank you for your reply :)

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@@AstralAu You're very welcome, and I'm so happy to hear your plant is doing well! And you are going to be adding to your foliage family. Yay! :) Dialing back on fertillizer is a good idea during cooler months when plants tend to be growing much more slowly. :)

[@A10TOES]

I have one question for you, do poka dot plant like it roomy or do they want to be pot bound? I bought 2 pinks and planted both in a medium sized plastic pot.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

10TOES, Polka dot plants don't like to be root bound/pot bound in particular, as they do consume a good amount of water. However, you wouldn't want to put them in too big of a pot where they would have a lot of excess wet soil, as that can lead to root rot and slow growth. Are the two plants filling out the medium-sized plastic pot pretty well? I generally suggest having a 2/3 plant to 1/3 pot ratio, when you look at the plant/pot combo overall.

[@A10TOES]

@@HealthyHouseplants GMorning! Thanks for replying! I look at them every morning while making coffee, they seem to be growing & like the location. I will repot them when I buy 2 new pots. It’s all I had at the time, besides clay pots. I will buy ceramic. Thank you!

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@@A10TOES You're very welcome. If they are growing, that is a good sign, so you may be okay leaving them in that pot. Repotting will also work, though!

[@A10TOES]

@@HealthyHouseplants 😊okay TYVM

[@devanshishah1692]

Mine is dropping leaves every week. I let the soil dry completely before watering. The tips of leaves are turning brown also I have placed mine in east facing window so it gets 2-3 hours of direct sunlight. What should I do?

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Devanshi Shah, You don't want to let polka dot plant dry out completely. It is important to not let the plant dry out, or it will lose leaves as yours is doing. Water when the plant has dried out some, but is still moist. The container will also be more lightweight, but not when it's completely dry. The location you have the plant in is great. Just adjust your watering.

[@christellearth]

I bought this plant as well as some maidenhair fern to put on top of my fish tank. I thought the fish tank would produce warmth and humidity, but I already messed up. I under estimated how often I needed to water them. The fern REALLY didn’t like it. It is currently in convalescence by the kitchen window, watered daily and misted several times a day. Cross fingers. I wanted some plants that would be ok away from the window and read those pretty plants would do just that. What do you think? At the moment they are in separate pots but can I plant the together for a nicer display? I would really appreciate your help. Great video by the way, very instructive.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Christelle Arth, I'm glad the video was helpful. The fern may come back. I would suggest planting the polka dot plant together. They do make a nicer display and tend to grow well together. Here is a video on creating a mixed planter that might help with that. You don't have to put other plants in with the polka dot plant, although you could: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6amaouuo9imm9U / the followup video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZatlayjds6Zbq8

[@christellearth]

@@HealthyHouseplants thank you 😀

[@karlafloresvlogs7194]

Hi! So I've had my polka dot plant since April now, and it's been suffering a bit lately. It's flowering at the moment, and I'm pinching them off to expand its life. I've noticed that the leaves aren't growing anymore. I noticed that it was root bound, so I repotted it and am hoping that will help it. What are your thoughts? Do you think Dottie (my plant) will bounce back soon after the repot? Is it just not growing because it's flowering or am I missing something? I'm really hoping she does bounce back because this is my first plant and I'm not ready to let go so soon!

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Karla Flores Flogs, With the repotting and pinching, I think Dottie will bound back. How is she doing now?

[@karlafloresvlogs7194]

@@HealthyHouseplants After her repot, Dottie has survived and continued to grow so yay!! I do have some concerns though, since her leaves are not growing as big as they did when I first got her. One of her leaves (which has been there for a while) is about 2 inches in length, and the other leaves are on average about an inch or inch and a half. I also saw what I believe to be a fungus gnat flying around Dottie (I have two other pothos plants as well), and I am worried about pests. What pesticide would you recommend? I have been looking at reviews but am not too sure what I should get. Also some of her leaves are browning at the tips.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@@karlafloresvlogs7194 I'm glad that Dottie survived and is growing! Smaller leaves could be lack of nutrients, although they could also be from the soil remaining too wet. Brown leaf tips can also be caused by overly wet soil (although they can also come from dry soil and/or low humidity.). Has Dottie filled up the new pot pretty good and is she drying out on a regular basis between watering? As I often talk about, you want 2/3 plant to 1/3 pot, rather than the other way around. As for fungus gnats, there are a variety of ways to get rid of them organically. Here is a video on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWelaZqEppWfisk

[@larissamarie5224]

What causes the leaves to tilt downwards? I have it indoors

[@HealthyHouseplants]

larissa marie, Do you mean the leaves, or the entire stems are tilting downards?

[@larissamarie5224]

@@HealthyHouseplants the leaves

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@@larissamarie5224 Sorry for the delay. The leaves can naturally tilt down a bit, but if they're tilting down a lot, it could be damage from over or under watering. How is the plant doing now?

[@heartofmilkandhoney8096]

I recently bought one. The roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot it came with. Is that normal? Should I do anything or leave it in there?

[@ruzanepedroza4294]

If the roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot, you have to repot it into a bigger pot.

[@HealthyHouseplants]

HeartofMilkandHoney, If the roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot, you may need to repot. It depends on how many roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot. If there is a lot and they are thickly woven together, definitely. When you pot up, only go up one pot size, which is a slighly bigger pot, as too big of a pot can cause root rot. When you do pot up, you want within the pot for there to be 2/3 roots to 1/3 soil. Here's a video that explains that more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZm8Z5ukiNNqhMU

[@gilaryfuentes7964]

If it gets leggy, is it no good anymore??? Mine is supper tall I didn't even know you had to cut the flowers! What do I do now? Like I mean it's literally really tall!

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Gilary Fuentes, It's not necessarily not good anymore, but it will take some patience to get it back to a shorter, fuller plant. You want to cut back about 1/3 of the plant and then wait for that part to start growing and then cut back another 1/3, and repeat, and then the final 1/3. You don't want to cut back all at once, because the plant needs some leaves to photosynthesize. Here is a video on pinching them back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnLRnKZ-oNuiq9k

[@sart1348]

This is the most finicky plant that I've had aside from a Money tree. I struggle with the moisture light balance 😩

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Secular Artist, I would agree! The biggest secret is to keep ahead of the pinching back and not let them dry out.

[@sart1348]

@@HealthyHouseplants I'm going to try moving it into my bedroom that has an Eastern facing window. I've struggled with the leaves easily being scorched in our living rooms' Western facing light. And def keep it moist! Thank you for this video

[@HealthyHouseplants]

@@sart1348, You're welcome, and thanks for watching. That's a good idea to move the plant. The leaves are delicate and don't like really bright, hot light as you find in Western facing windows.

[@graceignacio306]

Mine suddenly dropped it's leaves after I placed them somewhere more shaddy, since their leaves are curling down. 🥲 they also have some brown specs on the fallen leaves. Not sure what to do 😔😔

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Grace Ignacio, Did the plant go dry at any point? Polka dot plants will drop leaves if the soil goes dry, so try not to forget to water. Are the brown specs raised or are they flat against the leaf? Raised bumps on the leaves can be scale, but if it's flat, it could be from under or overwatering. That is leaf spot. Also keep in mind, though, that some leaf loss with polka dot plants is normal. Let me know about the spotting and watering you've been doing so I can help further.

[@kriiisten143]

I got a polka dot plant about a month or so ago. The leaves are very fragile and soft and kind of bending and will fold over the side of the pot. The edges of some leaves are curling in. Yours look much stronger and hold their shape more. Is this from over watering or under watering? I can never tell!

[@HealthyHouseplants]

kirstin lee, Sorry for the late reply on this. How is the plant doing now? Polka dot plants don't like to be droughted, but they also don't respond to constantly wet soil. It's a good idea to water them when the moisture meter reads 4.

[@vrdeotale]

how tall do they grow?

[@HealthyHouseplants]

vr, Polka dot plant will grow up to 5 or 6 inches high indoors or even higher indoors, but at that point it is very leggy and rangy and will fall over. You want to keep it pinched back, so that it stays around 3-4 inches high for standard sized ones. And 1/2 inch to 2 inches high for minis. That will keep the plant full and bushy. See this video on how to pinch back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnLRnKZ-oNuiq9k

[@StepByStepGardening]

You have beautiful collection, stay connected friend

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Thank you, I will

[@ohmystress8442]

Just bought a white and pink one. Hopefully they will survive, lol

[@HealthyHouseplants]

OhMyStress, I think they will! Just keep up on watering and provide sufficient lighting.

[@FatemaAmmar76]

OhMyStress... how are the polka dots doing?

[@ohmystress8442]

@@FatemaAmmar76 Still alive but growing all wonky and leggy, lol. Hard to keep pretty-looking.

[@FatemaAmmar76]

@@ohmystress8442 have you been pinching the top leaves?

[@ohmystress8442]

@@FatemaAmmar76 I have! But they still grow how ever they like. Maybe I should pinch more often...

[@lorenacitlalli9211]

would you recommend planting in a terracotta pot?

[@HealthyHouseplants]

lorena citlalli, You can plant in a terracotta pot, but you'll need to watch the plant for drying out. Terracotta pots are porous and lose water much more quickly than other types of pots, such as plastic and glazed. And polka dot plant doesn't like to dry out. It will quickly wilt.

[@pixieprincess2765]

I live in a small apartment with only a west facing window 😭 I'm trying to figure out the right placement for my polka dot plant in my room so that the leaves don't get crunchy

[@HealthyHouseplants]

pixie princess, Putting plants a few feet from a west facing window can help. Then in other areas, I'd suggest using full-spectrum lighting.

[@nizamilputra]

What should we do if the plants already grow tall and it doesnt look nice?

[@HappiCamper]

Pinch it back to a shape you like, and propogate what you take off :)

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Michelle McDonald, Exactly!

[@martharamirez9312]

My plants are growing like crazy but they have a lot of bugs, why is this happening?

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Martha Ramirez, it sounds like you have a pest infestation. What do the bugs look like?

[@martharamirez9312]

@@HealthyHouseplants they’re tiny like bugs

[@martharamirez9312]

How do I get rid of them?

[@tinaclark7587]

It would be great if you could show more closeups 🤗

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Tina Clark, I've been working on that!

[@carinedegarris8606]

I’m having trouble with mine, brown tips 😢 what should I do ?

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Carine Degarris, The brown tips could be one of a few things. It could be dry air or salt in the soil. Try humidifying the plant and check out this video on how to control brown leaf tips: kzbin.info/www/bejne/baSTq6SJe5aVpq8

[@st4ry._.]

I bought a new plant 🪴

[@HealthyHouseplants]

That's great!

[@xgirlkayla1126]

Someone told me they don’t like to be fertilized

[@HealthyHouseplants]

Amanda Vaccariello, they don't do well with chemical fertilizers that will burn their roots. Always use organic fertilizer with them.

[@roshromcharlottenc9265]

Thank you for response: here: Healthy Houseplants @roshromcharlottenc9­265, Thank you. Give polka dot plant 10-12 hours of full-spectrum lighting per day in a low light room.