proper pinching of tradescantia?

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scubadoobie Chicago, IL Jul 15, 2009

Hi -

I have had a few small tradescantia plants that always get stringy. I root new cuttings and try to pinch off the ends, but end up only with a lateral branch so that the branch is stringy but now bent at 90 degrees! I would appreciate any suggestions about generating a nice full plant. This also seems to be somewhat the case with my purple passion plants.

For such easy-rooting plants, I'd think it would be a little easier but for some reason this is eluding me...are there different ways to pinch them, or should I be doing this more? Thanks!

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scubadoobie Chicago, IL Jul 15, 2009

p.s. I mean it is a zebrina (Wandering Jew plant) - guess there are various types

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rvnsbrk FLOYD, VA(Zone 6a) Jul 16, 2009

Scubadoobie,

I'm anxiously awaiting an answer to this as well. Have encountered the same problems. There must be a trick to it...or not. :0)

Juanita

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scubadoobie Chicago, IL Jul 30, 2009

OK, I think I've figured it out after doing some other experimenting. You don't truly pinch off the whole end. You wait till a tiny leaf is sprouting at the end of the stem (usually between two larger leaves), and pull it out of the socket (there should be only the baby leaf and a tiny green stem-part that come out). The end of the stalk afterwards should have intact leaves instead of being cut all the way across. I tried this and am starting to get actual side branches!

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rvnsbrk FLOYD, VA(Zone 6a) Jul 30, 2009

Thanks Scuba!! I'll try it.

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DaleTheGardener Tampa, FL(Zone 10a) Aug 09, 2009

My method to make a thinly growing plant, in a hanging basket, fuller or denser is to take the trailing stems and loop them back over the top of the basket. You will have to do it 2-4 times to get fill out and become dense.

Works well with all tropical vines - Wandering Jew, Philodendron etc.

Thumbnail by DaleTheGardener
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rvnsbrk FLOYD, VA(Zone 6a) Aug 10, 2009

Great minds think alike Dale. I do that too with ivies and such.

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sallyg Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b) Aug 12, 2009

scuba- great hint!
Dale- I do that too- keeps it going awhile. With my Pothos, eventually it needs repotting and then I toss all the stringy stems, some of which become bare, and make new tip rootings or stems-leaf cuttings

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phalaeo Philadelphia, PA(Zone 7a) Aug 26, 2009

I always cut any tropical tradescantia back hard when they get leggy. It looks ugly for a few weeks, but you'll have a better shaped plant in the long run.

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