How to Grow Purple-Leaf Bamboo So It Thrives

Purple-leaf bamboo generally refers to Tradescantia zebrina (purple-leaved inch plant), an evergreen herbaceous foliage plant often grown as a potted plant. So how do you grow it?

How to grow purple-leaf bamboo?

1. Propagation

Purple-leaf bamboo can be propagated by cuttings. First cut off some good branches, then trim the cut branches, selecting a 5 cm long terminal bud as a single cutting and setting it aside for later use. When planting, prepare a small wooden stick to poke holes in the potting soil, then insert the cuttings from the middle outward toward the edges; make one hole and plant the trimmed cutting into it.

2. Soil

Purple-leaf bamboo grows better in fertile, loose soil. It is best to use a mix of 40% leaf mold, 40% garden soil and 20% river sand.

3. Light

Purple-leaf bamboo fears direct strong light and needs to be kept in a semi-shaded spot for care, or given 70% shade; if kept indoors, place it in a bright spot as much as possible.

4. Temperature

The optimum growing temperature for purple-leaf bamboo is 18-30°C. It cannot tolerate cold or frost; the overwintering temperature should be above 10°C, it enters dormancy below 4°C, and when the temperature approaches 0°C it will die from cold damage.

5. Water and fertilizer

For purple-leaf bamboo, do not water until the soil is dry, and when you do water, water thoroughly. For fertilizer, use decomposed organic fertilizer or nutrient solution, applying once every 2-3 months. During this period, you can appropriately increase fertilization according to the growth of the purple-leaf bamboo.