Tradescantia - home care, reproduction, photo species

Plant photo

Tradescantia (Tradescantia) - a plant from central and south America. It is a system of several straight or creeping shoots and saber-like leaves. Colors can be different: green, white, purple, blue, red, gray.

Life expectancy is high, 7-10 years. The plant is a perennial. However, over time, it needs an update. The height of home tradescantia usually varies from 30 to 60 cm. Wild specimens can reach a meter in height. For a year, the plant can grow up to 30 cm.

The flowering period is the summer months, mainly from July to August. In culture, the plant is flowering and decorative foliage.

	For a year, the plant can grow up to 30 cm.
	It blooms in summer, mainly from July to August. In culture, the plant is flowering and decorative foliage.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	Perennial.

Beneficial features

Tradescantia zebrin. A photo

The plant often brings great benefits in various diseases and helps in a number of situations. This includes:

1. Water purification. Often used as a filter in an aquarium.
2. Purification of air from electromagnetic radiation.
3. Stop bleeding with small wounds. A sheet should be attached to the sore spot and bandaged.
4. Protection against respiratory diseases, most often bronchitis.
5. Protection against gastrointestinal diseases. In the presence of such diseases, 30% tincture mixed with water should be consumed internally.
6. Treatment for angina. If the throat hurts, you need to rinse it with the plant juice mixed with water in any proportion. If a runny nose bothers, you need to moisten the gauze in the same solution and lay it in the nostrils.

But do not forget that some species are poisonous plants. For example, pale tradescantia.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

A plant can bloom and delight a person for several years, if you create a favorable place for him to live. For tradescantia in indoor conditions, a certain environment is needed in which the plant can exist. The conditions necessary for this are presented in the table:

Temperature	At different times of the year, you can maintain different temperatures. In summer - not higher than 18-24 ℃, in winter - not lower than 10 ℃
Humidity	The plant is able to tolerate indoor conditions in humidity, relatively tolerant to dry air. However, it responds well to spraying, especially in summer. Its content in trays with wet expanded clay is also good. The only exception is the tradescantia of sillamontana. High humidity is bad for the roots of this plant. Excess moisture causes them to rot. But there are also positive aspects - this species easily tolerates dry air.
Shine	For many types of plants, bright diffused lighting is favorable. The presence of partial shade also affects it positively.
The soil	It is advisable to grow in garden soils, although you can take any other, even mixed. Moreover, the soil can be prepared independently. On the Internet you can find many ways to cook. But it is important to remember one condition - the soil must be drained.
Watering	Depends on the time of year. In summer and spring, you need to water 2 times a week, in winter - no more than 1 time per week. Neither soil overdrying nor water stagnation should be allowed.
Fertilizer	Fertilize in spring and summer once every 2 weeks.
Transfer	It is carried out every 2 or 3 years. Over time, there are fewer leaves on the shoots. To make the plant look beautiful, it is better to replace these shoots with cuttings.
Breeding	It is carried out by a vegetative method. It is necessary to transplant several cuttings into a mixture of peat and moss.
Growing Features	Keep in mind that the stems are easy to break. Another thing to consider when leaving is to regularly pinch the tops of the shoots.

Care for tradescantia at home. In detail

Not always simple provision of necessary conditions is enough. Those who are interested in gardening and plant growing should consider each item for the care of tradescantia at home in more detail.

Landing

Not too picky about landing. The main requirement is not to plant it in ordinary soil. This will increase the risk of his illness.

Bloom

Flowers with three petals are located abundantly throughout the plant. This is the main feature of its flowering. Tradescantia flowers grown at home will be pleasing to the eye for a long time if the plant is properly looked after.

When evening comes, the flowers fold and turn into boxes. In these boxes they complete their flowering.

Another feature of the plant is that seed boxes and unopened buds are difficult to distinguish from each other.

Temperature mode

Temperature is not one of the main indicators of the favorable existence of room tradescantia. The plant can tolerate both high temperature in summer and low temperature in winter. The main thing is not to take it too literally. Do not put the plant in extreme temperatures on purpose.

Spraying

Home tradescantia loves a high level of humidity. In the summer it is worth spraying it more often. It is most convenient to do this with a conventional spray, but it is also possible under the shower.

The main thing is not to overdo it with pressure. Pressure should be low.

Lighting

The required lighting depends on the type of plant. Loves the shadow and does not tolerate direct sunlight. And for the variegated, on the contrary, as much light as possible is required.

The best solution in this situation would be to put the plant on the windowsill of the western or eastern windows. So you can create the perfect alternation of light and shadow.

Watering

Do not water too often tradescantia. In summer, 2 times a week is enough. In winter, watering can be reduced to 1 time per week.

Water preferably with infused water. After boiling, you need to insist water for several days. Then you get the perfect water for irrigation.

Pot

A large pot is not required for the plant. Although there is one important condition - the pot should be wide. During growth, it is characteristic to grow in different directions. If the pot is too narrow and there is not enough space, at best the plant will not look very good, at worst it will die.

Priming

The main condition is that the soil must be drained. It is also important that it is nutritious and preferably neutral. You can buy soil in any store for gardeners. Sometimes this is not possible. In this case, self-preparation of the soil is not difficult. In all sources, approximately the same recipe is given with minor differences.

To prepare, you need to take: forest soil - 2 parts, river sand and humus - 1 part each. Everything is mixed and poured into a pot. In order for the soil to be drained, each part of it must be punctured within half an hour. This is done separately, then all the parts are mixed.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

For normal life, the plant needs top dressing. In summer and spring, the tradescant should be fertilized 2 times a month, in winter 1 time is enough.

There is one important rule of fertilizing - fertilizers should not be nitrogen. It is because of nitrogen that the leaves weaken. If you do not stop fertilizing with nitrogen, the plant may even die.

Tradescant Transplant

If possible, it is advisable to transplant the tradescantia every spring for 4 years.

For transplanting a variegated species, soil with the lowest humus content will be required. In order for this species to have variegated petals, gardeners recommend trimming green ones.

Pruning

For young shoots to appear tradescantia need to crop. Pruning is done in early spring. Leafless stems and lower stems are trimmed.

Pruning can also be done to give the plant a specific shape.

Rest period

Only 2 species, Anderson and Virginia, have a clearly expressed dormant period. In other species, this period is slightly expressed. However, in any case, it is recommended at this time to reduce the fertilizing of the plant, or to stop it altogether.

Watering should also be done less frequently. The rest period falls in the fall and winter.

Growing tradescantia from seeds

To grow a plant from seeds, you need moist and fertile soil. It is desirable to mix sand in it. As soil should be taken chernozem or peat. Experienced gardeners recommend sowing several seeds in one form, several in another.

The procedure should be carried out in March. Room temperature should be around 20 ℃. Seeds are planted to a depth of 0.3-0.5 cm. During cultivation, do not forget to regularly spray and ventilate. If you do not ventilate the containers with the plant, the earth will be covered with mold, which prevents growth.

Flowering can be seen in the third year after planting the seeds.

Propagation of tradescantia by cuttings

It is most convenient for the gardener to propagate the plant by cuttings. The procedure for such reproduction can be carried out at any time of the year. You just need to cut a few stems and plant them in pots of at least 5 pieces. Rooting will occur in a few days. To prepare the soil, you need to take in equal parts land, humus and sand.

If suddenly after cutting the stems there is not enough time to plant them, you can put them in water. There they hold out for a long time. The main thing is not to forget to change the water and add mineral fertilizers.

But do not keep the stems in the water for too long. When the opportunity arises, it is advisable to plant the plant in the soil.

Diseases and Pests

If the plant has undergone disease, the cause is most likely due to improper environmental conditions. The reasons why diseases appear in tradescantia:

1. The tips of the leaves are dry tradescantia - dry air in the apartment.
2. Brown leaves appear - the soil mixture is swampy.
3. Stems are pulled - insufficient lighting.
4. Rotting stems - fever, overflow, heavy substrate.
5. Variegated leaves turn green - lack of light.
6. Slow growth and yellowing of leaves - lack of moisture.
7. The shoots at the bottom are bare - lack of pruning.

If no measures are taken when one of the listed diseases appears, the plant may die.

Pests that hit tradescantia:

• aphid;
• scale shield;
• spider mite.

Usually pests appear if the plant is in a too hot or dry room.

Types of tradescantia home with photos and names

White-flowered tradescantia (Tradescantia albiflora)

The plant has ovate striped leaves with alternating white and pale green. Shoots grow up to 50 cm long.

Tradescantia Blossfeldiana (Tradescantia blossfeldiana)

A species recognizable by dense lanceolate leaves and red-green stems. The color of the leaves is dark green. There is a pile on the stems and at the base of the leaves.

Tradescantia riverine (Tradescantia fluminensis)

The leaves of wild specimens have a smooth green color. But at home, you can get plants with striped or even spotty leaves.

Scaphoid tradescantia (Tradesantia navicularis)

This is the most unusual kind. Thick sheets resemble a boat in shape. Their color can be green, and purple, and red.

Striped tradescantia (Tradescantia varius)

This species is very powerful. The plant has a strong stem up to 50 cm high. The leaves are also long. The length of the sheet can be more than 30 cm, the width is 5-6 cm. The color of the sheet is purple below, the top is green, and slightly pronounced stripes are present.

Tradescantia sillamontana (Tradescantia sillamontana)

The only species that can live in dry semi-desert conditions. This property is promoted by a dense long pile with which stalks and leaves are covered. This pile helps to accumulate moisture and protects against its loss.

However, the plant cannot live in cold conditions, so in winter it must be kept in a warm room.

Watch the video: RHOEO - Drought tolerant plants - How to grow and propagation - Greg The Gardener (April 2024).