How To Grow And Care For Your Baby Tears Plant

By: Succulents Plants
Date: December 15, 2022
Time to read: 6 min.

babys tears plant — Photo by courtesy of gojak

Growing a baby tears plant can be a fun and rewarding experience for the home gardener. The baby tears plant can be a great addition to any indoor space with its bright, tiny leaves. This article will guide you through everything you need to know about cultivating and caring for a baby tears plant. We’ll cover water, light, soil, pruning, and propagation requirements. So let’s start and break down the basics of growing and caring for your baby tears plant!

What Is A Baby Tears Plant?

A baby tears plant, also known as Helxine soleirolii, is a low-growing, evergreen perennial plant with tiny, round leaves that look like real tears. It’s native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and an ideal choice for terrariums, rock gardens, and borders. Baby tears plants are straightforward to care for as they require minimal water and maintenance.

Baby tears plants make beautiful ground covers that quickly spread and form a dense mat of foliage. They stay small and compact, reaching only a few inches in height and about six to nine inches in width. The leaves are delicate and come in shades of green from light to dark, and some have variegated yellow and green stripes. Most plants also produce tiny white flowers with five petals.

Baby tears plants prefer consistently damp soil but are not soggy, as they don’t tolerate wet feet. It’s best to water them with a spray bottle, using either a low-pressure setting or misting. The plant will benefit from regular liquid fertilizer or slow-release pellets.

Baby tears plants are sensitive to temperature, so providing them with a consistent environment is essential. They prefer temperatures between 60 to 72 degrees and may not be suited to outdoor conditions.

Baby tears plants are beautiful additions to any indoor or outdoor garden and are relatively easy to care for. With the proper care and attention, these lovely plants will provide you with a beautiful ground cover full of vibrant foliage.

Water Requirements

Watering your baby tears plant is essential to keeping it thriving. It needs a little water here and there, but not too much. The best way to water your baby tears plant is to allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings. This usually means waiting anywhere from two to four weeks between watering sessions. When it’s time to water your plant, do so thoroughly. Ensure the soil is evenly moist, but avoid wetting it.

Proper drainage is also vital when caring for a baby tears plant. Soil that’s too damp can also be problematic. Use a fast-draining soil blend, such as a cactus mix, for optimal growth. Additionally, it’s best to water your baby tears plant from the bottom rather than from the top, as this helps the soil to drain correctly. Finally, consider using a shallow pot with suitable drainage holes, as this is especially helpful in avoiding excessive moisture around the roots.

Light Requirements

This plant grows best indoors in filtered light, so finding a spot in your home that receives bright, indirect light is essential. A north- or east-facing windowsill is ideal for your baby tears plant, as it will receive a consistent amount of light without becoming overexposed. You can supplement your baby tears plant’s natural light by setting it near a fluorescent or LED growth light. This light should be directed at the plant for at least 8 hours daily.

It’s also important to be mindful of temperature and humidity when caring for your baby tears plant. This type of plant thrives in warm and moist conditions, so try to keep your house’s temperature between 65-75°F and the humidity level between 70 and 80 percent. To maintain moisture in the air, you can use a humidifier or place your baby tears plant on a pebble tray filled with water.

Soil Requirements

You want to ensure you provide its roots with the nutrients they need to survive and thrive. An ideal soil mixture for baby tears should contain a mix of potting soil, compost, and peat moss. This mixture should provide a loose, well-draining soil that your baby tears will love.

If you don’t have access to a soil testing kit, you can also use a mulch to create a neutral environment for your baby tears. Use a layer of mulch around the roots to maintain moisture and provide additional nutrients for your plant. This allows for more air movement and a steady temperature for your baby tears plant.

Another essential thing to consider is that baby tears cannot survive in water-logged soils. You want to make sure the soil is moist but not soggy. You can add a layer of organic material like sawdust or bark. Adding a layer of organic material allows your soil to breathe better and prevents standing water from accumulating.

Make sure the soil you use for your baby tears is well-aerated. You can add coarse sand or perlite to increase drainage and aeration. Mix the sand or perlite with your soil to ensure your baby tears get all the nutrients they need.

Fertilizer Requirements

Generally speaking, you should use a balanced liquid fertilizer (with an N-P-K ratio of 10-10-10, for example) once a month during the plant’s growth period (spring to early fall). During the winter months, you should use a different fertilizer that is high in potassium, such as a 15-5-30 ratio fertilizer. This will help your plant store energy for the upcoming growing season.

For best results, you should dilute your fertilizer to one-quarter strength before applying it to your Baby Tears Plant. This will help avoid any salt or fertilizer burn that can occur if too much fertilizer is applied. Additionally, fertilizing your Baby Tears Plant when the soil is already damp can create a situation where the roots cannot absorb the fertilizer. For this reason, you should always fertilize your Baby Tears Plant when the soil is dry.

It’s important to remember that too much fertilizer can be just as bad as too little — be sure to fertilize your Baby Tears Plant regularly, but avoid overdoing it. When in doubt, it’s a good idea to err on caution and use a lower-strength fertilizer.

Pruning and Propagation

Pruning and propagation are vital components of growing a healthy Baby Tears plant. Pruning is essential for controlling the size and shape of the plant and helps to ensure it remains healthy and full of vibrant foliage. To prune, simply cut away any dead or diseased leaves and stems. Be sure to use sharp, clean scissors to make a clean cut

Propagating Baby Tears is also a great way to produce more of this beautiful plant. It is pretty simple to do; you only need a pair of scissors and a few healthy stems. Cut the stems below a node, leaving at least two or three nodes on the stem. Trim away the lower leaves, and place the stems in a glass of water. Place the glass in a sunny location and change the water every week. After a few weeks, roots should start to form, and the stems can be planted in the soil.

Conclusion

Congratulations on reading this guide to learn how to grow and care for your baby tears plant! This compact, low-growing Mediterranean native is an excellent choice as a houseplant, as it is pretty simple to care for and can add a nice touch of greenery to your home.

The key to success with a baby tears plant is to give it plenty of light, water, and fertilizer and to keep up with regular pruning. Use high-quality soil and fertilizer to ensure your plant stays healthy and vigorous.

These little plants can significantly impact your home, as they can create a lush, inviting atmosphere with their cascading foliage. They do best when given enough light, water, and fertilizer and when pruned or propagated regularly.

By following the tips we’ve discussed here, you can have success in growing your baby tears plancreatingcreate a beautiful, vibrant living space for yourself, your family, and your friends. With the knowledge and skills you have just acquired, you can start growing baby tears with confidence.