Tradescantia Zebrina - home care
Content:
Many houses grow this decorative plant, unpretentious in everyday life, called Tradescantia Zebrin. A flower from the tropics, it adapts well to home conditions and does not require much attention from its owners. It occupies a separate niche in floriculture.
What does it look like, which family it belongs to
The plant belongs to the Kommelinov family, its botanical name is Tradescantia zebrina. The name is associated with the presence of longitudinal stripes, giving the Tradescantia a striped color. There are several types of zebrin in floriculture, the most common of which is hanging zebrin. This is an ampelous plant with a decorative effect. Creeping, creeping, fast-growing shoots are 60-100 cm long and are covered with ovoid-pointed leaves.
Tradescantia zebrina
The upper part of the leaves is glossy, shiny and bi-colored. A bright red stripe is visible in the middle on both sides of the central vein. Behind it, gray-green or silver stripes stretch to the very edge of the leaf on both sides. Behind them, at the edges, the color is the same as in the middle. The length of the leaves reaches 7-8 cm, the width is 3 cm. Their lower seamy side, as well as smooth stems, is painted in a violet-purple color. Plant height does not exceed 15 cm.
Briefly about the history of appearance
History has preserved a mention of a scientist named John Tradescan. He lived in the seventeenth century, and for some time worked as a gardener at the court of the English king Charles I. The scientist was engaged in the research and cultivation of plants brought to Europe from America. Tradescan's attention was especially drawn to the fast-growing creeping plant, which now bears his name.
Homeland of the plant
The rainforests of Mexico are considered the birthplace of the flower. Spreading naturally, the plant has reached South America and Florida. Later it was brought to Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe.
Features of home care
Tradescantia Zebrina does not need special care. She easily adapts to growing conditions and is so unpretentious that even a beginner in floriculture will not be difficult to take care of her. Zebrina is suitable for a light, periodically ventilated room, but on a hot day, direct sunlight should be avoided. In the summer, the plant is taken out to the balcony or veranda, but at the same time it is slightly shaded.
The plant loves light, but it is better to avoid direct sunlight.
The juice of striped leaves is very useful, it has wound healing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects. It has long been believed that zebrina is a magical flower that protects its owners from ill-wishers, rumors and gossip, and also purifies the air around it.
Temperature
The zebrin flower can withstand different temperatures, but it will develop faster in warm air, and growth will slow down in cool air. The usual room mode is well suited: from +18 to +24 ℃. The lowest temperature at which growth slows down is +12 ℃.
Lighting
The plant loves light, with a lack of it, the shoots begin to fade and fade. Placing pots on east or west windowsills is ideal.The morning and evening rays of the sun will only benefit the plant. In winter, when daylight hours become shorter than 8 hours, the flower requires artificial supplementary lighting with fluorescent lamps.
Watering
In summer, Tradescantia zebrina purple is watered moderately, about 2-3 waterings per week. For this, softened and filtered water is best suited. In winter, if the zebrin is in a cool room, the development of the plant slows down and the amount of watering is reduced. The dryness of the soil in the pots serves as a guide. In between waterings, the soil should dry out to a depth of 1-2 cm. Excessive watering for a flower is much more dangerous than a lack of moisture. With rare watering, the leaves may wilt, but then they will quickly recover. If the soil in the pot is kept moist all the time, the roots and stems will start to rot and the plant will die.
Spraying
With insufficient moisture, the zebrin leaves begin to wrinkle. Therefore, the plant pot is sometimes placed on a gravel tray filled with water, and the leaves and shoots are regularly sprayed with a spray bottle. But if the flower grows and develops well, it is not at all necessary to moisturize it by spraying. The dust settled on the leaves is removed with a damp sponge or washed off under the shower.
If the air is dry, leaves and stems should be sprayed with
Humidity
Indoor air humidity should be at least 60%. It is acceptable if the pot is located next to an aquarium or other source of moisture. You can place a bowl of water nearby.
Priming
The soil is characterized by a neutral or slightly acidic pH. It should be loosened. To prepare such a soil, a mixture is made from leafy earth, humus, sod and coarse river sand. These components should be taken in a 2: 1: 1: 1 ratio. You can also make a mixture of 2 parts peat and 1 part coarse sand or perlite. The planting pot should be deep, with a drainage hole in the bottom.
Top dressing
Zebrin is fed with complex fertilizers, starting from spring until the end of the active growth phase. You need to fertilize once every two weeks, an excess of fertilizing can cause blanching of the color of the leaves.
When and how it blooms
Zebra Tradescantia blooms with small pinkish-purple or purple flowers that appear on the stems and leaf axils. The flowers are radially symmetrical, each with three petals.
Flower shapes
The inflorescences of the plant are umbrella-shaped, they are located axillary. The flowers are small, three-petaled. The calyx and corolla are multi-leaved.
Flowering period
In the open field, Zebra Tradescantia usually blooms in late spring - early summer. Indoors, if you create greenhouse conditions, the plant can also bloom from early September to February.
Zebrina flowers
Pruning
The stems of the plant grow rapidly, stretch out, and with age, the branches become exposed. To maintain decorative properties, the shoots must be cut off, giving the bush a beautiful shape. Also, peduncles with wilted buds and stems that begin to dry are removed. The tips of the long branches are regularly pinched to make the plant more compact and lush.
How does it multiply
This plant reproduces in several ways:
- cuttings;
- seeds;
- by dividing the plant into parts.
Propagation by cuttings
The method is the easiest and most effective. For cuttings take shoots 8 cm long. It is desirable that they have 3-4 pairs of leaves. To make the plant more lush, several cuttings are planted in one pot at once.Shoots can be rooted both in soil and in water. They do not cover the top with anything. When the cuttings take root and grow a little, they are transplanted into specially prepared soil.
Seed propagation
It is considered the most time consuming way. In spring, the seeds are sown in a container with soil, the soil is moistened, and everything is covered with film or glass on top to create a greenhouse effect. The container is installed in a room with good lighting and heating. The air temperature should be around +20 ℃. To prevent excess moisture from accumulating, the greenhouse is ventilated from time to time. After emergence, the film is removed. The seedlings are periodically moistened, and when they germinate, they are transplanted into pots.
Plant division
If the bush is large, it is divided into several parts, dividing the rhizomes. This is usually done when transplanting. Each of the resulting parts is planted separately. At first, young seedlings are shaded and watered moderately.
Transfer
Transplanted, as a rule, in the spring. The transplant container should be low but wide with holes in the bottom for drainage. So that moisture in the soil does not stagnate, a layer of expanded clay or small stones is first laid on the bottom of the container, and then the soil is poured. Young plants are transplanted once a year, adults - once every two years.
Zebrin transplant
Possible growing problems
The main pests of Zebra Tradescantia are:
- spider mite;
- shield;
- aphid.
The presence of these insects is indicated, first of all, by the pallor of the leaves. If cobwebs appeared in the internodes, it was not without spider mites. The presence of the thyroid gland can be identified by the characteristic plaques on the inside of the leaves. Aphids prefer to feast on young shoots.
To combat harmful insects, the stems and leaves are washed with soapy water. But if the defeat is already severe, you cannot do without chemicals. Insecticides are available in all flower shops.
Other problems
It is very difficult to damage the plant with inadequate care, but sometimes this happens. Other problems are usually associated with inadequate care:
- if leaves fall, the plant does not have enough light and water;
- their color has become more faded - the sun is missing;
- leaves wrinkle, acquire a brown tint - not enough moisture;
- dry out, and the tips turn brown - the air around the flower needs moisture;
- leaves are watery and translucent - the soil does not dry out and the roots began to rot.
Unpretentious Zebrina
If it turns out that the problem is in dry soil, you need to water the zebrin, and this will help revive it. Lack of light is worth fixing. If it comes to the roots, the surviving cuttings are cut and planted again.
Tradescantia Zebrina home care is not difficult to provide. This is an unpretentious flower. Requiring only a little attention, he will decorate a house, apartment or office for a long time, pleasing the eye and helping to endure ailments.
