Women’s gossip (tradescantia)
The plant called Tradescantia belongs to the Commelinaceae family; Central America is considered the birthplace of this plant. Growing Tradescantia seems quite simple.
As for appearance, it is a ground cover herbaceous plant. The height and diameter of the plant will be thirty centimeters. Flowering occurs in summer. Tradescantia requires partial shade, and the optimal growing temperature can range from 10 to 27 degrees Celsius. Moderate watering is recommended, air humidity should also be moderate.
The genus of this plant itself includes evergreen perennial plants with creeping or drooping stems. These stems will be covered with small and pointed leaves. The plants are quite unpretentious in care. Some species of this plant have small flowers consisting of three petals, which will be colored white and pink.
Growing
Tradescantia needs a pot with good drainage, where coarse sand is sometimes added in small quantities. In spring and summer, the plant can be taken out into fresh air: after all, at temperatures above 27 degrees, the plant is not able to develop normally.
The apical shoots should be trimmed, and wilted leaves should be removed from hanging stems. In some varieties with especially variegated leaves, even new shoots should be removed. Those leaves that are at the bottom gradually fall off over time. Therefore, experts recommend preparing new cuttings in advance. Tradescantia is placed in a bright room that will be well ventilated; intense sunlight is completely contraindicated for the plant.
Watering should be done so that the soil is always not only moist, but even wet. From April to September, you will need to water the plants every two weeks with the addition of liquid fertilizer. In the morning, plants can be sprayed with water. During the cold season, you need to carefully ensure that the temperature does not drop below ten degrees Celsius. In winter and autumn, watering should be reduced somewhat, and spraying with water during this period is also not recommended.
Tradescantia propagation
You will need to cut cuttings from the tops of the stems at the very node, the length of which will be approximately ten centimeters, and the lowest leaves should be torn off. Three or four petioles are planted in pots whose diameter is approximately eight centimeters. Add a mixture consisting of two parts earth and one part fine sand. The soil should be moist, and the pot should be placed in the shade, where the air temperature does not exceed 21 degrees Celsius. As soon as the first signs of growth appear in the cuttings, they need to be moved to a larger pot. In this case, the care should be identical to the care of an adult plant. Of course, cuttings can produce roots simply in water, but they should be immediately transplanted into the ground, otherwise there is a high probability of serious damage to the roots.
It should be noted that lighting is very important for Tradescantia. Therefore, the proper level of lighting should be especially carefully monitored. In the shade, plants will grow rather slowly, their stems will be very thin, and their leaves will be sickly. For those varieties that have variegated leaves, the leaves may lose their colors over time. Some varieties of this plant may die completely in low light conditions. However, the presence of direct intense sunlight is also unacceptable: such a negative effect can simply burn the leaves of the plant.
Proper watering is also very important. If the soil is dry, the leaves may turn yellow, they wither and curl over time. Watering is especially important during the period of active growth: however, in winter, watering should be reduced, and the constant presence of water in the pan should not be allowed.
