These adorable little cousins to the Hoya have nice trailing vines with pretty leaves that leave little question how the Dischidia ovata earned its common name of Watermelon Dischidia. These smaller oval shaped leaves are a pretty shade of green with white stripes that somewhat resemble a watermelon. The quite small, dainty flowers are a green-yellow with purple lines. They add a little bit of a unique flare to any house plant collection with their distinct leaves and are sure to grab attention!
Dischidia Ovata Care
LIGHT
These plants do well in a wide variety of light conditions, but seem to prefer filtered, bright indirect light. Place your plant directly in front of a window for best results.
If you do give your plant plenty of direct sunshine, the leaves will develop a red color. It is no cause for alarm however, but at this point the plant letting you know not to give it anymore direct sun!
Watermelon Dischidia growing at the corner of a Northern and Eastern facing window. It gets some morning sun, and the leaves don’t have any indication of red color, and is very happy.
POTTING MIX
Dischidias in general are quite versatile in terms of potting mixes that they will grow in. Since they are epiphytes and are used to having a lot of air circulation around them, they do best in very airy and chunky potting mixes.
As epiphytes, they also demand superior drainage and will not tolerate staying wet for long periods of time or they can rot. Never let any of your Dischidias sit in water for extended periods of they will rot!
Dischidias can also be mounted with some sphagnum moss on cork, or any other kind of wood or bark. Make it a chunkier mix by adding some orchid bark to potting soil. You can also even grow these in a fine to medium grade orchid bark mix, or even in straight chunks of coconut husk.
WATERING
If you have these growing in soil, make sure that you let the soil surface dry before you even think about watering again.
These plants are pretty drought tolerant so don’t worry if you let them completely dry out. Just don’t wait too long to water it!
If you have your plant mounted, you will find that it will dry out really quickly and will need watering much more frequently. You can use a mister to spritz your plant frequently and you’d likely have to do it multiple times a week. It is pretty difficult to overdo watering on mounted plants because they dry out very quickly.
Finally, if you have your plants growing in a chunky orchid bark mix or coconut husk chunks, the watering scenario will be somewhere in between the two described above. Just use your finger, and do let your potting medium dry out partially, whatever you choose to plant it in.
FERTILIZING, TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
These are not heavy feeders, but I’d recommend fertilizing with an all-purpose houseplant fertilize, dilutely, from Spring to Fall.
Being a premium fertilizer, it costs a little bit more, but aren’t your plants worth it??? You’ll be amazed at the difference in your houseplants if you include regular fertilization in your routine.
Although they do like higher humidity, Dischidias are very tolerant of average household conditions. It never hurts to increase humidity though and I would recommend it if you can (especially in the winter!)
If you are comfortable indoors, your Dischidias will be too.
DISCHIDIA OVATA PROPAGATION
These plants will form roots along every node (where the leaf meets the stem).
You can see little roots growing at the node where finger is below:
Propagated cuttings of Dischidia ruscifolia, or Million Hearts Plant, in water before and then transferred to coconut husk chunks. Be sure to change the water frequently to keep it fresh.
You can also take cuttings and place them directly into your potting medium, whatever you choose to grow them in, to root.
Keep in mind that you will want to keep the medium a little more moist than usual to encourage rooting. Since they are epiphytes, misting them frequently will help encourage rooting.
DISCHIDIA IN TERRARIUMS
Dischidia ovata also does well in terrariums. It should be mounted and placed higher up in the terrarium so that it cascades down.
You can also easily propagate and mount ovata cuttings on a piece of wood in your terrarium.
Take cuttings of your ovata. Presoak some sphagnum moss and squeeze out excess water.
Wrap the moss around one or two nodes of each cutting. You can take the leaves off of the nodes that you are wrapping the sphagnum moss around.
Then take some clear fishing string and securely wrap the cuttings that you’ve wrapped the base in moss to your branch in your terrarium.
In time, it will root and then secure to the branch. You can then cut the fishing string off.
Dischidia Ovata Care
LIGHT
These plants do well in a wide variety of light conditions, but seem to prefer filtered, bright indirect light. Place your plant directly in front of a window for best results.
If you do give your plant plenty of direct sunshine, the leaves will develop a red color. It is no cause for alarm however, but at this point the plant letting you know not to give it anymore direct sun!
Watermelon Dischidia growing at the corner of a Northern and Eastern facing window. It gets some morning sun, and the leaves don’t have any indication of red color, and is very happy.
POTTING MIX
Dischidias in general are quite versatile in terms of potting mixes that they will grow in. Since they are epiphytes and are used to having a lot of air circulation around them, they do best in very airy and chunky potting mixes.
As epiphytes, they also demand superior drainage and will not tolerate staying wet for long periods of time or they can rot. Never let any of your Dischidias sit in water for extended periods of they will rot!
Dischidias can also be mounted with some sphagnum moss on cork, or any other kind of wood or bark. Make it a chunkier mix by adding some orchid bark to potting soil. You can also even grow these in a fine to medium grade orchid bark mix, or even in straight chunks of coconut husk.
WATERING
If you have these growing in soil, make sure that you let the soil surface dry before you even think about watering again.
These plants are pretty drought tolerant so don’t worry if you let them completely dry out. Just don’t wait too long to water it!
If you have your plant mounted, you will find that it will dry out really quickly and will need watering much more frequently. You can use a mister to spritz your plant frequently and you’d likely have to do it multiple times a week. It is pretty difficult to overdo watering on mounted plants because they dry out very quickly.
Finally, if you have your plants growing in a chunky orchid bark mix or coconut husk chunks, the watering scenario will be somewhere in between the two described above. Just use your finger, and do let your potting medium dry out partially, whatever you choose to plant it in.
FERTILIZING, TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
These are not heavy feeders, but I’d recommend fertilizing with an all-purpose houseplant fertilize, dilutely, from Spring to Fall.
Being a premium fertilizer, it costs a little bit more, but aren’t your plants worth it??? You’ll be amazed at the difference in your houseplants if you include regular fertilization in your routine.
Although they do like higher humidity, Dischidias are very tolerant of average household conditions. It never hurts to increase humidity though and I would recommend it if you can (especially in the winter!)
If you are comfortable indoors, your Dischidias will be too.
DISCHIDIA OVATA PROPAGATION
These plants will form roots along every node (where the leaf meets the stem).
You can see little roots growing at the node where finger is below:
Propagated cuttings of Dischidia ruscifolia, or Million Hearts Plant, in water before and then transferred to coconut husk chunks. Be sure to change the water frequently to keep it fresh.
You can also take cuttings and place them directly into your potting medium, whatever you choose to grow them in, to root.
Keep in mind that you will want to keep the medium a little more moist than usual to encourage rooting. Since they are epiphytes, misting them frequently will help encourage rooting.
DISCHIDIA IN TERRARIUMS
Dischidia ovata also does well in terrariums. It should be mounted and placed higher up in the terrarium so that it cascades down.
You can also easily propagate and mount ovata cuttings on a piece of wood in your terrarium.
Take cuttings of your ovata. Presoak some sphagnum moss and squeeze out excess water.
Wrap the moss around one or two nodes of each cutting. You can take the leaves off of the nodes that you are wrapping the sphagnum moss around.
Then take some clear fishing string and securely wrap the cuttings that you’ve wrapped the base in moss to your branch in your terrarium.
In time, it will root and then secure to the branch. You can then cut the fishing string off.
SONGSAR PLANT
Copyright © 2020