Tradescantia zebrina cuttings require some technique; even a few stems can fill a pot

Tradescantia zebrina is a classic foliage plant. Its leaves look very much like bamboo leaves, dark purple in color with patterns, and most importantly, it is as easy to grow as ivy, especially when grown hanging, it will trail down like a curtain, full of artistic flair!

For a plant that grows this fast, we can cut a few stems during the growing process and then root them as cuttings, so that before long there will be a new plant! So let's hurry and follow Huahua to learn how to take cuttings of Tradescantia zebrina!

First we need to choose the stems to use for cuttings. Remember, be sure to cut some sturdy stems, as this ensures the survival rate. Then each stem should be about 10 cm long, and there is no need to keep too many leaves, 3 is enough.

After preparing them, we need to first put them in prepared rooting water and soak for about 1 hour, then take them out and place them in a ventilated spot to dry. The time depends on the ventilation conditions; as long as the water is dried off, you can proceed with the cutting, otherwise the stems can easily fail to root and rot.

Next we need to prepare a pot and soil. As for the pot, we can decide according to personal preference. For the soil, we can use some nutrient soil plus coco peat, which can speed up rooting. Garden soil also works, but relatively speaking its lower nutrients will make it grow a bit slower!

First fill the pot with soil, then prepare a chopstick, poke a hole in the pot, then put the stem in, and press the surrounding soil with your hand to prevent it from leaning. It is best not to put too many stems in one pot, otherwise later when they grow we will still have to divide them into separate pots, and also the leaves will be too tightly packed and not breathable, which is not good for their growth!

After the cuttings are done, we need to water them thoroughly once, then place them in a spot with bright indirect light and good ventilation for care. You can mist the surface of the potting soil to maintain rooting humidity, but be careful not to mist the leaves often, otherwise bacterial infection can cause rot.

If all goes well, within one week you can see new roots growing out. Because during this period it is still in the adaptation stage, we should check its growth regularly. If you find any withered leaves, be sure to remove them to avoid wasting too many nutrients, so it can adjust its condition as much as possible and resume growing!

In terms of care, Tradescantia zebrina is relatively low-maintenance. If you want its leaves to be glossy and bright, then sunlight is absolutely essential, otherwise the color will become paler and paler, and the stems will become leggy, looking messy and disorderly!

However, direct summer sunlight is also absolutely unacceptable for it. So we should place it in a bright spot. Apart from providing appropriate shade in summer, in the other seasons it can simply be kept on the balcony as normal.

As for watering, it should increase as the temperature rises, keeping the soil moist. After all, for Tradescantia zebrina, summer is quite easy to get through, because it is not cold-tolerant, so winter is the important period. Watering should be stopped immediately to avoid cold damage!

As for fertilizing, it should not be done in either winter or summer. As long as watering and sunlight are well controlled, it will still grow very sturdy. The last point is pruning, because its stems overall grow very fast, and for the sake of its ornamental value, we need to prune and shape it regularly, which will also make it grow faster! The cut stems can then be rooted as cuttings following the steps above, so nothing goes to waste at all!