How Do You Take Care Of A Tradescantia Cerinthoides?
How Do You Take Care Of A Tradescantia Cerinthoides? How do you take care of a Tradescantia Cerinthoides? Tradescantia Cerinthoides is a shade-loving plant that does well in moist, fertile soil and full to partial sun. They prefer warm weather, so they should probably be planted in the spring or early summer if you live…
How Do You Take Care Of A Tradescantia Cerinthoides?
How do you take care of a Tradescantia Cerinthoides?
Tradescantia Cerinthoides is a shade-loving plant that does well in moist, fertile soil and full to partial sun.
They prefer warm weather, so they should probably be planted in the spring or early summer if you live in a cooler climate. The following are aspects when caring;
Sunlight
Tradescantia Cerinthoides needs sun. The more sunlight the better. Make sure that it is not exposed to any direct sunlight for at least a part of the day, as this can scorch and even kill it. A good spot for your plant would be a semi-shady area that gets plenty of light without too much sun exposure.
Soil
Tradescantia Cerinthoides needs constantly moist soil, but nobody likes seeing a pot of water sitting near the plant all the time. The best way to prevent over-watering is to make sure that the soil is porous and well drained, and there is good drainage in your pot.
Add some organic matter such as peat moss or compost to your soil to increase its water-holding capacity, making it more likely for you to have a dry patch of soil between watering.
Watering
Water your Tradescantia Cerinthoides sparingly. Water it only when the soil feels dry about an inch below the surface. If you are not sure, wait a day or two and see if that changes anything. Over-watering can cause root rot, which will eventually kill your plant.
Trimming
Trim any dead flowers off the Tradescantia Cerinthoides as they die, but don’t cut the stems back to healthy woody growth. Remove any brown or yellow leaves you see, since these will be a waste of nutrients for the plant.
Temperature
Tradescantia Cerinthoides is relatively hardy, and it will resist heat as long as you don’t expose it to too much direct sunlight. If you live in a very warm area, Tradescantia Cerinthoides may not survive the summer without spending more time indoors in a cool, close place.
Fertilizing
Tradescantia Cerinthoides is fairly low-maintenance and doesn’t need fertilizer if the soil is kept well-drained. If you decide to fertilize, use an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength.
Repotting
Tradescantia Cerinthoides should be repotted every 2-3 years into a pot one size larger than its current pot. Repotting it while keeping it in the existing pot will cause the plant’s roots to become matted and tangled. If you see roots growing out of the drainage holes, this is a sign that it needs repotting right away.
Humidity
As Tradescantia Cerinthoides is native to the Americas, it prefers a warm, humid climate. If you live in a dry area, place it on a humidity tray to keep it happy. The tray also serves as a good watering substitute for the dry times between watering.
Propagation
Tradescantia Cerinthoides can be propagated by seed and cuttings. To propagate your Tradescantia Cerinthoides, dig up a few plants and transfer them to a pot filled with damp peat moss. Allow the roots to dry out and harden before planting it in its new pot.
Taller Tradescantia Cerinthoides may not be able to survive the cold winter in a pot, so they should be brought inside before that time of year.
How big does a Tradescantia Cerinthoides get?
Well, a Tradescantia Cerinthoides can grow to be as large as feet in diameter, but the norm is about 4-12 inches in diameter. Tradescantia cerinthoides grow and care – herbaceous of the genus Tradescantia, also known as Spiderwort.
Tradescantia cerinthoides perennial evergreen or annual in colder climates used as ornamental plant, can grow in Mediterranean, desert, subtropics, temperate, or tropics climates and growing in hardiness zones 9b+ as perennial with proper overwintering care in hardiness zone 9a and up as an annual in hardiness zone 8.
Tradescantia Cerinthoides is nocturnal and bloom from spring to summer rain or dry season. Tradescantia Cerinthoides is occasionally used as herbal medicine for its anti-fungal, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and fever-reducing properties.
The plant also used to treat acne and kidney problems. Tradescantia Cerinthoides leaves are strong in flavor with a bitter taste. When you want to prune your plant you need sharp garden scissors for the cleanest cut possible. Pruning will also help strengthen your Tradescantia Cerinthoides plants.
How do you prune a Tradescantia Cerinthoides?
Tradescantia Cerinthoides is a very easy plant to prune. Simply take a sharp pair of pruning shears and make short back cuts along the stem of your Tradescantia Cerinthoides. Be very careful to not cut more than you need to.
Try not to cut it all off at once, as this will weaken the plant and make it less able to handle cold winter weather. There are steps to follow when pruning;
- Take the sharp pruning shears and make back cuts to about 1/3 of its length. Make sure that the cuts are smooth, without jagged edges.
- Wait until the end of a rain or watering. This makes it easier to see where you need to prune (the cuts will be easier to see).
- Tradescantia Cerinthoides grows best when pruned in late summer or early fall, just before the first frost.
- Tradescantia Cerinthoides plants that are pruned too early may not be able to handle winter weather.
- Tradescantia Cerinthoides plant comes from many different varieties, so you can get several varieties from the same plant by cutting off the flowers and letting the plant grow into its desired shape.
How do you repot a Tradescantia Cerinthoides?
Tradescantia Cerinthoides is a very easy houseplant to repot. You will need a container that is at least twice as wide and twice as high as your larger pot. Tradescantia Cerinthoides should be repotted every 2-3 years into a pot one size larger than its current pot.
Repotting it while keeping it in the existing pot will cause the plant’s roots to become matted and tangled. If you see roots growing out of the drainage holes, this is a sign that it needs repotting right away.
- Set the new pot on a tray with about an inch of soilless potting mix, or damp peat moss.
- Water your plant thoroughly to moisten the soil below it, then work soil gently into the pot so that it settles evenly around all sides. Be gentle as you do this, as you don’t want to create air pockets in your pot and water may escape if broken up.
- When repotting your plant, you must remove the plant from it’s container carefully. Tradescantia Cerinthoides plants can be extremely fragile when they are taken out of the container. Once removed, gently set it on the tray that you prepared with potting soil earlier.
- Gently move around the roots so that they are in an even pile, then add additional soil so that they are resting on top of it.
- Continue to tamp the soil down around the roots until it reaches the inner edge of your pot. Then, take a bird’s beak loupe or a pair of sharp garden scissors and smooth out any bumps or irregularities in your Tradescantia Cerinthoides plant’s root ball.
- You can also add new potting media as you work, if you feel that it is necessary to help keep the soil moist.
How much light does Tradescantia Cerinthoides need?
Tradescantia Cerinthoides need a lot of light. If you have too little light for your Tradescantia Cerinthoides, it will become leggy, and the edges of the leaves will start to turn brown.
Tradescantia Cerinthoides plants do not need full sunlight, but they should be exposed to at least 4 hours of direct sunlight each day.
However, it will do just fine if you only have 2-3 hours of direct sunlight each day. If you live in a very hot area and find that you’re Tradescantia Cerinthoides is wilting, try moving it to a shadier area to give it some relief from the sun.
Is Tradescantia Cerinthoides an indoor or outdoor plant?
Tradescantia Cerinthoides is considered an indoor plant. Whether it is grown in a container or planted in the ground, Tradescantia Cerinthoides needs to be inside for part of the year. This plant does well as an indoor plant if you live in a colder climate, but if you live in a warmer climate and want to keep your Tradescantia Cerinthoides from year-to-year, you should dig it up and store it indoors during winter.
If you live in a colder climate, your Tradescantia Cerinthoides should be brought inside when the temperature is expected to drop below 50 degrees F. Even if it is protected from the cold, freezing temperatures can still harm your plant, so it should be brought inside before temperatures get too low.
If you live in a warmer climate, bring your Tradescantia Cerinthoides inside during its dormant period. This can vary from plant to plant.
How do I make Tradescantia Cerinthoides flower?
In order to make Tradescantia Cerinthoides flower, you need to first understand how to induce flowering in it. It is important to know that the plant will not flower until it reaches maturity (usually after about 2 or 3 years).
If you want your Tradescantia Cerinthoides to flower in your garden, dig it up and bring it inside. You can keep plants from different varieties together, but do not mix them with other houseplants. The light levels that you provide your plants can have an effect on flower formation.
Make sure your Tradescantia Cerinthoides plants get at least 4 hours of sunlight each day. Try to keep most of the direct sunlight off the leaves, as they can burn if they are exposed to too much sun. The ideal temperature range for flowering is between 60 and 70 degrees F, but it will still flower if grown outside or kept in a greenhouse.
Is Tradescantia Cerinthoides invasive?
Tradescantia Cerinthoides are not invasive, but there are many different varieties of Tradescantia Cerinthoides that are. These varieties form dense colonies which crowd out everything around them.
Plants should be cut back to the ground if they become too invasive. These varieties can easily be identified because of their size, as they grow to over 1 foot tall.
Tradescantia Cerinthoides spread out around the area that they are planted. It is recommended to dig your Tradescantia Cerinthoides up and divide it every 3-4 years to keep it healthy and prevent this spreading. This can also be done at any time, if it is becoming too large for the space in which you are growing it.