Question
What care does the aluminum plant need.  The one I have started loosing its leaves?

Answer
Dorene,

The aluminum plant (Pilea cadierei) is an evergreen perennial grown for its delicate foliage; it features shiny, silver markings surrounding green leaf veins. The plant's eye-catching foliar splotching has earned Pilea the nickname of watermelon plant. Native to Vietnam, aluminum plant grows outdoors in tropical regions as a shade-garden ground cover. Pilea makes an easy-to-grow houseplant.

Aluminum plant grows outdoors year-round in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. Grow the plant as an annual outdoors in other zones. Aluminum plant requires average indoor temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It will suffer leaf loss if too hot during the day or too cold at night.

Provide aluminum plant with partial shade outdoors. Plants grown in deep shade become leggy, while plants grown in full sun get scorched, washed-out foliage. Indoor-grown aluminum plants require moderate to bright light from a west- or east-facing window.

Plant container-grown Pilea in a light potting soil mixture that contains approximately 1 part peat moss, 1 part loam and 2 parts sand or perlite.

Watering: During the spring, summer and early fall, keep an indoor or outdoor grown aluminum plant evenly moist but not soggy. Cut back on watering in the late fall and winter months, but let no more than the top 2 inches of soil dry out at any given time. Irrigate indoor Pilea with lukewarm water. Never allow it to sit with water in the drain tray as that will cause root rot and leaf loss.

Fertilizing: Aluminum plant grows best with regular feedings. Apply a half-strength solution of an all-purpose plant food every week during the spring and summer months and the same amount of fertilizer once a month in fall and winter.

Pinching and Propagating: Pinch the aluminum plant back in early summer to stimulate branching and create a full, bushy plant. Snip off the top two sets of leaves at the end of each stem, pinching just above the third set of leaves.

You can use the cuttings to propagate more aluminum plants. Pull off the bottom set of leaves on each stem and dip them into moist seed-starting mix. Plant the cuttings into soil and keep the area around the cuttings humid by covering the pot with a plastic bag. Water the soil when the surface dries. The cuttings should root in three to four weeks, at which time you can remove the plastic bag.

Potential Problems: Aluminum plant is susceptible to various diseases, such as Xanthomonas leaf spot. Caused by a bacteria, this condition creates dry, brown lesions on the silver part of the leaves that eventually become holes. Avoid this condition by not overwatering. Anthracnose kills cuttings and creates black lesions on leaves. Prevent this fungal disease by keeping foliage dry. Pests that attack aluminum plant include aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, shoreflies, scale insects and whiteflies. Remove all of these pests with a strong spray of water and follow with the appropriate pesticides.

More questions, write again. Good luck

Darlene