Watermelon Dischidia Care Guide (Dischidia Ovata)

Once established, Watermelon Dischidia (Dischidia Ovata) requires no care or attention. This shrub may keep a compact shape even as its beautiful leaves cascade up to 8 feet in length. If you want a houseplant that won’t get too big but will instead trail and vine, a Watermelon Dischidia might be a suitable option.

The Watermelon Dischidia, also known as Dischidia Ovata, is a climbing vine whose dark green, oval leaves are marked by white stripes that call to mind the rind of a watermelon. Even among those who like caring for houseplants, this species is not as well-known as others like the Hoya or Dischidia.

Dischidias is a genus that has close to a hundred distinct species. As the name implies, dischidias are plants that grow on other plants or trees.

Watermelon Dischidia Care

Beautiful and easy to use, Watermelon Dischidia is perfect for beginners. This beautiful plant that requires little attention will be an excellent addition to any space you decide to put it in.

If you want your Dischidia to thrive, you’ll need to provide it with an environment that meets its specific needs, which include a soil composed of equal parts orchid bark, cactus mix, and perlite, regular watering to keep the soil moist, bright indirect light, temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity of at least 70%.

Watermelon Dischidia Light

These plants can survive in a wide variety of lighting conditions but flourish in intense indirect light that has been filtered. A plant will thrive more if placed such that its leaves face a window. Leaves will turn a scarlet color if you give your plant a lot of sunshine. But there’s no reason to worry; the plant simply signals that it doesn’t need any more sun right now.

Watermelon Dischidia Soil

The ideal growth environment for Watermelon Dischidia is open, airy, and has good drainage. Combine cactus mix, perlite, and orchid soil in equivalent proportions to build your potting mix.

Watermelon Dischidia Watering

When growing this plant indoors, it is in the plant’s best interest to create circumstances that are as close as possible to those it experiences in its native habitat. You should try to maintain a moist soil environment for your Dischidia Ovata, but you should take care to prevent the soil from being excessively saturated. It’s possible that this plant may survive a temporary drought, but it definitely shouldn’t be allowed to dry out thoroughly.

After the top inch of the soil has become dry, you need to water your plant once more. When you water your plant, give it a complete soaking, let the excess water drain, and then wait until the soil is completely dry before you water it again.

Watermelon Dischidia Fertilizer

Because Dischidia Ovata is not a heavy feeder, it does not require much fertilizer. Nevertheless, for your plant to maximize its nutrient uptake throughout the warm growing season, you should feed it organic liquid fertilizer once a month. Make sure that you comply with all of the label’s requirements. It is not necessary to feed you throughout the fall or winter.

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Temperature & Humidity

To give your Watermelon Dischidia (Dischidia Ovata) the greatest possible care, you should grow it in warm and humid conditions. Maintaining this plant at temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit is best. The Dischidia Ovata plant does not appreciate having its leaves wet, although it does best in environments with a humidity of at least 70%. Thus, you should not spray this plant since doing so might cause fungal problems. Instead, a humidifier or a pebble tray should be used to increase the humidity in the room.

Repotting

Because Dischidia Ovata does not have rapid growth, the plant will not require frequent repotting. This plant prefers it when its roots are somewhat constrained since this helps prevent them from getting excessively soaked with water. You should repot the Dischidia Ovata every two to three years. Choose a container with a diameter of at least two inches more significant than the previous one. Make sure the new container you bought has holes in it for drainage.

Pruning

This Watermelon Dischidia does not need any pruning done to it. You should, however, remove any diseased, dead, or discolored leaves regularly.

Watermelon Dischidia Propagation

The Dischidia Ovata plant may be successfully propagated by using stem cuttings. A good time to take cuttings is while the plant is actively growing, in the spring and summer. For successful plant multiplication, use sterilized shears to cut the stem about one inch below a leaf node. Each cutting should have at least one healthy leaf before you remove it.

Place the cutting in a clean vial of water and change the water in the vial every few days to keep it from getting cloudy. The first roots should appear in a few weeks. Plants should be put into the soil once their roots have developed to an inch or two in length. After thoroughly watering the cutting and planting it in fresh soil, it should be placed in water with indirect light.

Watermelon Dischidia Toxicity

This plant is not considered toxic to either humans or animals. Therefore, it may be safely used around children and animals.

For Humans

Having this Dischidia around little children is okay since it is not considered harmful to humans. However, the sap that this Watermelon Dischidia discharges when it is harmed can induce contact dermatitis. Therefore, washing your hands well after touching this plant is essential.

For Cats and Dogs

This plant is not known to be toxic to animals in any way, and it is perfectly OK for animals to be in the same room as it.

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Common Problems

Pests

Dischidia Ovata or Watermelon Dischidia is known to be resistant to pests and is not typically targeted by those that feed on indoor plants. However, it does not have complete immunity. Therefore, make it a habit to give your Dischidia Ovata a once-over regularly to check for any indications of an infestation.

Diseases

The Watermelon Dischidia is susceptible to many plant diseases, although the most prevalent are fungal diseases caused by overwatering.

Watermelon Dischidia (Dischidia Ovata) Leaves Turning Yellow

The leaves of Watermelon Dischidia will frequently turn yellow if the plant receives excessive water. Be careful to create a stringent watering schedule that will enable the growth of a plant in good health.

Dischidia Ovata Leaves Becoming Brown

It’s possible that a fungal illness or an excessive amount of strong direct sunlight will cause the Watermelon Dischidia’s leaf to turn brown.

Dischidia Ovata Roots Rot

The most prevalent issue with Dischidia ovata is root rot; thus, keeping the plant in a constantly wet environment, especially in a substrate saturated with moisture, is the quickest technique to kill the plant. Put it in an epiphytic habitat and allow the leaves to dry out completely in between waterings for optimal plant health and happiness.