Tradescantia

Family. Commelinaceae.

Homeland. The bush originates from Mexico.

Description. The genus "Tradescantia" has about 65 widespread, spectacular species. Bushes can have creeping stems or form basal rosettes of leaves.

The leaves are sessile or on very short petioles, oblong-lanceolate or elliptical. The arrangement of the leaves is regular. The shades of the leaf blades include green, dark green, purple, burgundy and white. The underside is often painted in a contrasting shade. Variegated varieties have longitudinal contrasting stripes.

The flowers are small, inconspicuous, white, pink or lilac, with 3 triangular petals, single or in few-flowered inflorescences, located at the tops of the shoots.

It is interesting that after flowering, lateral shoots are formed in place of the buds.

Height. Reaches a height of 30 - 60 cm. The final size will depend on the conditions of maintenance and the characteristics of the variety.

Growing in open ground

In open ground, tradescantia is kept as an annual plant or brought into a warm room for the winter.

For planting, choose a place protected from direct sunlight during the day, as well as from strong gusts of wind.

Planting is carried out in the second half of May - early June, when night frosts have passed.

A small plot of land is prepared for placement, which is carefully dug up and weeded.

After loosening, small planting holes are made, at the bottom of which you can put a small drainage layer in the form of coarse river sand or fine expanded clay.

A small amount of humus or well-rotted horse or cow manure is placed on the drainage layer.

Too heavy, clayey soil can be improved by adding organic matter and sand to improve drainage.

The bushes are placed in planting holes at the same depth at which they were in the pots, and sprinkled with earth in a circle.

After planting, the substrate is compacted.

Further care will consist of timely watering, fertilizing, loosening and weeding.

The plants do not tolerate frost, so it is better to bring them indoors in the fall.

Care at home

Soil 

Any well-drained soil containing organic matter is suitable for growing tradescantia.

As a basis for the mixture, you can use light ingredients such as leaf and turf soil, as well as humus and garden soil.

Add perlite or coarse sand to the soil to improve drainage - the soil should easily allow moisture and air to pass to the plant's roots.

Propagation

Reproduction is quite simple - even a small shoot or cutting can eventually turn into an attractive, beautiful bush.

1. Tradescantia most often propagates vegetatively - by apical cuttings, in spring and summer.
2. Cuttings 10 - 15 cm long are separated from the mother plant with pruning shears.
3. Rooting occurs easily and quickly in a mixture of peat and wet sand or in ordinary water - within 2 - 3 weeks.
4. Remember that a cutting placed in an opaque container with water will produce roots faster than a cutting rooted in a transparent glass.
5. Seedlings rooted in water are planted in a substrate when the roots reach a length of 1–2 cm.
6. When planted, such flowers delay their development, as the root system adapts to new living conditions.

In order for the bushes to appear lush and dense, it is worth planting 5 - 7 cuttings in one pot.

Some species are divided into several parts when transplanting in the spring. The rhizomes are cut into pieces with a sharpened and sterilized knife.

When dividing, it is necessary to ensure that each division has a well-developed root system and an above-ground part.

The wound surface remaining after division is sprinkled with crushed coal powder or simple ash - this will dry and disinfect it.

After planting in separate containers, watering begins only after a few days, so that the roots damaged by division do not begin to rot.

The lodging stems of Tradescantia easily root on their own when in contact with the ground - this property is used in propagation by air layering.

1. To propagate by air layering, place a small pot of soil next to the flower pot containing the mother plant.
2. Long stems are taken into this container, pinned to the surface of the ground and lightly sprinkled with substrate, leaving the tip of the shoot above the soil surface.
3. The soil in the pot with layering is carefully and regularly moistened with a spray bottle.
4. After some time, roots appear in the leaf node of such layerings.

The successful completion of the rooting process will be indicated by the appearance of new, young leaves and shoots.

Another 2 - 3 weeks after the appearance of new growth, the cuttings can be completely separated from the mother bush.

Another method of propagation is by seeds, which is rarely used, since the most successful and fastest methods are still cuttings, division and air layering.

Seed propagation is more suitable for experienced and curious flower growers, who will be interested in observing the entire process of plant development from the very beginning.  

1. Fresh seeds are sown in the spring on the surface of a well-moistened, loose and nutritious substrate, consisting of a mixture of peat and river sand, taken in equal quantities.
2. The container with seedlings is placed in a warm place (about 20 degrees Celsius) and protected from direct sunlight. 
3. To maintain an optimally high level of humidity, seedlings are covered with glass or transparent polyethylene film.
4. The crops are ventilated daily, removing the cover and removing the accumulated condensation from it.
5. With the appearance of the first shoots, which can be seen within 7 - 10 days, the shelter is removed.
6. The first picking into separate, small cups is carried out with the appearance of the first 2 - 3 true leaves.
7. Fertilizing the bushes begins 2–3 weeks after picking, using a very weak solution of mineral fertilizers for decorative foliage species.

In tradescantia obtained from seeds, the first buds will appear only in the third year of life.

How to prune and grow

Caring for tradescantia is not difficult. Proper crown formation of this perennial will help you get a compact and dense bush. In addition, regular pruning can rejuvenate adult specimens, which over time lose their lower leaves and bare their stems.

Pinch the apical buds of young shoots to form lateral branches. Pruning is carried out with a sharp sterile tool.

If shoots with green leaves appear on varieties with variegated leaves, they should be removed immediately.

In the warm season, take indoor flowers out into the fresh air, taking care to shelter them from strong wind, direct sunlight and rain. Tradescantia especially does not like strong gusts of wind.

Since representatives of the genus do not tolerate frost, they should be brought indoors for the winter.

Do not place pots near heating devices in winter and under an air conditioner in summer.

How to replant

Tradescantia likes slightly cramped conditions, so do not rush to change the size of the pot.

Replant in the spring, with the beginning of new growth, this procedure is usually carried out simultaneously with pruning.

Young bushes are transplanted annually into a larger pot, and adult specimens can be replanted only every 2-3 years.

The growing pot should have large drainage holes. The plant has a very modest root system and should be planted in shallow, wide bowls.

Instead of transplanting, it is better to use gentle transshipment, transferring the bushes to a new container together with the old lump of earth, without destroying it. This procedure will be less traumatic for the root system.

1. Before planting, a drainage layer in the form of broken brick, expanded clay, river pebbles or crushed stone is laid on the bottom of the pot. It would also be a good idea to use broken clay pots as a drainage layer. 
2.  Sprinkle the drainage layer on top with a small layer of substrate and place a bush in the center of the pot.
3. The root system is sprinkled with fresh soil mixture, which is compacted with fingertips after planting to remove air pockets.

If there are signs of rotting of the root system and the plant does not look very healthy, then it is worth replanting with a complete replacement of the soil.

To do this, remove the bush from the old pot and carefully shake off the roots from the old soil, then carefully examine it and cut off the rotten and old roots with a sharp pruner.

Planting is carried out only in fresh and well-sterilized soil, since pathogens can remain in the old mixture.

In general, tradescantia tolerates transplantation very easily, easily recovers after it and continues to develop.

Diseases and pests

Even for this widespread and unassuming flower, there are certain agricultural techniques, the violation of which will lead to various diseases.

• Excess nutrients in the soil are harmful for varieties with variegated leaves - they fade.
• The tips of the leaves dry out and turn brown at low air humidity.
• With insufficient lighting, the shoots stretch out and turn pale, the internodes lengthen, and the leaf blades become smaller.
• Variegated varieties may turn simply green in insufficient light. 
• When moisture stagnates and drainage is insufficient, the root system rots.
• Tradescantia withers with insufficient watering, its leaf blades lose turgor.
• Fungal diseases appear when bushes are kept in too cool and humid conditions, or when there is insufficient air movement.
• Tradescantia does not grow - in the winter months, when kept cool and insufficiently lit, the plants can actually stop their development.
• Leaf blades become small when there is a lack of nutrients in the substrate, as well as when grown in direct sunlight.

Among the insect pests, the plant can be attacked by spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, thrips and scale insects.

Flowering time 

Flowering can occur at any time of the year, but it will be most abundant in the summer. Since representatives of the genus in the vast majority of cases are kept as decorative foliage, the emerging buds can be pinched so that the bush does not waste energy on the formation of flowers.

Watering

The substrate should be evenly moist in spring and summer, when tradescantia actively develops. Immerse the pot in a large container of water for a few minutes and let the excess moisture drain.

After each watering, drain the excess moisture from the tray under the pot.

In autumn and winter, the frequency of watering is slightly reduced, drying the soil to a depth of 1-2 cm before each subsequent watering.

If the bush is given a period of rest in a cool room, then watering should be so rare as to simply prevent the earthen lump from drying out completely.

Small, young seedlings especially often need regular watering; adult specimens tolerate short-term drying out more easily.

For watering, use only well-settled water at room temperature. You can also water the soil with filtered or bottled drinking water.

Fertilizer 

From spring to autumn, feed with complex fertilizers every 2 weeks.

In autumn and winter, the frequency of fertilizing is reduced to once a month or stopped completely until spring. Resume fertilizing only in the spring, with the appearance of the first signs of new growth.

Green-leaved species react positively to both mineral and organic fertilizers; variegated varieties are best fed with mineral fertilizers.  For green tradescantia, the most successful will be the alternation of organic and mineral fertilizers.

An excess of organic matter in the soil in which the variegated plant is grown will lead to a loss of brightness of the leaf blades.

Fertilizing with a high nitrogen content enhances the growth of green mass, but the leaves lose turgor and become soft. 

Apply the nutrient solution only to moist soil, after abundant watering. If fertilizers in dry soil get on the root system, it can cause a burn.

Temperature

Tradescantia is a heat-loving genus, it is kept at a temperature of 20-24 °C all year round. In the winter months, the temperature should be slightly lowered, since there is not enough light, and the shoots stretch out.

If you use artificial lighting, then a dormant period is not necessary.

The plants do not tolerate a decrease in temperature to 10 °C.

Lighting

Green-leaved varieties can grow in the shade, but variegated varieties require several hours of direct sunlight daily - in the morning or evening.

In spring and summer from 11:00 to 16:00 shoots should be shaded from direct sunlight.

In autumn and winter, when solar activity decreases and the weather is often cloudy, you can place the tradescantia on the southern window.

In the shade, with a lack of sunlight, the bright colors of the variegated leaves fade.

The bushes are successfully grown under artificial lighting, which is organized with the help of fluorescent lamps or phytolamps.

The most successful for placement are considered to be windowsills facing east or west.

Long-term exposure to direct sunlight on the leaves can cause burns.

The most shade-tolerant variety is considered to be tradescantia with white flowers.

How to spray 

When the central heating is on or the temperature is high, the air in the room becomes too dry and the plants will need increased humidity.

Place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles or use a room humidifier. When growing on a tray, make sure that the water level is always below the bottom of the pot.

You can spray the leaves in the morning with room temperature water, remembering about good air circulation. Spraying is carried out in such a way that droplets of moisture have time to evaporate from the surface of the leaf blades before dusk and do not cause rotting.

You can also increase the air humidity by simply placing several plants in a limited space.

Do not spray species with fluffy leaf blades - pubescence can retain droplets of moisture, which will lead to rotting.

Spraying is also undesirable for succulent tradescantia.

Place the flower in a room that is regularly ventilated, but do not expose it to cold drafts.

In the warm season, plants can be bathed under a shower with water at a temperature of 35 - 40 degrees Celsius. During the procedure, do not forget to cover the soil in the pot with plastic wrap - this will protect the earthen lump from erosion.

After taking a shower, leave the pot in the humid atmosphere of the bathroom for another 20-30 minutes.

Such procedures help not only to clean the leaf blades from dust, but also help to prevent the invasion of harmful insects, such as spider mites.

Purpose

Tradescantia is a valuable ornamental foliage genus that does not require complex care.

The bushes are often grown as ampelous plants in hanging baskets or pots, with the hanging stems extending beyond the edges of the pots, forming a beautiful cascade.

It is often used as a groundcover species, planted at the foot of large trees.

Note

The seedlings retain an attractive appearance for about 2 years, after which they stretch out, lose their lower leaves and should be replaced with a fresh plant.

The leaf blades are able to clean the air in the room from harmful impurities.

The juice of white tradescantia can cause irritation and redness of the skin - when working, use protective gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

One of the interesting facts about the plant is that cats, hamsters and parrots, as well as other pets, love to taste it - for them, the leaves of this flower are sources of vitamins and microelements.

Tradescantia zebrina has medicinal properties - its juice can reduce blood sugar levels.

Hydroponics

Tradescantia grows well hydroponically.

Types of tradescantia:

Tradescantia violet or setcreasea

A small genus of perennial evergreens - tradescantia with purple leaves. Stems lodging, creeping. The leaves are green or purple, 10 - 15 cm long, on short petioles or sessile, arranged alternately. There are varieties with longitudinal pink stripes. The leaf blades have velvety pubescence. The flowers are pink, with 3 triangular petals, up to 2 cm in diameter. 

Tradescantia virginiana

One of the subspecies of Tradescantia Anderson, is a herbaceous perennial plant up to 90 cm high. The leaves are arched, linear, slightly bent along the central vein. Flowers with three petals, white, violet-blue, pink or purple, relatively large - up to 4 cm in diameter, with bright yellow stamens, collected in small inflorescences - umbrellas. The flowering period is long, occurring at the end of May - beginning of July. Flowering is abundant and attractive. 

Tradescantia zebrina

Herbaceous, evergreen, perennial, bushy plant. Zebrina variegata grows quickly, its stems can reach 180 cm in length. The leaves are sessile, oval or spear-shaped, 5 - 10 cm long, with sharp tips, very varied in color, but all have stripes. Young leaves and the undersides of adult leaves are purple. Pink, white or purple small flowers with 3 petals appear in spring and summer, but are not particularly valuable. 

Rhoeo

Reo is a monotypic genus, consisting of only 1 species - an ornamental deciduous evergreen herbaceous plant. Long - up to 30 cm, sword-shaped, hard leaves of rheo are located on a strong, low trunk. The lower surface of the leaf blade is colored red or purple. The flowers are small, white, inconspicuous, axillary. Variegated varieties have longitudinal light stripes - white or pink. 

Tradescantia albiflora

Plants that have probably gained the most popularity among tradescantia at the present time. They are a very beautiful, often miniature species with bright striped, very light - almost white leaves and very delicate white flowers. Unfortunately, this plant requires a lot of sunlight; when grown in partial shade, the leaves may turn green. 

Tradescantia fluminensis

Perennial, evergreen, herbaceous plant with long, pendulous stems. It forms such a magnificent shape that when grown in hanging pots, it resembles a wig from a distance. The leaves are oval, fleshy, green, up to 5 cm long. The underside of the leaf blades is often painted in a contrasting purple hue. The flowers are tiny, three-petaled, white, and can appear at any time of the year. Indoor tradescantia rarely pamper gardeners with the appearance of buds. 

Small-leaved tradescantia is sometimes used as a dense ground cover. 

Tradescantia sillamontana or cyanotis

Perennial, evergreen, herbaceous, “shaggy”, succulent plant with branched, rather thick, creeping shoots. The leaves of this variety are lanceolate or linear, glossy, fleshy, covered with delicate white fluff, and arranged alternately. The flowers are axillary, blue or purple, and are not of particular interest. Externally, the plant resembles the related tradescantia. In some varieties, the underside of the leaf blade has a burgundy tint. 

Tradescantia blossfeldiana

This variety of tradescantia is a very unpretentious, groundcover perennial plant with creeping, thick, abundantly branching stems and dark green, narrow leaves. The lower surface of the leaf blades has rich, attractive pubescence. At any time of year, the plant may produce pink, blue, purple or white flowers with three petals. 

Tradescantia loddgiesii

A bright decorative foliage plant with long leaves. The upper part of the leaf blade often has three-petal flowers, inconspicuous, small, white or pink.

Tradescantia navicularis or callisia navicularis

 A compact succulent plant with thick, relatively short, branching shoots, on which fleshy, boat-shaped leaves 2 - 3 cm long are very densely located. The color of the leaves varies from dark green to pinkish and burgundy. The flowers are small, unattractive, with 3 pink petals.