Issue #31

Spring Reset: How to Care for Your Tradescantias This Spring

After a long, dark winter, your Tradescantias might be looking a little tired, with leggy stems, pale leaves, and an overall stretched-out appearance. Sound familiar? That’s because the low light and slower growth during winter often leave our plants in less-than-perfect shape.

But don’t worry, spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the perfect opportunity for a Spring Reset. In this newsletter, I’ll guide you through simple, practical steps to help your Tradescantias bounce back, whether it’s trimming, repotting, or adjusting their care to match the brighter days ahead.

Plus, you’ll get to meet Alina in this week’s Community Highlight, where she shares her love for plants and the story of her fascinating mutated Zebrina ‘Burgundy’!

And just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Tradescantia of the Week is the lovely Pink Furry, perfect for adding a touch of pink to your collection.

Tradescantia of the week:

With Valentine's Day coming up next week, I thought it would be the perfect time to spotlight my favorite pink Tradescantia, Pink Furry!

Pink Furry belongs to the Cerinthoides species, which all have larger, thicker leaves and stems. They're quite good at storing water in their leaves and stems and can therefore handle drying out quite well. The stems grow upright at first but will eventually fall over and start to trail once they get too heavy to support themselves.

At first sight, Pink Furry can look a lot like Nanouk, but there's a big difference if you look closer. What sets Pink Furry apart is that it's all furry on the undersides of its leaves! It often has a darker pink stripe running down the middle of the leaves.

In lower light conditions, the leaves of Pink Furry can become pale and take on a light pinkish, almost cream-colored tone, but with more light, the colour will turn a more intense pink.

Spring Reset: How to Care for Your Tradescantias This Spring

Have you noticed your Tradescantias stretching toward whatever light they could find this winter? They may have become long, leggy, and pale, especially if you haven't been using grow lights.

This is a completely normal response to the lack of sunlight, and while it's not necessarily a sign of poor health, it's an indication that your plants might need some attention now that spring comes.

As the days grow longer with more sun and warmer weather, it’s the perfect time to give your Tradescantias a fresh start. Although it may not be time just yet, especially if they're still weak after the dark winter months. But keep an eye out for longer, brighter days and signs of new growth.

Here are some things to consider this spring:

Trimming

Spring is the ideal time to start your plants over. Here's a simple way to do it: cut them back completely. Keep every piece that's long enough to use as a cutting. If you have really long stems, you can cut them into smaller pieces. Just make sure each piece has one or two nodes, that's where new roots and growth will sprout from. You can either plant the cuttings back in the same pot or give them a new pot with fresh soil. This helps get rid of that stretched, leggy look and gives your plant a brand-new start.

Repotting

If your Tradescantias have been in the same pot and soil for a long time, it might be time to consider giving them some new soil. Over time, soil becomes compacted and depleted of nutrients, and pots can become crowded with old, tired roots. This environment is less than ideal for new cuttings. When you cut back your plant, it’s a great time to move the new cuttings to a new pot with new soil. Choosing the right size pot for your cuttings is important. Aim for a tight fit rather than a pot that's too big. A pot that’s too big can hold too much water and increase the risk of overwatering.

Watering and Fertilizing

As the days get longer and warmer, your Tradescantias will start to grow more. It's time to check on their watering needs more often, since they’ll likely need more water than they did in winter. Start giving them with a balanced fertilizer to help them grow strong and healthy.

Light

With the sun getting stronger, it can burn your Tradescantias if they're not used to the increased light. On really bright days, you might want to shade them a bit until they adjust. If moving them around sounds like too much trouble, no worries. If they get a bit sunburned, just trim off the damaged leaves. The new growth will be stronger and better at handling the bright light.

Do I Have to Trim My Tradescantia?

Yes! Tradescantias are not really meant to be kept as trailing plants in pots. In their natural habitat, they are ground-crawling plants, spreading along the surface and rooting wherever they touch. This means they're not well-suited to having long stems that only attach to the soil at one point. When a stem becomes too long, it will lose its lower leaves, and the stem will become weak and break easily. When this happens depends on the type of Tradescantia and the plant's overall health. So, if you're noticing a lot of brown leaves at the bottom of your plant, it doesn't necessarily indicate a problem it just means that it might be time to start over.

Wrapping It Up

Spring is all about new beginnings, and your Tradescantias are ready for one too! With a little trimming, new soil, proper watering, and the right light, your plants will bounce back and look better than ever.

Don’t worry if you’re nervous about cutting them back, Tradescantias are tough and love a new start. You’ll be amazed at how quickly they grow back, fuller and healthier than before.

Got any questions about spring care or need advice on your Tradescantias? Just hit reply, I’d love to hear from you! And if you decide to give your plants a new start, send me a picture, I’d love to see how they’re doing.

Community Highlight

This week, I’m want to introduce you to Alina!

Alina lives in Gothenburg, Sweden, but is originally from Poland. While Begonias are her main interest, it was Tradescantias and the Commelinaceae family in general that first captured her heart.

You can find her sharing her passion for plants under the nickname Blinki on her Instagram page @Blinki_Plants.

What’s your favorite Tradescantia and why? "Ah, it’s so hard to choose only one! My top picks are Cerinthoides ‘Pink Furry’, Zebrina ‘Discolor Multicolor’, Spathacea ‘Vittata’, Zanonia ‘Mexican Flag’, and a sport mutation from Tr. Zebrina ‘Burgundy’ that I discovered but haven't registered yet. I also really like Pallida ‘Pink Stripe’ and Callisia Soconuscensis Variegata."

Which was your first Tradescantia, and where did you get it? "My very first was a zebrina ‘Quadricolor’. I bought it as a small, single branch cutting from a private collector in Poland. At that time, it was still very hard to find in Europe."

What’s the #1 Tradescantia on your wishlist? "I’m not actively looking to expand my Tradescantia collection at the moment, but I wouldn't say no to a variegated ‘Baby Bunny Bellies’ or Cyanotis Somaliensis Variegata. And someday, when I have my own garden, I’d love to fill it with different cultivars from the Andersoniana Group."

What’s one care tip or trick you swear by for your Tradescantias? "I might not call it a trick, but I sun-stress my Tradescantias to the maximum, I've found out they do great no matter the potting medium or fertilizer, as long as I scorch them outside during summer and with LED lights during winter. To save space, I also like to overwinter my thin-stemmed Tradescantias hydroponically (as propagations), I still have to trim them regularly, but can fit a lot more cuttings in much smaller containers than a classic pot. I then pot them back in soil once I can put them outside in the spring."

Any fun or unexpected stories about your Tradescantias you’d like to share? "One exciting story was when I found a sport mutation on my sister’s zebrina ‘Burgundy’ (originally from me, so it still counts as mine, right?). I separated it and chopped it into smaller pieces, hoping for the best, that it would retain the unique properties… and it did! It’s a fun and quirky one, although it took a while to size up."

Do you have a Tradescantia collection? Or maybe one or two you’re especially proud of? Why not show it off in the next newsletter’s Community Highlight?

Reply to this email, email me at katja@exploringtradescantias.com, or send me a DM on Instagram, I’d love to feature your favorite plants!

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Until next time, happy planting! 🌿

Katja

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