How to Grow Wandering Jew Plants from Cuttings
There are three ways to restart or grow a wandering jew 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 wandering jew houseplants.
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.
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| source: Pinterest |
The last way to re-root your wandering jew 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 wandering jew houseplant will grow.
CARE:
Water completely and allow the soil to dry partially before watering again. This plant doesn’t like to dry out, but it also doesn’t like to be constantly wet.
You can water less during the winter months during the plant’s resting period.
Provide fertilizer twice a month in the spring and summer.
PESTS/DISEASES:
Aphids tend to be a problem on the stems and leaves. To get rid of them, pinch off the infected stems and spray the plant with water.
HARVEST/STORAGE:
Wandering Jew can easily be propagated by cuttings. Snip off a piece of the plant (the cutting should ideally be 3–4 inches long) and place the cut end in water. In about a week or less, the cutting should produce roots. A week or so later, plant the cutting in a pot according to the planting guidelines above.
RECOMMENDED VARIETIES:
Tradescantia zebrina ‘Tricolor’ (pictured at the top of this page) has beautiful purple and green leaves with shiny silver stripes.
Tradescantia pallida ‘Purple Heart’ has fuzzy, purple foliage.
OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE:
Tradescantia Zebrinas prefer average to warm temperatures of 55--80 degrees during the day and above 50 degrees at night.
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.
To make your own soil mixture, add equal parts of the following:
- 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.
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.
TOXICITY
Tradescantia Zebrina are non-toxic to people and pets.
