Botanical name: Tradescantia X andersoniana
Family: Commelinaceae
Blushing Bride Tradescantia is also called Blushing Maid Tradescantia. It is a trailing, tender perennial plant with pink and white variegated new growth.
The flowers in Blushing Bride Tradescantia are three-petaled, colored white and tinged with lilac pink.
When mature the Blushing Bride Tradescantia leaves turn completely green. It is advisable to cut it back regularly to encourage new growth.
The Blushing Bride Tradescantia grows to a height of 6-10 inches and reaches 4-5 feet across. It is perfect for a hanging basket.
Blushing Bride Tradescantia prefers bright, indirect light. Keep it away from direct sunshine as it can lead to scorching of the leaves. Check out this guide on understanding light for houseplants.
Water your Blushing Bride Tradescantia thoroughly during the growing season and maintain the soil moist at all times.
Reduce watering your Blushing Bride Tradescantia during the cold weather to keep the soil slightly moist as growth is minimal.
Avoid soggy soil for your Blushing Bride Tradescantia as it can lead in root-rot. Read more on how to water houseplants.
Average warmth with a minimum 130C is ideal for your Blushing Bride Tradescantia. Blushing Bride Tradescantia is known to be quite cold tolerant.
Blushing Bride Tradescantia has no need for high humidity. Protect your Blushing Bride Tradescantia from cold draughts.
Feed your Blushing Bride Tradescantia with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer once a month during the growing period.
Withhold feeding for your Blushing Bride Tradescantia during the cold season as the growth is minimal and feeding at this time may lead to fertilizer burn. Read more on how to feed houseplants.
Repot your Blushing Bride Tradescantia during the growing season only when the plant has become pot-bound.
Use a rich, free-draining soil and a pot one size larger for your Blushing Bride Tradescantia. Ensure the pot has a drainage hole to avoid getting soggy soil which can lead to root-rot.
Pruning your Blushing Bride Tradescantia involves regular removal of dead foliage to maintain the plant neat and tidy.
To control the growth of your Blushing Bride Tradescantia and encourage bushyness, pinch the growing tips.
Cut back leggy stems of your Blushing Bride Tradescantia at the beginning of the growing season to rejuvenate growth.
Blushing Bride Tradescantia can be propagated during the growing period by plants divison or from stem-cuttings.
Take out your Blushing Bride Tradescantia from its pot and carefully divide it into sections. Ensure each sections has adequate roots and at least one set of leaves.
Pot up the Blushing Bride Tradescantia sections in individual pots in free-draining soil.
Place the set up in a cool shaded place and maintain the soil moist until new growth emerges.
Allow the new Blushing Bride Tradescantia plant to be well established before transplanting.
Blushing Bride Tradescantia stem cuttings root easily so there is no need for rooting hormone.
Take a stem cutting from a healthy Blushing Bride Tradescantia of about 4-6 in. and ensure it bears at least two sets of leaves.
Fill your rooting container with free-draining rooting mix to a depth of about 4 in. Lightly moisten the soil.
With a pencil or similar object make a hole that is wider than the diameter of the Blushing Bride Tradescantia cutting.
Carefully insert your Blushing Bride Tradescantia cutting in the hole made previously to a depth of about 3 in.
Place the set up in a cool shaded place and maintain the soil moist through out until new growth emerges.
Allow the new Blushing Bride Tradescantia plant to be well established before transplanting to individual pots.
Inadequate light is the cause of loss of leaf color or variegation in your Blushing Bride Tradescantia.
Move Blushing Bride Tradescantia to a brighter spot, as it prefers bright indirect light. Check out this guide on understanding light for houseplants.
Your Blushing Bride Tradescantia will readily drop its leaves if the light is inadequate.
Ensure to place your Blushing Bride Tradescantia in a brightly lit place while protecting it from direct hot sunshine to avoid scorching of the leaves.
There are three causes of weak spindly growth in your Blushing Bride Tradescantia.
One cause of elongated weak stems (spindly growth) in your Blushing Bride Tradescantia is too little light.
Move your Blushing Bride Tradescantia to a brighter spot as it needs bright, indirect light.
The second cause of elongated weak stems (spindly growth) in your Blushing Bride Tradescantia is underwatering.
Maintain the soil moist at all times for your Blushing Bride Tradescantia and never allow the soil to dry out completely.
The third cause of elongated weak stems (spindly growth) in your Blushing Bride Tradescantia is inadequate feeding.
Feed your Blushing Bride Tradescantia once a month with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer.
Underwatering is the cause of limp stems and yellow and spotted leaves in your Blushing Bride Tradescantia.
Maintain the soil moist at all times for your Blushing Bride Tradescantia and never allow the soil to dry out completely.
The most common plant diseases in Blushing Bride Tradescantia are Root-rot and Leaf Spot.
Common palnt pests in Blushing Bride Tradescantia are Mealy Bugs, Aphids and Scale Insects.
Isolate the affected plant and treat appropriately. Mist the leaves regularly to reduce infestation by these pests.
Tradescantia X andersoniana (Blushing Bride Tradescantia) Plant is mildly toxic to humans and pets.
If Blushing Bride Tradescantia is ingested the plant sap causes burning in the mouth, tongue and throat. The sap may also cause skin irritation in sensitive skin; always wear gloves when handling.
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