Baby’s tears, also known by its botanical name of Soleirolia soleirolii, is a creeping evergreen perennial plant that originates from Corsica and Sardinia. With its tiny round leaves and low spreading habit, it makes a gorgeous flowing groundcover or trailing accent in outdoor garden beds and containers.

While baby’s tears is an indoor houseplant favorite, it can also thrive outdoors given the right growing conditions. Follow these tips to successfully grow baby’s tears in your garden

Choosing the Right Location

Baby’s tears needs a sheltered location outdoors protected from intense sun exposure. Too much direct sunlight can scorch the leaves.

Aim for a spot that receives gentle morning sun or dappled shade beneath a tree canopy Areas on the east or west side of a home often provide suitable filtered sunlight Just make sure the area still receives at least 4-6 hours of sun daily,

Preparing the Soil

This delicate plant thrives in rich, fertile soil that drains well. Before planting, work some compost or well-rotted manure into the top 6-8 inches of soil to increase nutrition and moisture retention.

You can also incorporate peat moss or perlite to improve drainage in heavy clay soils. The ideal soil pH range is 5.5-7.5. Test your soil and amend it as needed to fall within this range.

Planting Outdoors

Baby’s tears can be planted outdoors after the last frost date once temperatures have warmed up above 60°F. Space plants 6-12 inches apart to allow for spreading.

If you already have an established indoor baby’s tears plant, gradually acclimate it to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before permanently moving it outside. This hardening off process toughens the plant up to prevent shock.

Purchase baby’s tears plants from nurseries or propagate your own from cuttings. Simply snip off a healthy stem with leaves, strip the lower leaves, and stick it in moist potting mix to root. Keep it moist until new growth appears.

Watering Needs

Consistent moisture is key when growing baby’s tears outdoors. Water the plants regularly to keep the soil perpetually moist but not waterlogged. Provide extra water during peak summer heat and dry spells.

Adding mulch around the plants helps lock in moisture. Avoid overhead watering which can scorch the foliage. Drip irrigation or gentle hand watering targeted at the base is best. Lift up a corner of the plant occasionally to check that water is penetrating the entire root zone.

Fertilization

Use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength every 2-4 weeks during the active growing season from spring to early fall. This will provide baby’s tears with the necessary nutrients it needs for healthy growth and a vibrant emerald color.

Controlling Weeds

The dense, spreading foliage of baby’s tears helps suppress weed growth. But you may need to occasionally hand pull emerging weeds, taking care not to disturb the shallow baby’s tears roots.

Adding mulch around the plants also prevents weeds from germinating while keeping the soil moist for longer periods. Replenish the mulch annually as needed. Organic options like shredded leaves or pine needles work great.

Pinching Back Growth

To keep baby’s tears plants compact and encourage a dense mat of foliage, pinch or snip back long wandering stems occasionally. This will promote bushier growth habit.

Combating Pests and Disease

Outdoor baby’s tears plants are quite resistant to most pests and diseases. Proper cultural practices like avoiding overwatering and promoting good air circulation will prevent many issues.

Check regularly for signs of aphids, spider mites, or fungal leaf spots. Remove any infected foliage immediately and treat organically with insecticidal soap or neem oil as needed.

Overwintering Baby’s Tears

In zones 9 and above, baby’s tears will remain evergreen through winter. In colder climates, you have a couple options to overwinter it:

• Bring potted plants indoors to a sunny window before fall frosts hit.

• Take cuttings to propagate new plants to move inside. Discard the original plants.

• Cover in situ plants with a cold frame, cloche, or protective mulch like pine boughs. Remove coverings in spring once the weather warms. Add a heat source like a lightbulb or heating cable if temperatures will dip below freezing for long periods.

With the right care, baby’s tears will graciously spill over planters, trail down slopes, and form a lush living carpet in your garden for years to come. This versatile plant works beautifully as:

• A groundcover alternative to turf grass

• A dense filler between stepping stones

• Cascading over retaining walls and container edges

• An eye-catching border along walkways and flower beds

• A trailing accent in mixed containers and hanging baskets

Embrace the charm of baby’s tears to effortlessly bring texture, color, and appeal to your outdoor living spaces. Let this delicate creeper gracefully wander through your garden!

Design Tips for Outdoor Baby’s Tears Displays

When incorporated thoughtfully into garden designs, baby’s tears serves as a lovely decorative element and focal point. Here are some tips for using it creatively:

Accentuate Walkways

Border pathways and stepping stones with low mounds of baby’s tears. The lush foliage will beautifully frame and accentuate the hardscapes. Visitors will delight walking through a sea of tiny leaves.

Softening Edges

Use baby’s tears to gracefully spill over the edges of raised beds, masonry walls, large containers, and other structures. This softens hard edges and creates a more organic, naturalized look.

Living Groundcover

Replace plain grass with a flowing carpet of baby’s tears in sections of your landscape. It adds unique texture and visual interest as a living groundcover. Consider areas with dappled shade or that are tricky to mow and edge.

Add Height and Dimension

Create a layered look by planting baby’s tears below and around taller plants, trellises, large rocks, garden art, and other vertical elements. The low-growing foliage sets off and highlights the vertical features.

Cascading Accents

Let baby’s tears spill out of hanging baskets, window boxes, and elevated containers. The trailing stems will elegantly drape over the edges, creating gorgeous cascading accents on porches, patios, and balconies.

Mixed Plantings

Weave baby’s tears in between other low-growing perennials, shrubs, and groundcovers. Choose companions like azaleas, ivy, Ajuga, Liriope, vinca, feverfew, and miniature hostas. This creates appealing texture and color contrasts.

Roof and Vertical Gardens

The trailing nature of baby’s tear makes it ideal for green roofs and vertical gardens. Plant it in shallow trays or pockets attached to exterior or interior walls to form a lush living tapestry. Proper drainage and irrigation is key.

Let your imagination run wild with this versatile plant. Baby’s tears can add that perfect finishing design touch to make your outdoor living spaces shine. Embrace it as an intriguing alternative to boring grass or traditional groundcovers.

Propagating Baby’s Tears for the Garden

One of the many benefits of baby’s tears is how easy it propagates. You can multiply your plant collection from just a single specimen through cuttings, layering, and division. Here’s a quick look at the various propagation methods:

Stem Cuttings

This quick and simple method involves snipping off a healthy 3-4 inch stem right below a leaf node and sticking it into moist potting mix. Roots form rapidly in just 1-2 weeks. Keep the cutting humid and out of direct sun until rooted. Then transplant outdoors.

Layering

With this technique, you pin part of a baby’s tears stem still attached to the mother plant on the ground and cover with soil. New roots will sprout while still connected to the parent, forming a new plant. Clip the connection and transplant once established.

Division

Mature baby’s tears plants will form dense mats. You can divide them by digging up a section and separating rooted pieces. Replant 6-12 inches apart and water well. Division should occur in early spring before active growth resumes.

Leaf Cuttings

It’s possible to start new baby’s tears plants from just a single leaf. Remove a healthy leaf and stick the stem end into moist soil. Tiny plantlets will eventually form at the base of the leaf. This method takes patience but it’s fascinating to watch a whole new plant emerge from a leaf.

Once you’ve started a patch of baby’s tears (or acquired some starter plants), propagating more plants is easy and virtually free. Let the graceful abundance continue spreading!

Common Problems and Solutions for Baby’s Tears

While relatively trouble-free, baby’s tears can occasionally suffer from a few issues if conditions are not ideal. Here are some potential problems and how to resolve them:

Yellowing Leaves

If the foliage turns yellow, the plant is likely not getting enough nutrients or moisture. Check that