NOTE: The terms Spiderwort and Tradescantia are identical in this text; in reality, Tradescantia is Spiderwort’s biological word.
Some spiderwort plants are considered to be noxious weeds, some are prized as garden plants, and some are grown primarily as indoor houseplants.
Why does my Tradescantia roots have rot?
If left untreated, root rot on your Spiderwort (Tradescantia) can be fatal. For this reason, if the symptoms appear, we highly advise that you adhere to our recommendations to keep your plant alive: Blackened and softened roots.
Why does my Spiderwort have gray mold spots?
A particular fungus known as gray mold spots spreads quickly and frequently damages flowers. This fungus is probably to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. If you disregard these warning signs, your plant could die.
Our Solution
The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Tradescantia. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.
Why does my Spiderwort have leaf spots?
If your plants exhibit symptoms like rapid color changes in the leaves or leaves that wilt or droop, we give you all the information you need to recognize them and rescue your plants. For owners of Spiderwort, this kind of illness is among the most distressing.
Why are my Spiderwort leaves turning yellow?
In the world of horticulture, yellowing leaves are undoubtedly the most common problem. The two main causes of this problem are overwatering and a lack of nutrition.
Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:
Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Tradescantia in question, here’s how to spot them:
- The first symptom of a magnesium deficiency is yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves. The leaf’s core turns yellow while the veins stay green. The edges of the leaf yellow last.
- Iron deficiency also shows as yellowing between leaf veins, but it hits young leaves on plant tops and branch tips first.
- Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
- Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
- A broad yellowing indicates a nitrogen deficiency. Yellowing starts with older, inner leaves. Yellowing spreads as it advances, eventually touching new leaves as well.
Our Solution
According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.
Is my Spiderwort sunburned?
It is quite easy to find out if your Spiderwort (Tradescantia) has been burned by the sun. Just like on us, your plant will change color in this case, it will start to turn yellow or white.
As we saw above, the leaves of your Spiderwort can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.
However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.
Why are my Spiderwort leaves turning brown?
The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.
Should I leave my Tradescantia in direct sunlight?
No! Don’t leave your Tradescantia (or Spiderwort) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.
Our Solution
As stated in the paragraph above, the cure is straightforward: simply position your plant’s Spiderwort so that it is out of direct sunlight. With proper watering and this method, your plant should quickly come back to life.
Why are my Tradescantia leaves drooping or wilting ?
This typically occurs when your Tradescantia gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.
An easy way to know if your Tradescantia is lacking water is to under-weigh its pot, if it looks light, it means that the soil and the roots are probably quite dry, and therefore need water!
Our Solution
If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Spiderwort right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.
This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Tradescantia
Water Occasionally
Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.
The best way to know if your plant needs water or not is to touch the soil, if you feel it is still wet, it is probably a good idea to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
It’s also a good idea to keep your Tradescantia at a constant temperature, especially if it’s kept indoors. In general, at GreenShack, we suggest booking a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, keep your Tradescantia away from radiators, air conditioners, and other sources of hot or cold air.
Keep your Spiderwort Dust-Free
This one is about houseplants. Your indoor plants’ leaves get dusty just like your furniture does. The problem is that this might prevent photosynthesis from beginning, which would result in the plants gradually losing their color.
For your Spiderwort, this would be a true descent into hell, and it would also appease the pests.
To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)
Keep drainage in mind
If you have a tendency to overwater, you should be mindful of your drainage, and if they don’t already have them, we suggest selecting a saucer and a pot with drainage holes.
If your pots don’t already have holes in them, you can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the meantime. This will assist in creating a channel and keep the water from pooling there for an extended period of time, protecting the roots from decay.
