How to Grow Pink Polka-Dot Plants

Select the outdoor site for the pink polka-dot plants. The plants prefer partial to full shade. They serve as plants for borders, edges and ground covers. A mass planting of pink polka-dot plants is often attractive in a garden. The plants also grow well in outdoor containers. Avoid an area with strong, direct sunlight. This might cause pale leaf colors and curled leaves.

Find a location in the house with filtered sunlight. Mist the plants regularly to maintain a high humidity level. Consider planting pink polka-dot plants outside during the warm spring and summer. Dig up the plants and move them indoors during the cool fall and winter months. They do not tolerate frost. The mature plants range from 12 to 18 inches in height. They grow in mounds or clumps.

Plant polka-dot seeds in well-drained acidic or slightly alkaline soil. The seeds are usually easy to germinate. To grow from cuttings, make a tip cutting. Cut the tip of a branch that includes several leaves and a small section of stem. Dip the stem into rooting hormone and plant in a pot with a moist growing medium. Peat moss, perlite, vermiculite or sand work well as growing medium. Keep the pot in a humid environment with the temperature at 70 degrees.

Pinch or trim long shoots to produce a compact rather than leggy plant. Newer cultivars of polka-dot plants tend to grow more compactly than older cultivars and they often have more vivid colors. Water and fertilize the plants regularly. Select a balanced garden or houseplant fertilizer. Pests and diseases usually don’t bother pink polka-dot plants and the plants are often deer resistant.