Baby’s Tears Plant
Soleirolia helxine
Babys Tears Plant
Baby Tears Plant
A Baby’s Tears plant is a delicate looking house plant that resembles a mat or carpet of tiny green leaves as it spreads over the sides of its pot. Baby’s Tears plants, which originally came from Corsica and Sardinia, have tiny round or bean- shaped leaves that grow on thin fragile stems. Baby Tear’s houseplants can be used in a terrarium, as table plants, or as small hanging plants. This very little plant requires a lot of attention.
Light
Water
Always keep the soil of a Baby Tear's plant moist but never soggy. If the soil stays too wet, the stems quickly rot.
Fertilizer
Feed every two weeks in the spring and summer when a Baby's Tears plant is actively growing. Use a basic houseplant fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength.
Temperature
Normal household temperatures or even a little cooler are best for a Baby Tear's plant. 60°-75° is an ideal temperature.
Humidity
High humidity and good air circulation help a Baby's Tears plant to grow well and not develop brown leaves
Flowering
A Baby's Tears plant gets tiny white star-shaped flowers in the late spring. The flowers are fairly inconsequential.
Pests
Baby's Tears plants are susceptible to whiteflyWhiteflies are small gnat-like insects, covered in a powdery white wax; they feed on the sap of plants. This causes leaf-drop and weakens the plant in general. Whiteflies secrete a sticky substance called honeydew while they feed. The flying adults lay eggs on the tops of leaves, but it is the immature nymph stage, feeding unnoticed on the underside of the leaves, that does the real damage. Yellow sticky cards are a good way to trap the flying adults and prevent new eggs. Spray the Green Solution to get rid of the feeding nymphs on the underside of the leaves., scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew., and AphidsSee a picture, learn to identify, and read about Aphid houseplant pests in the Glossary of Houseplant411.com.. You can read about these plant pests in the Glossary of the website.
Diseases
Root-rot, due to over-watering, is the main disease to that affects Baby's Tears plants.
Soil
These plants require a well-aerated, quick draining, potting soil that contains a good amount of peat moss.
Pot Size
These are small plants and are usually are found in 4" and 6" pots.
Pruning
Trim a Baby's Tears plant with a sharp scissors to maintain its shape and fullness.
Propagation
Baby's Tear plants are propagated by plant divisionLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary and stem cuttings.
Poisonous Plant Info
1. Is a Baby's Tears Plant a good plant for a terrarium?
A Baby Tear's Plant is a great terrarium plant, sometimes even too good. If you’re not careful a Baby Tear's Plant will rapidly overtake everything else in the terrarium.
Does a Baby’s Tears plant ever get flowers?
Baby’s Tears plants do get very tiny, white, star-shaped flowers in the late spring. The flowers are pretty inconsequential.
Can you plant a Baby’s Tears plant outside?
A Baby Tear's plant does very well outside in shady rock gardens, spreading like a fluffy green carpet. They are frost sensitive and will die back in the winter. Baby’s Tears plants should be kept moist whether growing inside and outside.
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