Baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) may be a mat-forming tropical perennial with myriad tiny leaves. it’s equally valuable as an outside bedder and as a container plant and potted indoor houseplant. What makes baby’s tears plants so special are the myriad tiny leaves, which form a dense mat implicational a gnome’s green paradise. Although baby’s tears plants are easy for beginners, they require regular attention to seem their best.

A member of the Urticaceae (Urticaceae), baby’s tears plants were first brought into the plant trade by botanist Joseph François Soleirol, who collected specimens in Corsica and is liable for the plant’s Latin name.

Because it thrives in low-light conditions, baby’s breath is particularly popular as a potted indoor plant, especially in terrariums and mixed containers. When grown outdoors in warm climates, baby’s tears are used as a mat-forming evergreen ground cover or filler plant for rock gardens. In colder zones, it’s often planted outdoors as an annual for an equivalent purposes, since it spreads quickly. This fast-growing plant is usually started from potted nursery plants within the spring.

Watch Now: the way to Grow and look after a baby’s tears Plant

Baby’s Tears Plant Care

The delicate appearance of baby’s tears plants belies the vigorous growth habit. In fact, in mild climates with regular rainfall, the plants are often weedy or maybe invasive.

When growing it outdoors, plant baby’s tears in moist, well-drained soil during a part shade to full shade location. Despite the reputation for aggressive growth, baby tears don’t respond well to harsh sunlight or dry conditions. But in rich, well-drained but moist soil, the plant grows very aggressively. they’re going to remain evergreen in very warm climates but may often die down with the smallest amount hint of frost in zone 9. As a potted plant, a baby’s tears are extremely easy to grow during a standard potting mix.

Outdoors, baby’s tears has almost no serious pest or disease problems. Indoors, it’s going to be suffering from a number of an equivalent pests that affect many houseplants—aphids, mites, mealybugs. Use non-toxic solutions whenever possible, and take care with chemical pesticides.

Light

Baby’s tears plants will take brief periods of intense sunlight, but look their best in bright, filtered light. Plants growing full sun may develop brown, scorched leaves. baby’s tears plants can thrive under artificial lights indoors. Outdoors, they ought to be planted in fairly shady locations.

Soil

A rich soil amended with humus, compost, or manure will increase the nutrients available to baby’s tears plants, and can also help to manage the moisture level for plants. Any commercial potting soil is suitable for growing baby’s tears as houseplants or in containers

Water

Baby’s tears plants are thirsty and that they never wish to dry out. If your plants do dry out, you’ll notice a dramatic wilting happen. Water them quickly, and within each day they ought to recover. Baby’s tears houseplants would require slightly less water within the winter months. It’s fine for the soil’s surface to be dry, but the soil around the roots should feel slightly moist.

Temperature and Humidity

As an outside specimen, the baby’s tears plant grows best in temperatures of fifty to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. the upper the ambient temperature, the more attention the gardener must pay to light and humidity. Baby’s tears plants can tolerate a light-weight frost, but freezing temperatures, as sometimes occur in hardiness zone 9, may kill the highest growth of the plant. Be patient; it’ll come from the roots during this transitional climate.

Baby’s tears plants appreciate a high humidity level. This makes them ideal for a steamy bathroom or kitchen. In drier environments, the plants appreciate the humid confines of a terrarium.

Fertilizer

A balanced plant fertilizer will keep the foliage of the baby’s tears plants bright green and dense. Liquid fertilizers are easier to use than spike inserts or granular fertilizer when no bare soil is visible.

Baby’s Breath Varieties

The standard green species of baby’s tears is commonest within the trade. However, there are two color variants available, including ‘Aurea’ with golden foliage, and ‘Variegata’ with white stippling. The green color is dominant across all varieties, and you want to prune away any green stems within the gold and variegated types to stop them from reverting to solid green.

Baby’s Breath vs. Irish moss

Baby tears plants are sometimes confused with moss plants, especially Irish moss (Sagina subulata). From a distance, both plants exhibit an equivalent bright green foliage and low-growing characteristics. They also both produce tiny white flowers. However, Irish moss has very fine, thread-like foliage, which differs from the teardrop-shaped leaves of baby’s tears .

Irish moss also likes moist soil and partial shade, but it’s hardy right down to USDA zone 4 and works better as a landscape perennial instead of as a houseplant.

Potting and Repotting

Growing baby’s tears plant in containers is that the best strategy for those living in cold climates, also as those that sleep in areas where the plants are invasive outdoors. a billboard potting soil lightened with additional sphagnum or perlite provides a healthy growing medium for plants.

Baby’s tears plants work well during a sort of container situations. during a small hanging basket, the spreading plants can spill attractively over the edges . during a terrarium, the plants can creep to the sides of the glass, hiding all bare soil. during a mixed outdoor planting, place baby’s tears plants at the sting of the container, together with mounding plants like impatiens and tall plants like coleus—plants that thrive within the same light and moisture conditions.

Baby’s tears plants grow quickly and wish to be repotted regularly. Pot-bound plants are more vulnerable to drying out, and you’ll notice an increased occurrence of wilting in plants that require to be repotted. Because the stems are so fragile, you want to not pull plants out of their containers by the stems or leaves. Turn the pots upside and tap them, squeeze them, or press on the drainage hole with a pencil to coax the plants loose. Repot with commercial potting soil, and water thoroughly.

Propagating Baby’s Tears

Baby’s tears plant propagates easily—too easily in some circumstances. Wherever stems are touching the soil, they’re going to form roots. Plants can spread without limit during this fashion. If you would like to make new plants for various containers, separate a neighborhood of stems with soil and roots with alittle trowel. Don’t worry about damaging the plant; it’ll regenerate quickly. Replant the division and keep it watered, and it’ll start to grow without skipping a beat.

These plants are almost never propagated by seed.

Pruning baby’s tears

It isn’t necessary to prune baby’s tears plants permanently health, but shearing often improves the looks of the plants or the general arrangement. once you grow baby’s tears as a companion plant to an African violet, peperomia, or another houseplant, you would possibly want to offer it a trim to stay it in bounds. Pruning is particularly prudent in small terrariums. the lovable juvenile plant with dainty leaves can quickly overrun other miniature plants during a confined space.