How to Propagate Wandering Jew with Simple Methods

It's simple and easy to learn how to reproduce Wandering Jew. It's a wonderful plant to practice your green thumb with! Plants can be easily multiplied, and they make thoughtful gifts for loved ones and friends. Propagating plants is a simple way to add more greenery to your home.

Wandering Jew Propagation from Stem Cutting

The most efficient method of propagating a Wandering Jew plant is by stem cutting, and it's not as challenging as it might sound. Simply take a cutting from your existing plant, give it time to develop roots, and it will continue to grow into a new plant.

With a little bit of research, you can get ready to propagate your plant right now. Your new plant will flourish if you read up on propagation techniques. To successfully make your stem cutting and propagate your plant, you'll need to have a few tools on hand and follow a few simple steps.

Tools and Equipment Requirements

With the right tools, propagation will be simpler and your cuttings will grow more successfully, giving you more lovely plants to decorate your home or even give to loved ones.

Necessary tools include:

• Bleach to clean your pruning shears
• Pruning shears or razor
• Rooting hormone or propagation promoter

For soil propagation:

• Plant container
• Well-draining potting soil

For water propagation:

• Clear jar or vase
• Non-chlorinated water

Before you cut the stem, make sure your pruning shears or razor are clean and disinfected by wiping them down with bleach. If pruning shears aren't cleaned thoroughly before use, plant diseases may remain on them and spread to other plants. This might cause your attempt at propagation to fail before your stem even has a chance to develop into a brand-new plant!

Where to Take a Stem Cutting

Sharp, tidy, and sterilized houseplant scissors or cutting shears should be used to prune your Wandering Jew, cutting the stem just below a growth node. Using only clean, sharp tools lessens the possibility of your stem rotting and losing the ability to produce new roots.

If there are any leaves on the bottom two-thirds of the cutting, make sure to remove them so you have enough room to plant your freshly cut stem in soil or water for propagation.

How to Root in Soil

If you decide to plant your stem in soil to root it, you should choose the right soil to plant it in to ensure a strong root system. A well-draining soil should be selected. In order to prevent your stem from rotting before it has a chance to develop roots, you should avoid using soil that is too heavy. Our indoor plant soil is the ideal mixture for all of your indoor plants, so we highly recommend it.

Make sure the soil is extremely moist after selecting the appropriate type. To do this, put your soil in a sizable bin and soak it in water for a short while, breaking up any soil clumps. After the soil has been completely moistened, take a handful and squeeze out as much water as you can. Put that soil in the pot you intend to use, breaking it up again as you do so. Place your stem directly in the soil after adding a superior propagation promoter.

Although it is not always necessary, using a propagation promoter will help your new plant resist bacteria and encourage root growth.

How to Root in Water

Water is a slightly different medium to anchor your Wandering Jew. For best results, use non-chlorinated, room-temperature water to fill your jar. After mixing your propagation promoter into the water, submerge your plant cutting.

I always advise having something to prevent your stem from contacting the glass, like a square of tape along the top of the jar to form a resting place for your stem. Although it is not necessary, I like to perform this step to give my propagated plants additional defense against rot.

For maximum root development and plant health, change your water every three to four days. You can then plant it in a well-draining potting mix once the roots are a few inches long and keep letting your propagated stem develop into a brand-new baby plant!

How Long Does Rooting Take?

Within just a week, new root growth will begin to show. Your stem will have developed a strong set of roots after two weeks, and if you decided to propagate in water, it can now be moved to well-draining potting soil to continue growing. You'll begin to notice fresh growth above the soil after about a month!

Remember that the location of your plant in your house can affect the rate of germination and the timing of new growth. The location of your new plant must be in a well-lit area that is out of direct sunlight. Depending on how quickly you observe growth in your new plant or if it starts to look dull or leggy, you might need to change the location of your plant in your home.

Wandering Jew Plant Care

Your first Wandering Jew plant has successfully been propagated! Here are some pointers on how to take care of Wandering Jew houseplant and some potential problems as it grows older.

Position

In a well-lit room inside your house, your new plant will flourish. Keep it away from harsh sunlight, please. If you're unsure if your plant is receiving enough indirect sunlight, keep an eye on the leaves for about a week. You should relocate your plant to a more light-filled area if the color of the leaves starts to dwindle in any way. You might have a plant that receives too much light if the leaves on it are turning brown.

Temperature & Humidity

The ideal temperature range for wandering Jew plants to thrive indoors is between 50 and 80 degrees. Even though they prefer a more temperature-controlled environment, you might be able to plant it outside in a shaded area in some regions.

If you do decide to plant it outside, make sure the location won't receive excessive amounts of direct sunlight each day before giving it a permanent home. Even after you've planted your plant in the ground, you can always move it; however, it is best to choose the best location before you do so that it won't need to be dug up later.

There isn't really a humidity requirement for The Wandering Jew. Your plant will thrive as long as its environment isn't too close to either of the extremes of humidity. Simply mist the plant to add a little more moisture and keep your plant happy if the air seems a little dry to your plant but the soil is still damp.

Soil Conditions

Any well-draining potting mix is the best soil for your Wandering Jew plant because it is not particularly picky. Your plant will be content and thrive in your home if you keep the soil just a little bit moist. You will need some perlite, peat moss, organic compost, as well as a small quantity of gardening soil, if you decide to make your own potting mix. To make a mixture your plant will adore, just combine everything.

This plant doesn't require pre-fertilized soil. It will benefit from routine fertilization, but it's better to control the amount of fertilizer than to put it in a soil mixture that may contain too much fertilizer for a newly propagated plant.

Watering

How moist the soil is provides the best cue as to when to water your plant. Rewatering is necessary as soon as the soil's surface starts to dry out. Due to the numerous factors that can affect how quickly your soil can dry out, it is challenging to schedule plants. You run the risk of your plant developing root rot if you keep the soil too wet.

After a couple of months of caring for your plant, you will quickly learn how frequently it needs to be watered. Every 3 to 4 days is the general rule of thumb, but you should modify that period of time to suit your surroundings and your plant's requirements.

Bottom watering is a quick and easy method of watering your plant. It is the simplest way to water a plant, and your plant can take in all the water it requires. Put your plant's pot in the water sitting upright in your clean sink after filling it with 4 to 6 inches of water. After roughly 10 minutes, you can remove the plant from the water and let any extra water drain out through the drainage holes in the bottom of the plant's pot. Water will absorb through these holes and then reach your plant.

The Most Common Issues With Wandering Jew Plants

While wandering Jew plants are typically calm and collected, they are, in some ways, still prone to issues brought on by poor care and environmental factors. A few issues you might encounter include:

Curling and Falling Leaves

The main factor causing wandering Jew leaves to curl, dry out, or fall off is under-watering. To give your plant hydration that is more consistent, you should change your watering schedule.

It's crucial to remember that dead leaves can frequently be found near the base of the plant, where older leaves may occasionally be visible.

Fading Leaves

Your lost Jew isn't getting enough light if the leaves start to fade or lose their variegation.

If this occurs, you should move your plant to an area of your house that receives more natural light.

Leggy Growth

Your Tradescantia will eventually become spindly; this is normal. This is primarily due to their two- to three-year lifespan.

Because of this, it's best to propagate as many stems as you can and get rid of the parent plant.

However, if your plant is young, insufficient light or water may result in lanky growth.

Rotting Stems and Yellowing Leaves

The occurrence of mushy, rotten stems and yellowing leaves is one of the more obvious symptoms of root rot or proof that your plant has developed a root ball.

It typically happens when the soil in your container is too wet.

To prevent root rot, you should always wait until the soil is completely dry before watering it again.

Takeaway

Folks, there you have it! You can easily grow additional Wandering Jew plants from a mother plant by taking a few wandering jew cuttings, as you have seen.

FAQs of Propagating Wandering Jews

Are They Easy to Propagate?

Due to their extreme hardiness and ability to adapt to various humidity levels and environmental factors, wandering jews are simple to reproduce. They only require a little tender loving care.

Do You Cut above Or below the Node?

Make sure to always cut below the node when propagating plants. By doing this, the node will start developing roots when you propagate the cutting. Both water and soil can be used for this method of propagation.

Cut below the most recent leaf for the same result if you can't find any nodes on the plant. Do not forget to trim the leaves by twisting or cutting them off.

The lower portion of the stem that is buried in dirt or submerged in water shouldn't have any leaves on it. Lower stem leaves will begin to rot during propagation and render the cutting inedible if there are any.

Can You Propagate Wandering Jew from a Leaf?

It is not advised to grow a wandering jew from a single leaf. Make sure to cut the stem at the node from which the roots will emerge.

Why is My Wandering Jew So Leggy?

Despite your best efforts, your wandering jew will eventually become spindly and leggy because it only lives 2 to 3 years as a houseplant. Take a few cuttings from healthy branches in this situation, and plant them in the same container or a different one.

The leggy growth, however, may be caused by insufficient water or light if your Wandering Jew plant is under a year old. It will change after about a week if you move it to a more sunny location and give it a little more water.