Want to know more about your Purple Waffle Plant? How to propagate a waffle plant is described here!
My purple waffle plant is my favorite. The underside of the leaf has lovely purple veining and a nice, intriguing texture. I adore how simple it is to spread as well.
Waffle plants can be propagated from cuttings, and it's a lot of fun. Growing new plants and using them to fill new pots or cram more into my current pots is my favorite thing to do.
What is Waffle Plant?
A lovely indoor plant is the waffle plant. It is bushy in shape and grows to be 6 to 8 Prime tall.
It only requires warm temperatures, filtered sunlight, and moist soil to thrive. It's a fantastic plant for beginners!
Waffle plant in purple grows very quickly. It's time to repot to a larger pot if roots are seen emerging from the soil or the drainage holes.
I've mastered waffle plant propagation through extensive practice. Check out these instructions for home waffle plant propagation!
How to Propagate Waffle Plants
Waffle plant (scientific name Hemigraphis alternata) is really easy to grow and propagate!
First, choose a stem from which to take a cutting. It should have a stem that can sit in the water for a few inches. Use a pair of sharp scissors to trim it, then submerge it in water.
Once per week, check the water and refill it or change it.
In a couple of weeks, you should have roots, and it will be ready to plant in soil in about two months.
Make sure the plant is situated in a location with indirect sunlight, such as next to a window. Mine is kept on our screened-in porch's moving plant stand.
Enjoy your lovely waffle plant and give it regular waterings!
Materials
- Parent waffle plant
- Water
- Scissors
- Jar or glass
- Pot with soil
Instructions
- Choose a waffle plant stem that is between 4 and 6 inches long.
- Scissors should be cut directly above a node.
- Remove any leaves along the stem that will come in contact with water.
- Place in water.
- Weekly water testing and replacement or refill as necessary.
- In about two months, the roots should be prepared for the soil.
- Plant in soil.
- Place there while regularly watering.
Propagate Purple Waffle Plant Step by Step
- Pick a healthy stem that is 4 to 6 inches long with 3 to 4 nodes along the length of the stem if you want to propagate your plant through stem cuttings.
- Make a cutting just below the stem node, and then soak the cut end in rooting hormone powder for ten minutes.
- The cut end should be inserted into the moist, humus-rich potting mix about an inch along with the node.
- It will require 4 to 5 weeks for it to take root and sprout new growth.
- Place the container in bright indirect light as soon as you notice the earliest leaf on the stem, and then leave the plant to develop further.
How to Grow Purple Waffle Plant in Aquariums
It is not an aquatic plant, the purple waffle plant. It is still possible to grow and maintain it in shallow aquariums where the roots can grow in the aquarium substrate and the plant can grow above the water.
Provide the right lighting (14 to 16 hours per day), carbon dioxide, trace elements, and plant fertilizers for
purple waffle plants to grow in aquariums.
- The ideal size for the plant's base support and balance is 2 to 3 mm, so add gravel up to 2 inches thick to the aquarium tank's bottom.
- Peat moss, laterite, and regular potting soil are all good sources of plant nutrients.
- Maintaining the gravel substrate in place, roughly fill the tank with room temperature water. Finally, place the plant base (root system) in the gravel substrate in the tank's middle.
- Make sure the fish's habits are compatible with the plants before adding them to the container. Angelfish, tetras, danios, and rasboras are a few examples of fish you could include. These aquatic animals will help the plants grow healthily by adding nutrients to the tank in the form of fish waste and by giving them access to enough carbon dioxide.
How to Care for Purple Waffle Plant
Tropical climates are the natural habitat of the purple waffle plant, which prefers consistently moist soil, warm temperatures, and bright indirect light. It is one of the most decorative indoor plants available, requires little care, and has a laid-back way of life while also purifying the air.
As hanging baskets and terrariums for living rooms, this tropical plant is a great addition to patios and balconies. In addition, its easy and simple growth requirements make it the best indoor plant for beginners.
Throughout the growing season, your purple waffle plant needs plenty of light and water to thrive.
Growing Purple Waffle Plant Outdoors
As a ground cover, purple waffle plants thrive best in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11. Early spring is the best time to plant them as ground cover, so pick a garden location with some shade and add organic matter to the soil.
Large trees provide shade throughout the day and four hours of morning sunlight, which is ideal for them. The roots of the red ivy plant do not compete with the nutrients in these soils, which are also rich in nutrients.
Water the purple waffle plants every two weeks to keep the soil damp, and keep an eye out for whiteflies and powdery mildew infections on the plants.
Water
In order to grow healthily, the purple waffle plant requires consistently moist soil year-round. During the growing season, water plants frequently without fostering the right conditions for root rot.
Before you water the planter again, let any extra water drain from it. Wintertime requires more thorough but less frequent watering of the purple waffle plant.
Sunlight
The purple waffle plant prefers strong indirect light with 4–6 hours of morning sun exposure. The vibrant purple coloring of the foliage will be ensured by this direct sunlight.
Keep in mind that prolonged exposure to direct sunlight will fade the colors in the indoor plant container.
The cool purple sheen of scorched-edged foliage will also fade in the presence of excessive sunlight. Place the purple waffle plant containers in the home's Southeastern windows for best results.
This tropical perennial thrives as ground cover beneath the shade of big trees in the outdoors where it needs some shade.
To avoid having leggy stems and gray leaves (which lack its distinctive foliage color), make sure your purple waffle plant gets enough light.
Temperature and Humidity
Warm, humid weather is preferred for this tropical plant. Therefore, the ideal temperature range for a purple waffle plant indoors is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The potted red ivy needs a constant temperature for healthy growth, so keep it away from vents or doors that let in cold air.
When grown in containers for outdoor garden displays, bring the purple waffle plant inside as the temperature drops below 50 degrees It must be in Fahrenheit or it won't survive the colder temperatures outside.
It thrives in humid environments because it is a native of tropical regions. In order to maintain a happy plant with moist soil, regular water misting in the morning of a hot summer is recommended.
Fertilizer
Throughout the growing season, metal leaf plants require nutrient applications on a regular basis. The reason being that they grow in nutrient-rich soils in their native environments (Southeast Asia). By simulating these conditions with plant fertilizers, purple waffle plant parents can produce lush, beautiful foliage.
Apply a slow-release houseplant fertilizer from spring to summer with equal nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (5-5-5). Avoid fertilizing your plants excessively because this will result in weak plants with spindly stems and yellow leaves.
Conclusion
Purple Waffle Plants are very simple to propagate because they spread to form new roots at each growth node as they grow. By rooting at stem nodes, it will easily reproduce by itself.
Cuttings can be used to quickly multiply Purple Waffle Plants. Simply cut the purple stems at the ends into 4-6 inch (10–15 cm) long pieces. Making your cut just below a node will allow you to strip the leaves, leaving only the top two in place.
Your cuttings can be placed in water or right into the ground. Waffle plants prefer high humidity and moist soil, so if you're rooting in the ground, make sure to keep your cuttings moist. You could use something like a ziplock bag or a clear plastic sheet to cover your cuttings for this.