Features of Tradescantia
Tradescantia is a not very tall herbaceous perennial plant that has creeping or straight stems. Alternately arranged leaf plates can have different shapes; depending on the type, it can be elliptical, lanceolate or ovoid. The formation of inflorescences occurs from the axils of the apical leaf plates. Tradescantia is one of the hanging plants that are most popular among gardeners. Thanks to regular pinching, the bush becomes lush and branchy. Most often, a pot with such a flower is placed on a high shelf or in a hanging vase so that the long stems can hang freely. During flowering, blue or violet-blue flowers form on the bush. Tradescantia is also used to decorate aquariums. To do this, the flower is placed in such a way that its stems are immersed in the water of the aquarium and form a green, spectacular mat.
This plant also has medicinal properties. It helps purify the air in the room and can also neutralize electromagnetic radiation. The cut branches of this plant, placed in water, can stand there for several months, and sometimes for about a year. But for this you need to regularly add fertilizer to the water.
Feng Shui meaning
According to Feng Shui, all plants have unique energy. To maintain the energy balance in your home, it is best to place them where they can provide benefits. For example, the east, which is the green sector, suggests the presence of flowers in rooms to maintain the concentration of Wood energy, if this is favorable for those who live in that room or apartment.
Tradescantia as a houseplant will fit perfectly into the southern corner because it concentrates the Fire element and needs the support of Wood. However, the Fire element can only be strengthened if it has a beneficial effect on someone in the household.
Indoor Tradescantia can also be useful when activation of sexual energy is needed. To do this, on the south wall of the bedroom, where a couple of lovers spend the night, you need to place or hang nine pots of Tradescantia. After two weeks, the fiery energy in the room will increase so much that it can be transmitted to the people living in it. As a result, sexual relationships will become much better.
And since Tradescantia is a plant that can also cleanse space on an energetic level, it is simply necessary in the fight against negative situations and bad energy combinations. However, don’t get carried away and place it everywhere.
Harmony is not based on the quantity of any element, but on the quality of the interaction of all elements. Therefore, there is no need to place Tradescantia, say, in a place where the Wood element would conflict with other energies. For example, you should not place a flower in the west, northwest, northeast and southwest. Tradescantia, despite the love of many gardeners, cannot be placed in the southeastern sector. After all, this is the direction of the Earth, which stores Water, thanks to which the Wood element strengthens, destroying the structure of the southwestern room.
Bright green climbing plants usually represent the Wood element, which can have a major impact. For this reason, they should not be placed in a child's room, because Wood has a destructive effect on parts of the body related to the Earth elements, for example: muscles, tendons, bones and stomach.
For the same reason, the plant should not be placed in the room of people suffering from allergies, problems with the liver, stomach, skin and teeth. Ultimately, these health problems arise from a lack of the Earth element - Wood can weaken it even more.
However, this type of energy has a beneficial effect on certain areas of life. For example, its high concentration can protect against unwanted pregnancy. For the same reason, a large number of such plants in the bedroom can contribute to male and female infertility.
Brief description of cultivation
- Bloom . Tradescantia is grown as an ornamental foliage plant.
- Illumination . Slight shading or bright, but necessarily diffused light. Please note that variegated varieties need more sunlight, but direct sunlight can damage them too.
- Temperature regime . In the spring and summer, the air temperature should be about 25 degrees, and in the cold season - no more than 12 degrees.
- Watering . During the growing season, water abundantly and systematically, immediately after the top layer of soil mixture in the pot has dried. During a cool winter, watering is carried out only when the substrate in the container is completely dry, but if the flower overwinters in a warm place, then it should be watered immediately after the earthen ball has dried to ¼ of its depth.
- Air humidity . Grows well at low levels of air humidity, typical for residential premises.
- Fertilizer . Fertilizing is carried out only in the spring-summer period regularly once every half month, while it is recommended to use organic matter and mineral fertilizers alternately. It is better not to feed variegated varieties with organic fertilizers.
- Rest period . It is not clearly expressed.
- Trimming . In spring time.
- Transplant . It is carried out together with pruning. Young bushes are replanted every year, and adult bushes - once every 2 or 3 years.
- Soil mixture . If you wish, you can buy a ready-made soil mixture for Tradescantia. But you can also make it yourself by combining turf, leaf and humus soil, as well as sand in a ratio of 2:4:2:1.
- Reproduction . By dividing the rhizome, cuttings and seed method.
- Harmful insects . Thrips, scale insects and spider mites.
- Diseases . If the plant is not properly cared for or is not provided with comfortable conditions for growth, then its shoots may become bare, rot may appear, and this also leads to the foliage becoming faded, or spots appearing on it, or its tips become brown.
- Properties . Tradescantia pallidum can cause skin irritation.
Tradescantia, the most compact and slow-growing variety!
