Wandering Jew Plant Care

Years ago, before raising plants for profit had become a business and inch plants became trendy among gardening enthusiasts, everyone who had houseplants was knowledgeable about this particular type of plant- Tradescantia zebrina. Gardeners would share cuttings from their inch plant houseplants with neighbors and friends; sometimes the plants would travel from place to place after being gifted or traded.

How to Grow Inch Plants from Cuttings

There are three ways to restart or grow an inch plant houseplant. The first is, to me, the most efficient way of re-rooting one. 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 stays fresh (as it holds too much salt) since this would kill any inch plants due to soggy feet.

Even though these plants don’t like being kept with wet feet, they love foraging for nutrients when planted underwater (about 10 inches deep). A handful of shoots put into a glass of water in a sunny window will create roots in no time – try experimenting with different lengths of shoots for different levels of depth underwater!

INFORMATION ON WANDERING JEWS

Wandering Jew plants are trailing tropical plants that originated from Mexico. You can find them at garden centers everywhere, but they’re actually hardy perennials with an actual need for cooler environments. When you hear wandering jew plants, you might think about the traditional variety with purple and silver variegated leaves (Tradescantia zebrina), also known as inch plant.

However, this term just refers to one type of this perennial group of plants – Tradescantia – found throughout North America. All varieties require similar care and maintenance; all are fairly easy to grow.

DIFFERENT WANDERING JEW VARIETIES

With so many varieties of succulents available, it can be hard to narrow down your preference! Some come in green, others are variegated or purplish-brown. Whether you’re looking for a cactus or some air plants – there’s something here for everyone!

Here’s a list of the most common wandering jew varieties (take a look at the pictures throughout this post to see what some of them look like).

• Bolivian (while this is called “wandering jew”, it’s actually a different species)
• Bridal veil
• Red burgundy
• Purple fuzzy leaves
• Green fuzzy leaves
• Tricolor
• White/green variegated

HARDINESS

Though they might seem fragile at first glance, wandering Jews are surprisingly hearty plants that can survive in zones 9-11. They do not tolerate the cold well and will die from a hard freeze if left outside unprotected. However, these resilient plants can easily be brought inside for the winter months as houseplants to prolong their life.

WANDERING JEW PLANT CARE INDOORS

Before frost settles in for the winter, I transplant my wandering jew plants from outdoor garden beds to indoor pots. Doing so requires more maintenance than just planting them in dirt outdoors–but there are some perks to doing this.

If taken care of correctly, these plants will last for years with great life force and strong blooms; which makes all the work worth it in the end! For best results when growing these plants indoors, make sure they’re receiving enough light, appropriate water amounts, and plenty of humid air (such as an enclosed terrarium).

WANDERING JEW LIGHT REQUIREMENTS

Wandering Jews are very particular about the amount of sunlight they receive. They need a lot of light to maintain their brightness, but prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can burn them (purple queens don’t seem to mind). The best place for outdoor wandering Jew care is an east- or west-facing window – this way they’ll receive enough natural morning and evening light as well as bright indirect sun all day long. If you don’t have this type of placement for them indoors, set up artificial lighting with a grow lamp. Should you decide to take your wandering Jew outdoors during warmer months, make sure it spends most its time in the shade or some other spot out of direct afternoon sun which would do it harm.

WANDERING JEW PLANT FLOWERS

For an added bonus, fertilizing your plants can help encourage blooming. Wandering Jew flowers are small and insignificant looking- though there is some variation between varieties. They’re typically purple, pink, or white in color (though sometimes they’ll bloom even during the winter!), but never fail to amaze you when you see them for the first time.

Plant Care

Wandering Jew plants thrive with a bit of neglect, so you can let the soil become dried out in between waterings. Cut back on watering during the winter months, when growth slows. To fertilize – feed your wandering Jew plant with a water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half-strength every two weeks during the spring and summer if needed.

After the first year of growth, your spiderwort plant may become less lush. Simply take cuttings from healthy branches to root in the same container with the mother plant; periodically removing dried-out or discolored leaves will also help keep it looking its best.

Best Growing Conditions for Wandering Jew Plants

Spiderwort plants are highly adaptive. They thrive best in medium to bright indirect light. Spiderworts should be moved if the markings on their leaves start fading, but only if they’re too close to direct sunlight. When grown in brighter conditions, these plants are more likely to bloom than when grown in dimmer ones.

Plant your wandering Jew in a well-drained, all-purpose potting soil. It’ll grow best in a place with mild temperature fluctuations between 55° and 70° Fahrenheit. Wandering Jew plants like to be watered regularly – allow the soil to dry out before watering again. If you notice brown or yellow leaves or limp stems, it may be because you are over-watering them – conversely, if they are turning blue or pale, this may indicate underwatering issues.

Spiderwort trailing flowers are beautiful when they grow from hanging planters, window boxes, containers on high shelves, or even in pots placed near a window with east or west exposure. These plants work well in large containers thanks to their spreading nature.

Types of Wandering Jew Plants

While there are many types of Tradescantia (plural form), some popular varieties include a wide range of colors and patterns. Take, for instance, T zebrina, also known as an inch plant; it has pale silverish stripes on its dark green and purple leaves and bright purples underneath. Padilla’s color is completely different than inch plants: it exhibits solid dark-purple foliage and fuzzy, elongated leaves. Still another variety worth mentioning includes Albovittata; this one displays light green leaves with thin white stripes.

How to Propagate Wandering Jew Plants

Rooting hormones and special media are not even required since they are so quick and easy! There are two ways to do this – they can be propagated in soil, or they can grow successfully in water.

Common Problems With Wandering Jew Plants

While wandering Jew plants are generally very mellow and tolerant of new owners, all houseplants will struggle if you don’t take care of them properly or offer them the appropriate environment.

Leaves Fading

The color of your plant’s leaves may fade or lose its variegation if it does not receive enough light. Plants need brighter areas to thrive, so move them to a brighter area of your home if they have not already been relocated.

Stem Rotting and Leaves Turning Yellow

Root rot is often caused by too much moisture in the soil in your pot as evidenced by soft, rotten roots and wilted leaves. Allow some soil to dry every time you water it so at least two to three inches are dried before watering again.

Leaves Curling and Dropping

You should water your wandering Jew leaf if you find it curling up, drying out, or dropping completely. Adjust your watering schedule so that it has a steadier stream of water coming through it. 

Leggy Growth

Believe it or not, Tradescantia tends to grow tall and spindly over time. They’re known to have a short lifespan of just two-three years; which means if they’ve reached this point, you need to propagate as many new plants from the existing stems and discard the parent plant (if you even want them to continue growing).

Light

Bright, indirect sunlight is ideal for this houseplant. You will see more flowers on your wandering jew plant if you provide it with brighter light. Those brightly-colored leaves will begin to fade if they don’t receive enough light.

Water

There are many things you can do to make these plants happy, but one of the simplest is to keep them moist. Soil should never be so wet that it sticks together or so dry that it cracks—about a half-inch below the surface is what you’re looking for. Once the soil feels as if it’s drying out, give it a good drink of water, just make sure there’s enough drainage in the pot.

Repotting

If your wandering jew plant needs more room, choose a pot that’s 1-2′′ wider than the original. Gently remove your herb from its old container and place it in the new one; then either add or take away some of the dirt to make sure it stays stable. Fill up to 2 inches below the top rim of the container before lightly patting down any excess dirt on top of it so that no roots are exposed.

FAQ about Wandering Jew Plant Care