Wandering Jew Plant

Wandering Jew Plant

Years ago, before raising plants for profit became a business, everyone with houseplants knew how to grow inch plants (Tradescantia zebrina). Gardeners would share cuttings from their inch plant houseplants with neighbors and friends, and the plants would travel from place to place.

Basic Inch Plant Care

Inch plant care requires bright, indirect light. If the light is too dim, the distinctive leaf markings will fade. Keep the soil slightly moist, but don’t water directly into the crown as this will cause an unsightly rot. Care should be taken, particularly in winter, that the plant doesn’t become too dry. Mist inch plants frequently. Feed your plant monthly with a half-strength liquid fertilizer.

An important part of growing inch plants is pinching back the long, vining tendrils. Pinch back about a fourth of the plant to encourage branching and increase fullness.

Inch plants have a relatively short lifespan, and do not age well. No matter how attentive your inch plant care is, before long it will lose its leaves at the base, while its long legs keep growing. This means it’s time to renew your plant by taking cuttings and rooting them. Don’t be surprised if your inch plants need to be renewed once a year or so.

How to Grow Inch Plants from Cuttings

There are three ways to restart or grow an inch plant houseplant.The first is, to me, is the most efficient. Cut off a dozen long legs and bury the cut ends in fresh potting soil. Keep the soil moist and within a few weeks, you’ll see new growth. Always make sure your soil is fresh, as the salt build up in old soil is lethal to inch plants.
Even though these plants hate soggy feet in their pots, they love rooting in water. A dozen shoots placed in a glass of water in a sunny window will produce roots in no time.
The last way to re-root your inch plant is to lay your cuttings right on top of the moist soil. Make sure each ‘joint’ makes contact with the soil. Roots will form at each joint and from each a new inch plant houseplant will grow.

For More Information : Wandering Jew Plant

Light

This is a houseplant that really thrives in bright but indirect sunlight. The brighter the light you provide your wandering jew plant, the more flowers it will produce.

If it’s not getting enough light, the brightly-colored foliage will begin to fade.

Water

These plants are happy as long as they’re not kept soaked or allowed to be completely dry too long. Keeping the soil evenly moist is the best.

You’ll know it’s ready for more water when the soil is dry to at least 1/2″ deep. Give it a good drink but be sure that the pot drains well.

Soil

You can use a standard houseplant potting mix for your wandering jew, but they’ll do even better if you give them soil that has more organic matter.

• Perlite or coarse sand
• Peat or humus
• Garden soil
• A light dusting of lime
• A handful of rich, organic compost

You’re looking for the perfect balance of water retention and draining ability, so give the plant a watering and watch to see which way your soil tends to go, then adjust accordingly.

Fertilizer

Use a water-soluble fertilizer at least twice a month during the growing season. Be sure to dilute it down to 50% strength to avoid nutrient burn on the foliage.

You can also use a slow-release fertilizer to the soil once a year.​

Repotting

If your wandering jew’s beginning to become a bit crammed in its pot, select a pot that’s 1-2″ wider than its current one. Prepare your pot with a little fresh potting soil around the sides.

Remove your plant from its existing pot, setting the root ball into the new one. Add or remove soil as necessary to get it in place. Then, fill to 2″ below the pot’s rim. Lightly tamp down the potting soil to anchor the plant in place.

Pruning​

Wandering jew plants have a tendency to get leggy, so pruning them becomes a must if you want to maintain a healthy appearance.

Simply prune back the stems and pinch off stem tips. The plant will send out two shoots from right below the pinched area, making your plant bushier.​

Propagation

Whatever you do, don’t waste your stem cuttings! ​Wandering jew propagation is easily done from stem cuttings.

Remove all but a few leaves off of the stem cuttings and then place them in a smaller pot with moist potting soil in a warm, bright area.

You’ll start seeing new shoots growing after 1-1.5 months. Wandering jew plants are one of the easiest  houseplants to propagate!

Problems

In some people and animals, skin irritation can occur when coming in contact with the sap from the plant. You should keep it in an area that is hard for your cat or dog to reach. A good idea is to grow it in hanging baskets that are too high up for your pets to nibble on!

Please Note

This product will be hand delivered to your doorstep.

The image is for reference only.

Please take out the plant from the box immediately after receiving and water it as required.
Water the soil, not the leaves and flowers.
Keep it away from direct sunlight.

Avoid placing plants in trouble spots, such as near heat or air conditioning ducts.

From enisarg.com