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I have tried everything I can think of to save this tradescantia I… | Anything about plants | Planta community

Morgan

I have tried everything I can think of to save this tradescantia I got a month ago but I cannot banish root rot. Help! I brought it home and it began to wilt/lose leaves. That tipped me off to the soil staying too wet, so I swapped it out with my own potting soil which was airier. But it has still remained too wet and every time I’ve salvaged them, the clippings rot again. Here is my pile of what I could save from a really lovely full original plant (peep the full descent in the plant photos 🫣). What am I missing? I’ve not successfully gotten them to propagate in water. I have rooting hormone. What do I do? 😭

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10 comments

  1. Plants&Pets 🌱🐱🐶

    Does the pot have drainage? My tradescantia does well in regular potting mix in a nursery pot within another pot. I either bottom water it or give it a controlled amount of water (instead of soaking it til water comes out the bottom) When you propagate, are there nodes in the water? This is pic of one I propagated in the summer, nodes circled. The roots will come from the nodes.

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    • Morgan

      Yes, there have been nodes in the water and I’ve dipped it in rooting hormone and I’ve propagated other plants in the same conditions but I’m somehow still getting rot 😞 the pot has drainage — it’s in a plastic nursery pot (potting mix + perlite + orchid bark + peat moss) sitting within a ceramic pot. Though the plastic pot has had condensation on the outside of it even whilst sitting inside of it. I’ve never had that happen before with another ceramic pot.

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    • Plants&Pets 🌱🐱🐶

      Hmm, I’ve had the condensation on the nursery pot when it’s very tightly fitting inside the ceramic pot, and I find those don’t dry out as easily, so maybe that’s it? Sounds like everything else you’re doing is OK. My tradescantia are in somewhat looser fitting decorative pots so they have a bit of air flow. I also use a water meter to check the base moisture level before I add any more water. According to the guide that came with the water meter, they are happiest at a level 4 out of 10 on the meter. I’m not sure why they wouldn’t be propagating though, maybe the plant had health issues when you got it that weren’t obvious ☹️

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    • Morgan

      I’ll try keeping it just in the plastic pot and no outer pot and see if that changes how quickly the soil is drying out. Perhaps it is the outer pot and not my plant originally. It is the first time I’ve used it, having gotten it from someone else. I’ll see if I have any luck propagating these clippings and hopefully will save some of it. I nearly just tossed it, having worked at this at least once a week since buying it to no avail 😅

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  2. Dondoo52

    Maybe try to propagate without the rooting hormone. I saw on a different post where a grower mentioned the hormone causing root rot.

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    • Morgan

      Mm ok I’ll have to try that!

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  3. Mullein

    I lost my whole “Rapunzel” last year 😭 For me it was a combination of thrips, being super root bound, and moving to a new apartment all at the same time 😬

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    • Anna

      Rapunzel was stunning! May she rest in peace.

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    • Morgan

      Oh I’m so sorry! She was gorgeous 😍😭

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  4. NayNay

    I normally root mine in just water. I have switched most of m plants to only orchid/tropical/cactus mix with small lava rock. I only water when the soil is dry. Only water a little bit. I don’t soak it in water. They remind me of pothos’s, they are okay usually with some neglect lol.

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