How to Grow Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida)? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods
Purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Commelinaceae family, native to South America, though it is now cultivated on a large scale in China as well. Purple heart has very high ornamental value, and it also contains very rich medicinal components. It is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry in China and is a traditional Chinese medicinal material with high efficacy. So how do you grow purple heart? Now let me introduce the planting methods for purple heart!
1. Propagate at the right time
The main propagation method for purple heart is cuttings, usually carried out every spring. When pruning and shaping older plants, select healthy, pest- and disease-free stems about 8-9 cm long. Let them dry, then they can be used for cuttings. When taking cuttings, pay attention to the surrounding environment. The environment should be kept semi-shaded and moist, then control the temperature at around 20 degrees. With normal management, roots will form in about half a month, and the survival rate is also very high. You can also insert the cuttings directly into water for hydroponic cultivation, but this is only suitable for home growing.
2. Adjust the temperature
Purple heart has relatively high temperature requirements. During cultivation, the temperature should be controlled at around 20-25 degrees. Purple heart has rather weak cold resistance, so in winter you must mainly control the temperature well, and it must not drop below 10 degrees. When the temperature drops to around 5 degrees, purple heart will enter dormancy and stop growing. If it approaches zero degrees, it will cause cold damage to the plant, and in severe cases, death. Therefore, do a good job of cold protection and heat preservation in winter, and in summer also pay attention to ventilation and cooling to ensure the temperature stays within the suitable range for purple heart.
3. Control the light
Purple heart has relatively high light requirements. During growth, sufficient light is needed to ensure healthy growth of purple heart. It improves the glossiness of the leaves and the flowering rate, and promotes thick, strong internodes. If the light is insufficient, the internodes will become longer, and the stems and vines will droop weakly, reducing the ornamental value. However, its tolerance for strong light is rather poor. When exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves of purple heart will become dull and lusterless, gradually turning yellow and wilting. The growth of the plant will also be greatly inhibited, so while ensuring sufficient light, we must also prevent direct sunlight.
4. Water and fertilizer management
The leaves of purple heart have a relatively strong water storage capacity, so it has a certain drought tolerance. When growing it, it will not die even if it is not watered for a week. However, in order to ensure the normal growth of purple heart and improve its ornamental value, the soil should still be kept moist. When watering, follow the principle of not watering until dry. At low temperatures in winter, control watering and keep the soil in a relatively dry state. Then during the growth period of purple heart, apply fertilizer about once every half a month. Be sure to pay attention to the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Do not mix them blindly, and do not over-apply or apply only one type, especially nitrogen fertilizer. Then before winter begins, stop applying nitrogen fertilizer and increase the proportion of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to help purple heart overwinter safely.
The above is a brief introduction to how to grow purple heart. It should also be noted that when planting, we should keep the air humidity at around 65%-70%. Create a good growing environment for purple heart. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and your support.