How to Grow and Care for Baby Tears

Baby tears plant, also called angel's tears,is a mat-forming tropical perennial with myriad tiny leaves. Often confused as a type of moss, it comes from the nettle family. What makes baby tears special is its dense, delicate mat of fine round leaves on short, fleshy stems.

Lower-light conditions, a warmer climate, and rich, moist soil will enable this plant to thrive. Baby tears plants are easy for beginners to grow but require regular attention to look their best.

Baby Tears Plant Care

Here are the main requirements for growing baby tears plants:

• Plant outdoors in moist, well-drained soil.
• Place in a partial to fully shaded spot.
• Keep out of harsh direct sunlight and very dry conditions.
• Water generously during spring and summer.
• Maintain a 75% humidity level in the plant's environment, if possible.
  

Light

Baby tears plants dislike intense direct sunlight, which may scorch leaves. They look their best in bright, filtered light. Baby tears plants can thrive under artificial lights indoors. Place it in a shadier location outdoors.

Soil

A rich soil amended with manure, humus, or compost is sufficient for baby tears plants. It will also help to regulate the plant's moisture level. Commercial potting soil is suitable for growing baby tears as a houseplant or in a container garden.

Water

A baby tears plant is thirsty and never likes to dry out. The plant will dramatically wilt if you allow your plant to dry out. Water the plant as soon as you notice wilting and within a day it should recover.

A baby tears houseplant requires slightly less water in the winter months. It's fine for the soil's surface to be dry, but the soil around the roots should be moist. However, do not let the roots sit in water, which can promote root rot. Make sure the soil stays moist but drains well.

Temperature and Humidity

As an outdoor specimen, the baby tears plant grows best in a climate consistently between 50°F and 70°F. The higher the ambient temperature, the more attention the gardener must pay to light and humidity.

Baby tears plants can tolerate a light frost, but infrequent freezing temperatures in hardiness zone 9 may kill the plant's top growth. The plant can regenerate after the transitional climate warms up again.

Baby tears appreciate high humidity with at least 75% humidity. These plants are ideal for a steamy bathroom or kitchen. If you live in a drier environment, these plants will appreciate life in a humid terrarium.

Tip

Baby tears is the ultimate terrarium plant because it prefers high humidity and low light conditions. You can grow baby tears in both closed and open terrariums. Note that it may outcompete other terrarium plants with time.

Fertilizer

A balanced plant fertilizer will keep the foliage of baby tears plants bright green and dense. Give the plant liquid fertilizer through spring and summer every two weeks. The liquid form is easier to apply than spike inserts or granular fertilizer when no bare soil is visible.

Types of Baby Tears

• S. soleirolii 'Aurea': This variety has golden foliage; it grows a little lower than other types of this species and does not spread as widely. It does better in dappled shade.
• S. soleirolii 'Golden Queen': This variety has yellowish leaf margins.
• S. soleirolii 'Silver Queen': This variety has silver-gray foliage.
• S. soleirolii 'Variegata': This variety has variegated, silvery leaves with white stippling.

Pruning

The green color is dominant across all varieties. If you have a variety that comes in a different color, such as a golden or variegated type, prune the green stems to prevent the cultivar from reverting to solid green.

Although it isn't necessary to trim baby tears, pruning will improve its appearance, encouraging new growth. If you grow baby tears as a companion plant to another houseplant, give it a trim to keep it in bounds. Pruning is prudent in small terrariums.

Propagating Baby Tears

Baby tears plant propagates easily, especially in its growing season, usually during the spring and summer. Wherever stems touch the soil, they will form roots. Plants can spread without limit. If you want to keep the plant within its bounds but don't want to kill the overgrowth, move it to a container.

These plants are seldom propagated by seed. Baby tears plants are best propagated via division and cuttings.

Division

To propagate via division, you will need a trowel, new growing container, or growing area for your divided plant.

1. Divide your plant.
2. Separate a section of stems with soil and roots using a small trowel. Don't worry about damaging the plant; it will regenerate quickly.
3. Replant the division in moist, well-draining potting soil.

Stem Cuttings

To propagate via stem cutting, gather sterilized scissors or pruning snips, a potting container, fresh moistened potting mix, and, optionally, some rooting hormone.

1. Cut healthy stems that are at least 2 inches long.
2. Remove the base leaves and keep only the leaves at the top of the stem.
3. Make holes in the potting medium with your finger and plant the cuttings in the holes.
4. Dip the cut ends in water with the rooting hormone before burying the cut tip in the hole.
5. Cover the cuttings with plastic wrap or a clear plastic or glass dome.
6. After three to four weeks, the stems should be well-rooted.

Potting and Repotting Baby Tears

Containers are another good option for people who live in subtropical zones, where this plant can become invasive if planted in the ground. As a potted plant, baby tears grow easily in a standard potting mix.

Baby tears plants adapt well to life in containers. In a small hanging basket, the spreading plants can spill attractively over the sides. In a terrarium, the plants can creep to the edges of the glass, hiding the bare soil. In a mixed outdoor planting, baby tears plants work great as an edging plant.

Baby tears plants grow quickly and need to be repotted regularly. Get a larger pot—in this case, the larger, the better—and get a commercial potting soil lightened with additional peat moss or perlite.

Because the plants' stems are fragile, do not pull them out of their containers by the stems or leaves. Turn the pots upside down and tap, squeeze, or push on the drainage hole with a pencil to coax the plants loose. Place the roots in the new potting mix. Water thoroughly.

Overwintering

If you live in a region with frost or cold weather conditions, it's best to grow baby tears in containers. Bring these plants indoors before the weather approaches freezing temperatures. Frost will begin killing off the outer layer of leaves first.

The plant will not survive outdoors if you live in a location with sustained wintery weather or any hardiness zones less than 9. The plant should be able to bounce back if briefly exposed to frost.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Outdoor baby tears plants have almost no serious pest or disease problems. Aphids, whiteflies, and scale are possible pests.

This plant is also susceptible to root rot if the soil becomes waterlogged. Although a baby tears plant quickly wilts if it's too dry, it also doesn't like saturated soil. Use a moisture meter to help you decide when to water.

How to Get Baby Tears to Bloom

Bloom Months

Baby tears plants bloom outdoors from May to July. The plant will bloom continuously for a month or two from late spring to early summer.

What Do Baby Tears Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Baby tear plants produce tiny, creamy white, sometimes fragrant, otherwise insignificant flowers. These petal-less blossoms are less than an inch in size.

How To Encourage More Blooms

Baby tears rarely flower when kept indoors or cultivated. The best chance of plentiful blooms is to plant them outdoors as an evergreen cover or filler plant for rock gardens.

Once the blooming period is finished, it's a good idea to prune the plant back, especially if it has overrun your container or garden. Deadhead any spent blooms and foliage to make room for more and keep the plant neat and healthy.

Common Problems with Baby Tears

Baby tears are easy plants to grow and care for—once you understand their needs, such as sufficient water and humidity. Otherwise, watch for these issues:

Wilting

Wilting occurs because the plant's leaves are not getting enough water. Pot-bound plants are more susceptible to drying out. You'll notice continued wilting in plants that need to be repotted. Divide the plant and transplant the division into a new pot.

Browning Leaves

Plants growing in full sun may develop brown, scorched leaves. Move the plant to a shadier location or offer some cover if it's in-ground.

Blackening Leaves and Foul-Smelling Soil

Root rot can kill a plant if not caught in time. Overwatering causes this deadly disease. If you notice a few blackening leaves and a foul smell, the soil is likely soggy, too. However, all may not be lost; you still might be able to rescue the plant.

Unearth the root ball, and repot it in a better-draining soil amended with perlite. Prune off the blackened leaves. Cut off any rotten or blackened root sections.

Look for fungus gnats or aphids on your plant, too. They often infest plants that are weakened by root rot. If you notice pests, apply an insecticide soap or neem oil to remove the insects and keep them away.

Aggressive, Weedy Growth

Baby tears is a vigorously growing plant. The plant is weedy and can have aninvasivegrowth habit when grown outdoors in mild climates with regular rainfall.However, it is usually easy to uproot.

From: thespruce